HARROW BOROUGH 1 HARINGEY BOROUGH 0

Poor crowd, poor pitch, poor referee, poor game. But nevertheless Harrow banished Saturday’s horror show with Leiston from the memory bank with a skin-of-their-teeth win that gives them a quarter-final tie at Bostik Premier pace-setters Dulwich Hamlet.

Poor crowd, poor pitch, poor referee, poor game. But nevertheless Harrow banished Saturday’s horror show with Leiston from the memory bank with a skin-of-their-teeth win that gives them a quarter-final tie at Bostik Premier pace-setters Dulwich Hamlet.

Steve Baker gave first starts to Kyle Beggs and Greig Stewart, while Shaun Preddie was restored to centre midfield. Haringey too made changes after running Leyton Orient very close in their FA Trophy tie last Saturday. The visitors were first to threaten, first when Tayo Davies-Coker got across quickly to block Edwards, and then when Melvin Minter got his fingertips to a Haringey header, George Moore helping him out by hacking away the dropping ball. Harrow scored what proved to be the only goal of the night in the 14th minute. Beggs brought the ball forward and played it to Anthony O’Connor. His shot was blocked but Preddie ran on to the ball and drove it past Byfield with an angled shot from eight yards out.

Davies-Coker headed wide from a Stewart free-kick, Asamoah putting an overhead kick wide at the other end. I’m making an assumption here, but with Monday and Tuesday both featuring frosts that had only lifted in the afternoons, I suspect the Harrow groundsman had not had sufficient opportunity to make repairs after the Leiston debacle. The surface was bobbly and the more artistic players, Michael Bryan for instance, struggled. However, Bryan did surge to the left-hand by-line, pulling the ball low across for Sahr Kabba to meet with a near-post flick that produced the save of the night from Byfield. O’Connor did well to win a challenge, surged forward but then shot well wide.

Meanwhile referee Mr Williams, a late substitute and promoted to a tie ranking above his normal level of officiating, was struggling to maintain order. Challenges on first Beggs and then Bryan might have produced straight reds in other situations but here brought mere tickings-off. However, on the stroke of half-time Harrow survived strong appeals for a Haringey penalty after Georgiou was challenged in the box.

Mr Williams must have read up his refereeing guidance at the break, as he began the second half dishing out two cautions to visiting players, neither for an offence anything like as bad as the earlier two tackles. Kabba juggled a ball cleverly to bring a save from Byfield, before a poor Chinua Cole free-kick saw Haringey break quickly upfield, Stewart doing very well to race back to challenge Asamoah. Edwards then put a free header over the bar as, not for the first time recently, the Harrow defence had issues defending a corner. Another controversial moment went in Harrow’s favour as Minter seemed to bring down Edwards, but Mr Williams saw nothing amiss. Charles Banya, on for Bryan, made a surging break up the right but ended it wth a poor cross easily gathered by Byfield. David Taylor came on for Preddie and Stewart took the captain’s armband: has a Harrow player making his first start ever done this before?

Minter reacted well to save Asamoah’s deflected shot, and George Moore’s cross drew a sharp header from the third Harrow substitute, Ryan Moss, Byfield saving. Coley shot wide for Haringey when colleagues were better placed, before Byfield stopped Banya’s effort with his feet. With the game in stoppage-time, Haringey missed the chance of the night to take the tie to penalties when a right-wing cross found Coley coming in at the near post, but he steered it wide when it seemed easier to score.

Harrow are back in league action on Saturday when they travel to Longmead to take on Tonbridge Angels.

HARROW BOROUGH: Melvin Minter, George Moore, Chinua Cole, Tayo Davies-Coker, Adam Pepera, Shaun Preddie (sub David Taylor, 65 mins), Kyle Beggs (sub Ryan Moss, 71 mins), Greig Stewart, Sahr Kabba, Michael Bryan (sub Charles Banya, 57 mins), Anthony O’Connor. Unused subs: Kurtis Cumberbatch, Mark McLeod.

HARINGEY BOROUGH: Austin Byfield, Lauren Luke, Quba Gordon, Harrison Georgiou, Coby Rowe (booked, 51 mins), Lawrence Yiga, Daniel Aristidou (sub Michael Ademiluyi, 65 mins), Kai Heather (booked, 47 mins; sub Scott Mitchell, 67 mins), Jordan Edwards, Derek Asamoah, Ayrton Coley. Unused subs: Themistoklis Kefalas, Ashley Harris.

Referee: Mr M Williams

Att. 40

by Simon Grigor