Just
when they most needed it, Harrow Borough recorded their biggest
away win of the season, to take a big step towards Premier Division
survival.
An
excellent all-round team perforamnce, capped by a Fabio Valenti
hat-trick, means that three points from the remaining three games
will keep them up. On a very sticky surface, Parker shot wide
for Hitchin after a Mark Cooper mis-kick, before Harrow went close
with their first attack.
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Fabio
Valenti opens the scoring
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Joe
Lyons's cross-field pass picked out Fabio Valenti, who cut in
from the right and curled a left-foot shot just past the post.
Paul Scott's corner was then headed onto the crossbar by Cooper,
although referee Ford blew for a foul. Lamey shot over the bar
for Hitchin, and then at the other end Pat Gavin's header sent
Paul Scott through, but the tall striker shot straight at former
Harrow custodian Robinson.
Derek
Payne's header from 15 yards then forced a full-length diving
save from Robinson, and Lyons shot past the post from outside
the area. Harrow had to capitalise on their early dominance and
finally did so in the 26th minute. Scott turned cleverly to pick
out Valenti, who again cut inside the full-back and hit a shot
that deflected off Hitchin centre-back Allpress and went in off
the far post. Gavin then chased a clearance and fell under a challenge,
but the referee ruled that contact had been legitimate. Jon-Barrie
Bates and the home skipper Parker were lucky only to see yellow
cards after they raised hands to each other in a centre-circle
melee.
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Leon
Woodruffe goes close
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The
home side then came to life, and Payne did well to clear a dangerous
situation, before David Hook came out of his area to intercept
an attack. Defending free-kicks has been a Borough weakness this
season, and when Cooper gave away a 34th minute free-kick on the
edge of the area, Parker's shot deflected past a static Hook for
the equaliser. Hook then made an important save at the feet of
a home attacker, following another free-kick, before Harrow regained
the lead in the 45th minute. Bates's free-kick was headed across
goal and Cooper executed a perfect overhead kick to send the ball
looping back over Robinson. Before half-time there was still time
for Valenti to hit the bar with a cross at the end of another
great run. Carl Levene replaced the limping Scott at half-time,
with immediate impact.
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Mark
Cooper's stunning overhead kick for Harrow's second
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When
Robinson dived to turn Leon Woodruffe's shot round the post, Levene's
50th minute corner was met by a powerful Gavin header that Valenti
redirected over Robinson and into the goal. Two minutes later
it was four, as Payne found Valenti on the right, and his cross
was turned into goal, off the post, by Gavin. Robinson leapt to
turn over Levene's piledriver, before Hook rescued Harrow with
a wonderful diving save at the feet of Nolan after Christian Hyslop
had mis-controlled the ball in the mud. Andy Rose then made an
important interception as the home side threatened a comeback.
Bates left the field with an upper body injury, replacement Marc
Walsh slotting into an unfamiliar midfield role but soon setting
up Levene for a fierce shot over the bar.
Harrow
fans are used to late goals, but this match surpassed others with
four coming in the last 11 minutes. With 79 minutes played, Gavin
was pushed over as he collected Rose's throw-in. Robinson dived
to his right to save Gavin's penalty, but Woodruffe was first
to the loose ball and hammered it home to make it 1-5. Hitchin
got themselves a chink of light when an 81st minute left wing
cross was deflected past Hook by Cooper, who thus earned the distinction
of scoring for both teams. With a three-goal lead Harrow nevertheless
looked comfortable, and Gavin should have scored another with
a header straight at Robinson from just a few yards out.
In
the 90th minute, with Hyslop off the field receiving attention,
Parker had a free header at a free-kick to make it 3-5. Three
minutes into stoppage time Harrow hearts missed a beat when Parker
again got in a header, but this time it struck the post. The ball
was cleared to Valenti ho took it from the half-way line, beating
a defender twice before dummying Robinson and shooting in for
his hat-trick to complete a great 6-3 win.
All
Harrow fans hope that a win can be obtained at either Basingstoke,
on Tuesday, or Hendon, on Wednesday, and thereby avoid any nail-biting
drama at next Saturday's final game, at home to Purfleet.
