Harrow Borough 0-2 Cockfosters (London Senior Cup)

The Spartan South Midlands side were sharper in attack and – especially – way better organised and mistake-free in defence than a Harrow side whose performance undid at one stroke all the improvements that have been seen in the last three games. And to top it all, there was yet another injury to a key player.

Although a few fringe players got starts, the side Steve Baker selected was nonetheless one that looked strong enough to gain safe passage past their opponents from the far end of the Piccadilly Line. Harrow started well enough, a Michael Bryan free-kick forcing a full-length diving save from Cockfosters keeper Mann, and Kamon-Sherell Assidjo had a shot blocked from the resulting corner. But things started going wrong in the 11th minute, when the home offside trap went horribly wrong and Ugbomah went through to take the ball round Jacob Knightbridge. Ahmet Biler got back to make, it seemed, a fine interception, but it was not so as the ball went off his foot into the net for a freakish own goal.

Harrow weren’t perturbed and a nice move ended with Isiah Noel-Williams feeding Biler, whose low drive nearly produced a second own goal after taking a huge deflection off Lovell, but Mann reacting wonderfully to tip the ball over for a save of the season contender. Read then made a fine block to stop Billy Leonard’s driven cross. But the hole that Borough were falling into doubled in size in the 23rd minute. A long ball over the top held up and caused confusion as Jacob Knightbridge came charging out of his area. Rock Moses was not strong enough in challenging Stevenson, who twisted away from him and, with Knightbridge off his line, executed an inch-perfect lob into the far corner. The young Harrow keeper made a desperate effort to leap backwards to keep it out, but collided head first with the goalpost, a sickening sound that could be heard at the far end of the ground. He was clearly dazed but tried to carry on for a while, eventually having to leave the field, visibly distressed and taken, concussed, to hospital. Harrow didn’t have a substitute keeper on the bench, somewhat odd given that the Under-23s had no game, and after a whole-team discussion, sympathetically allowed by referee Mr O’Meara to the annoyance of the Cockfosters bench, it was Moses who donned the keeper’s jersey with Samuel Adenola coming on to replace him at centre back.

Bryan set up Montel Brown who shot narrowly over, Noel-Williams then shooting considerably higher when well placed. Cockfosters came close to adding a third when a deep free-kick found an unmarked forward at the far post and his effort came back off the woodwork. Kai Omoko Brosnan beat a defender but shot past the near post, but the visitors were now looking full of confidence and Samuel Amenola came to Moses’s rescue when the new keeper spilled Stevenson’s low shot. Brosnan shot over, Brown was stopped by a fine tackle by Madu, Adenola’s effort was blocked and Mann saved a Brown near-post flick. Ten minutes of first-half stoppage time ended with Leonard’s angled effort deflecting off the far post.

Half-time saw James Ewington called on from the bench, but it was yet another occasion where the presence of the little striker seems to elicit the thought from the Harrow defence that he would most like to be contesting high balls. This tactic was again music to the ears of the tall centre-backs marking him. Cockfosters were again inches away from increasing their lead when Entwistle chipped Moses with the ball coming down from the crossbar but not crossing the line. Keegan Bloom, also on at half-time, had the sense to send Ewington in on the right with a pass on the deck. Mann blocked his shot but the ball came back to Ewington, who squared it for Brown to tap in, but he managed to miss the ball completely. With that golden chance to half the deficit and launch a comeback going begging, Borough's fate felt sealed.

To their credit they continued to attack and Brosnan had another shot blocked, but the visitors threatened again when Ugbomah broke clear and found Entwistle, who fired wide. Brosnan sent Leonard down the right and his cross was agonisingly just too far in front of Ewington and Brown. Brown had a shot blocked by Nobrega and then missed another good chance, scooping his shot onto the bar when Brosnan found him at the far post. Assidjo shot across goal after a Biler cross was blocked and Brosnan headed Biler’s near-post corner over, and that was that.

Out of two cups at the first opportunity, Harrow are in a third this Saturday, and it’s one that carries decent financial reward as they enter the Isuzu FA Trophy at the Third Qualifying Round stage. They’ve had some luck insofar as what should have been a trip to Corinthian-Casuals is now taking place at The Rogers Family Stadium, following storm damage at the Casuals ground. But to cash in on that luck, they are going to have to perform much better than what was seen here to avoid another early exit.

Harrow Borough:
Jacob Knightbridge (sub15, 38 mins), Taishan Griffith (sub 14,h-t), Ahmet Biler, Imran Uche, Rock Moses, Isiah Noel-Williams, Kamon-Sherell Assidjo, Billy Leonard, Montel Brown, Michael Bryan (sub 12,h-t), Kai Omoko Brosnan
Subs: James Ewington (on for 10, h-t), Keegan Bloom (on for 2, h-t), Samuel Adenola (on for 1, 38 mins)

Cockfosters:
Charlie Mann (booked, 79 mins), Kenny Nobrega, Prince Madu, Matt Thompson (sub 17, 84 mins), Jay Lovell, Aiden Read (booked, 54 mins), Antonio Michael, Joe Entwistle (booked, 54 mins; sub 15, 78 mins), Bailey Stevenson (sub 14, 84 mins), Reece Barrett, Cory Ugbomah (sub 12, 84 mins)
Subs: Seni Akinola (on for 11, 84 mins), Archie Jolly (on for 9, 84 mins), Keull Weekes (on for 10, 78 mins), Neo Donoghue (not used), Theo Costa (on for 4, 84 mins)

Referee: Mr C O’Meara
Attendance: 41

by Simon Grigor