I thought I was in credit by a long way, but alas the sporting gods decided that for every Kings Lynn, there must be at least a dozen Moneyfields.
Even at that exchange rate I should be comfortably in the black. After all I’ve watched Harrow Borough and QPR since the 80s.

A few cup runs, Bobby Zamora Day at Wembley against Derby, plus a couple of County Cups surely doesn’t wipe out seeing QPR turfed out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle more often than any professional club – including losing to Vauxhall Motors. Numerous relegations and the buckets being rattled outside Loftus Road to stop the club from going under. That should surely be enough before I have to mention Harrow regularly conceding half a dozen and finishing the game with ten, nine or even eight men, every time they played further West of junction 10 on the M4.

It was always going to be a tough game. Moneyfields are a good side. However, as I have stated before in previous nonsense – the actual game can often be the subplot to the day itself.

Those driving to Portsmouth were advised to allow extra time for the journey as the M3 was closed from junction 8-9 and the main road into Portsmouth was closed to replace a main sewer.
I reversed out of the driveway at 10:29 foolishly believing that even with roadworks, I would still be there in time for a stroll along the seafront before heading to the ground.

There would be no strolling today as an accident on the M25 close to junction 12 meant that I was lucky enough to sit for 90 minutes without moving with the engine off. Far from ideal but still plenty of time, or so I thought.

Exiting the Hindhead tunnel on the A3 I was still looking at an arrival time of close to 13:30. The moment you come out of the tunnel DAB radio signal disappears. We were all told years ago that DAB radios were the way forward and had to spend a fortune on replacing the old-style painters’ radios that had sat on the kitchen table since Granddad’s days.
They are without question a major con. You can be driving through Central London listening to the classified football results and it will suddenly cut out with No Signal appearing on the screen. Reception is patchy in built up areas and non-existent if you happen to have a field or trees within half a mile of your car.

Bring back the good old days when I knew the exact spot on my parents’ bathroom windowsill to place dads’ radio, where I could pick up a crackly but listenable broadcast from the American Armed Forces Network on a Sunday evening as a schoolboy. The excitement of tuning in to find out that they were carrying commentary of a Seahawks game was the highlight of the week. ‘John L Williams is stopped for a 4-yard loss. It’ll be fourth and fifteen coming up for Seattle’.
Before Seattle punted for the fifth drive in a row it would cut out to the infomercials for military staff. ‘Never go shopping on an empty stomach as you’ll end up buying more than you need’
With not a single DAB channel connecting and with my phone in my coat pocket on the backseat, there wasn’t the opportunity to put a podcast on.

Not the end of the world as it was only half an hour to Moneyfields.
Well, it would have been if the last 2.5 miles to the ground hadn’t taken 80 minutes. Several times, parking up the car and walking to the ground were serious options. However, the retail park a mile from the ground had a two-hour parking limit and every side road was either full or had double yellow lines.

I eventually parked up in the car park at 14:56 and entered the ground as the referee blew his whistle to start the match.

Harrow had made several changes from the team that started against Leatherhead last week. Jordan Gibbons gruesome injury was confirmed as a broken ankle and extensive ligament damage. Olu Akinode had been unwell most of the week and was not risked from the start. Reuben Collins had been caught up in the apocalyptic traffic and arrived after the teams had to be exchanged, so he was also on the bench.
Wayne Carter had released Lenny Farhall on Monday after an ill-advised tweet was put out by the mercurial Farhall, criticising Wayne and his management team after the Leatherhead game last Saturday. The tweet was deleted, but the damage was done and Carter left with no choice.

The low sun reflecting off the pale green plastic pitch, meant that it was difficult viewing early on for those in the main stand. Moneyfields had a penalty shout turned down inside the opening 30 seconds. No idea whether it was or not as nobody sat in the stand could see that far away with the sun reflecting into their eyes.

The home side dominated the first half. Harrow had a game plan to frustrate them, but it wasn’t in honesty, all that effective. Moneyfields played every goal kick short, and Harrow continually allowed the man in possession to amble forward unchallenged, before a lofted pass was put in the space between Borough’s full backs – Luke Brophy and Will Bailey - for Lewis Rustell and Adam Payce to chase. More often than not they got there before a red shirted defender.
Thankfully, at least in the early exchanges, Harrow blocked most of the crosses and headed clear the others.

Moneyfields took the lead in the 9th minute. A Crossfield ball from left to right saw Harrow backpedalling. A low pass from deep inside the area is controlled by Gates close to the edge of the six-yard box. He is able to fire a low cross towards goal. Tom Clark is only able to deflect the ball with his foot straight to Lewis Rustell who taps into an empty net from 4 yards out. 1-0.

Harrow started to see a little bit more possession but gave the ball away cheaply and rarely won, or more worryingly competed, for headers in the midfield.

Yoan Edoukou had a shot blocked when he appeared to be in on goal. 39-year-old Tom Jeffes able to make up ground and deflect the effort behind for a corner.
Moneyfields came close to increasing their lead in the 35th minute. A cross from the left was met by the head of the unmarked Rustell. His header was blocked as was the follow up shot from Payce.

Against the run of play, Harrow drew level in the 37th minute. Lewis Cole’s shot from the edge of the area was deflected behind for a corner on the right. The resultant corner was curled towards the back post. McDermott the home keeper flapped at the ball and missed. This allowed Edoukou to head into an empty net from close range. 1-1.

Moneyfields seemed rattled by conceding and had their captain Tom Cain was cautioned in the 42nd minute for pulling back Edoukou as he tried to get away.

Just as it seemed as though Harrow would go in on level terms, the revolver was yet again pulled from the holster and a bullet fired into their own foot.
In the first minute of added time, Rustell received the ball with his back to goal close to the penalty spot. He swivelled and fired a right footed shot that Tom seemed to get caught between parrying the ball or pushing it over the bar. The ball was semi parried over his head and bounced over the line before he could get back to clear it. 2-1.

Half time 2-1

The hosts deserved to be ahead at the break, but it was a blow to concede yet again in stoppage time. The pain worsened by the worst cappuccino I have ever sampled in my life. Lukewarm used dishwater is an insult to used dishwater.

The second half began with Moneyfields again appealing for an incident in the penalty area at the Railway Line end of the ground. This time the hosts were baying for a red card after Edoukou had clashed with Jeffes.
Again, it was impossible to tell what had happened as the low sun had been replaced by a group of local youths who had decided to ignore the yellow markings on the floor and the numerous signs informing them to not stand in that area.

They only moved when asked by a rather pissed off bloke who had spent 4.5 hours travelling 77 miles to the game left his seat and went to ask them to move. The two stewards standing next to the large group oblivious to the issue.
The sporting gods decided at this point to change into their steel toe capped boots and kick me and every other Harrow player, official and supporter firmly in the groin.

A lofted ball is delivered over the top of the Harrow back four. I was sat dead in line with no sun or local yokel obscuring my view. Rustell is a good yard offside as he chases through. The linesman on the far side keeps his flag down. Rustell is now inside the Harrow area. Tom dives at his feet and gets a good hand on the ball, deflecting it out of play for a corner. The linesman who was ten yards away from the incident signals for a corner.
Mr Foster, the referee who was 25 yards away decides to overrule his assistant and awards a penalty. Harrow protests fall on deaf ears. Rustell sends Clark the wrong way and completes a gift-wrapped hat-trick in the 52nd minute. 3-1.

Harrow now have the obligatory mountain to climb and made several subs. With bodies being pushed forward it left inevitable spaces at the back. The hosts' James Franklyn could have had a hat-trick inside a fifteen-minute period, finding himself one on one with Clark three times cutting in from the left. Twice he pulled his shot wide of the far post, Clark saving the third with his legs.

Harrow huffed and puffed. Getting into a few good positions going forward but failing to create anything that resembled a clear-cut chance.
The game was effectively killed off in the 78th minute. A free kick from the left, level with the edge of the Harrow area is delivered to the edge of the six-yard box. Gareth Chendlik contests the head height ball with a Moneyfields player. The ball hits Gareth’s back and loops up nicely for Tom Jeffes to volley past Clark from five yards. 4-1.

Harrow continued to plug away and were rewarded in the 88th minute when Charlie Malin headed into the top corner from 12 yards. 4-2

The goal was originally credited to Harry Nevins but was changed after the outraged Malin pointed out the error in the bar after the game.
Harrow were denied a stonewall penalty in the last seconds of added time when a cross from the left was clearly punched away by the hand of a defender, to stop Gareth Chendlik from having a free header a few yards from goal.
The linesman closest to the incident telling the Harrow players ‘It wouldn’t have mattered anyway’. Cheers for that. Much appreciated. Merry Christmas.

Full time 4-2.

Harrow were leggy and off the pace for much of the game. Wayne Carter gave the players credit for keeping going and putting a shift in. However, the soft underbelly was exposed again. It was slightly concerning that for the first time this season in his post-match interview, Wayne brought up the possibility of being dragged into the relegation battle.
Harrow need to put together a string of results and performances sooner rather than later, or they will find themselves nervously looking over their shoulders and checking other teams results.

Harrow return to action at home to Ascot this Saturday. The visitors, who are close to bottom of the form table with only one win in their last seven games, gave Harrow a proper beating earlier in the season, but are now a much changed side.

If the Sporting Gods are reading this flapdoodle – I would like to use my unspent credits on my Seahawks beating New England in the Super Bowl on Sunday evening. You’ll make a grumpy middle-aged man very happy – and not just because he had more than a few shekels on Seattle winning it before the season started at 66/1.

Harrow Borough: Tom Clark, Will Bailey, Luke Brophy, Lewis Cole, Harry Gallagher, Harry Nevins, Prince Mbengui, Jack Hutchinson ©, Dernell Wynter, Yoan Edoukou, Lucas Miller.

Used Subs: Charlie Malin on for Cole 58 mins. Reuben Collins on for Gallagher 61 mins. Gareth Chendlik on for Miller 66 mins. Olu Akinode on for Brophy 68 mins. London Brookshaw on for Mbengui 72 mins.

Yellow Cards: None

Moneyfields: Conal McDermott, Louis gates, Lawrence Cooper, Jack Farrier, Tom Jeffes, Tom Cain ©, Alfie Brigman, Max Smith, Lewis Rustell, Adam Payce, James Franklyn.

Used Subs: Rudi Blankson on for Rustell 62 mins. Jack Lumsden on for Franklyn 74 mins. Faris Khallouqi on for Brigman 79 mins. Marley Ridge on for Smith 79 mins. Kieran Alcock on for Cain 82 mins.

Yellow Cards: Cain 42 mins.

Referee: Ashley Foster
Attendance: 167
Weather: Sunny spells 54f