News & EventsLatest NewsCalendar
Harrow go down at league leaders

Harrow go down at league leaders

Andrew Smart11 Dec 2017 - 14:45
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.pitchero.com/clubs

Slick Harpenden to good for Harrow

Harrow went down to a well drilled skilful and pacey Harpenden side whose victory took them to the top of London 2NW after HAC went down at home to Hampstead. For Harrow the misery continues and following Enfield’s unexpected home victory to London Nigerian we are now 10 points from the two sides immediately above us. This Saturday we host Tabard the only side in the league below us and nothing short of a win will do if we are have any hopes at all of escaping the drop.

It was by no means all bad but Harrow’s continued problem of conceding early and then having to play catch up was again on show on Saturday. Harpenden playing a fast open game scored twice in the first 10 minutes with fine team scores both in the left hand corner. Difficult conversions missed 10-0. Things were looking very ominous but Harrow gradually got a purchase in the game and although they weren’t looking particularly dangerous we started to have some parity of possession. Unfortunately as Harrow moved the ball right on the half way line, a lovely kick behind the home defensive line by the skipper caught the Harpenden fullback out of position. The ball bounced up kindly into the hands of Stern who had a thirty metre unopposed run in to score. The referee called him back for being in front of the ball from the kick. Not one person on the touchline who was level with play agreed with him but that was that. From the resultant penalty Harpenden kicked into the left hand corner and there was a period of sustained pressure close to the Harrow line and although the visitors stood firm and managed to clear their lines it wasn’t before one of the second rows found his way to the bin for 10 mins for an offence at the breakdown. With a man extra Harpenden went for the kill. Another sweeping move from left to right saw the outside centre come back on a lovely line to slice through the Harrow defence to score under the posts. Easy conversion 17-0. This was followed shortly afterwards by another flowing move that saw their winger in at the right hand corner. Super conversion 24-0 which was the score into the break.

Harrow to their credit started by far the better of the two sides and for the first 15 mins or so of the second half were on the attack inside the Harpenden 22. However good defence kept their visitors out and having weathered the pressure Harpenden were finally able to return to the Harrow 22. Unfortunately at 66 mins, Leaman who once again had an impressive game in adversity found his way to the bin as he came in from the side of a ruck inside the Harrow 22, kicking the ball as he did so. No complaints with that decision but it was followed within a minute by Mark Gibson joining him for what the referee said was a high tackle. Yet another in a series of marginal decisions that consistently favoured the home side. Not unexpected but there you are. Two more tries followed before the pair returned to the fray but by then the match was all but finished.

To be fair to Harpenden they were by far the better side and fully deserved their try bonus point win. It was also perhaps fitting that on the day that they announced that they had received a £1.2 million grant from the RFU for a 4G pitch and floodlights that they returned to the top of the league

For Harrow they have the chance to finish 2017 with a win as we host bottom placed Tabard at Grove Field on Saturday. At the moment it will be a 3pm ko but that might well change if the weather doesn’t improve

Andrew Smart

Further reading