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 Oh
that defence! It seems to be increasingly the case that Harrow have
to score three times to get anything from a game. This was the case
at Gander Green Lane on Saturday. Despite taking the lead in the
85th minute they had to settle for a point as Sutton scored a last-gasp
equaliser.
Sutton
have been on a dreadful run of late, and it was important to have
them questioning their confidence early on. But, no, that's not
the Borough way! Pat Gavin gave away a needless free-kick in the
3rd minute. Howarth connected with Horner's kick with a vicious
shot that came off the bar. Harrow failed to clear the loose ball,
which was collected on the left by Bolt who ran on to hit a shot
across David Hook and into the net. Borough came back and Gavin
hit a goalbound shot that Howells dived to turn away, only for referee
Street to give a goal-kick. The equaliser arrived quickly, in the
6th minute.
Leon
Woodruffe broke on the left and squared the ball for David Howell
to slot in from inside the six-yard box. It was David's 17th goal
for Borough. The 16th was on 28th April 1984 - 16 years and 51 weeks
between goals is surely a record? Sutton went close when Bolt's
free-kick was headed away by Howell, and the same player then shot
wide. At the other end, Howell hit a 30-yarder wide. Hook then saved
well from Howarth. Harrow took the lead in the 35th minute.
Woodruffe
chased what looked like a hopeless cause, but managed to get a foot
to a back-pass. He chipped the ball past Howells and ran on to head
the ball into the net. Borough dominated the period up to half-time.
Gavin's effort was blocked, Howell headed wide, and Woodruffe broke
clear only to be denied by a great save by Howells. Howells then
leapt to turn Andy Rose's 25-yarder over the bar. At the other end,
Christian Hyslop made an important header to clear a dangerous cross,
but the half ended with another Borough effort, Gavin's block of
Howells's clearance spinning past the post.
Sutton
came out for the second half geed up, and might have had a penalty
in the 48th minute when Hyslop checked Howarth's run. But any home
annoyance was instantly forgotten, as Ekoku's cross was headed in
by Honey for the equaliser. Harrow might have regained the lead
in the 53rd minute when Fabio Valenti's 40-yard pass sent Woodruffe
clear. Howells drove him wide and then blocked his shot. Moments
later at the other end, Bolt went clear but chipped wide of the
post. Hook then made a great diving save to keep out Haworth's header.
Woodruffe was then fouled on the edge of the box, and Howells got
down well to save Jon-Barrie Bates's free-kick at the foot of the
post. Valenti then found himself 10 yards out with the ball at his
feet, but hit a weak shot that Howells saved comfortably.
In
the 74th minute, Howells saved a Rose effort that was bound for
the top corner and instituted a quick Sutton break. Hook came out
to make a double save on the edge of the penalty area, and Rose
got back to clear a third effort off the line. Ekoku then crossed
and Whitmarsh's diving header came back off the post. Bates then
broke on the right and hit a great cross that Gavin contrived to
head over from inside the six-yard box. The same players combined
in the 84th minute and this time Gavin's header was turned over
the bar by Howells.
It
was third time lucky for Gavin, for when Paul Scott's resulting
corner found his head three yards out, he buried it in the net to
put Harrow in front. Could Borough hold on for a crucial win? The
portents did not look good as free-kicks were nervously conceded,
and Hook looked nervous in not coming for a cross. In an extraordinary
sequence, Sutton substitute Williams came on only to pull a hamstring
and hobble off a minute later. This was significant as it was his
replacement Gray who got the equaliser.
After
Scott had been denied what looked a corner by the referee, play
broke to the other end. With four minutes of stoppage time played,
Bates gave the ball away on the right, and it was quickly delivered
to the far post where Borough's defence left Gray the space to head
the equaliser from close range. Once again a failure to deal with
crosses cost Borough dear, and supporters are entitled to wonder
what practicing at defending crosses is going on, when week after
week the same faults are apparent.
The
next three league games are all at home to fellow strugglers and
possibly the most important series of matches in the club's history.
Easter Monday's County Cup Final is now the game that matters least
of the closing eight.
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