Harrow Borough 1 Sutton United 1

Harrow completed a very tough five days, with three fixtures against the champions, best form side, and now the likely runners-up, finally getting the point that their performances in each of the games may have merited.

James Fraser’s return to midfield in place of James King was the only change to the side that started on Thursday at Tonbridge, while on the sidelines there was a very welcome return for manager David Howell after his personal grief of the last two weeks.

Sutton began with the style of a side who are sitting second in the table. Gargan’s low shot from Woods-Garness’s cross was blocked, and Cobbs lashed a volley over the bar. Harrow’s first effort came when a Watts corner was headed on and Tobi Jinadu’s header was clawed away by Scriven. Ronayne Marsh-Brown then made a great piece of defending to clear up a dangerous situation. Gargan had a shot saved by Rocky Baptiste, before Rocky Baptiste picked out Ryan Watts on the far corner of the penalty area. Watts controlled the ball and hit a low shot that whistled just past the far post. Woods-Garness curled a free-kick just over the crossbar.

Borough were unlucky not to break the deadlock after 29 minutes when Kenta Nakashima picked out Baptiste. He spotted Scriven coming out and hit a lovely lob over him. The ball bounced six yards out and up to two weeks ago, would have ended in the net, but on the harder surface it bounced over the bar.

Scriven then pulled off a first-class save, diving to his left to push away Baptiste’s header. Watts returned the ball and Daniel McGonigle fired over. The same player then fired wide when Gargan’s punch reached him. Sutton’s Phillips then burst through the Harrow central defence and forced a save from Baptiste.

Early in the second half Taylor tried a shot from the halfway line, the ball going wide. McGonigle’s shot from Baptiste’s cross was blocked by the veteran Goodliffe. Andray Baptiste then saved from Taylor. Sutton manager Paul Doswell made a triple substitution after 56 minutes, but it was Harrow who nosed in front after 62 minutes, Wayne Walters got above his marker to nod a Watts free-kick across the goal, and Jinadu arrived at the far post to apply the finish.

Andray Baptiste made a super save to turn away a far post header from Watts, before a moment of madness turned the game after 72 minutes, Richard Orlu playing a suicidal bouncing back-pass forcing Baptiste to race out of the area. He arrived at the ball simultaneously with a visiting attacker, clattering him to the floor. Baptiste was red-carded, and Nakashima sacrificed to allow the introduction of Keita Karamoko. The Harrow wall kept out Watts’ free-kick, but Harrow didn’t win the second ball, and Phillips fired a low shot through a crowd of players into the far corner for the equaliser.

The Harrow faithful then anticipated a quarter of an hour under the cosh, but Harrow were both tigerish and well-organised, and the most significant effort of the closing period was in fact one from Harrow, a Watts 30-yarder from Baptiste’s header that flashed past the post.

HARROW BOROUGH;
1 Andray Baptiste
2 Richard Orlu
3 Ronayne Marsh-Brown
4 Wayne Walters
5 Tobi Jinadu
6 Kwasi Frempong
7 Kenta Nakashima
(Keita Karamoko 73)
8 James Fraser
9 Daniel McGonigle
(Lewis Cook 80)
10 Rocky Baptiste
11 Ryan Watts

12 Lewis Cook
14 Kurt Morlese
15 Danny Leech
16 Dean Fenton
17 Keita Karamoko

SUTTON UTD
1 Kevin Scriven
2 Billy Hawes
3 James Hawes
4 Jason Goodliffe
5 Kevin El-Salahi
6 Sonny Cobbs
7 Danny Phillips
Anthony Joseph (56)
8 Francis Quarm
9 Sam Gargan
Steve Watts (56)
10 Charlie Taylor
Steve McKimm (56)
11 Bradley Woods-Garnes

12 Anthony Joseph
14 Steve Watts
15 Steve McKimm
16 Craig Dobson
17 Jazz Gold

by Simon Grigor