HARROW BOROUGH 0 NEEDHAM MARKET 3

With Needham having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Uxbridge last Saturday, this was a worrying result for those at Harrow with half an eye on next Saturday’s Second Qualifying Round tie against their West Middlesex neighbours.

With goalkeeper Luke Williams unavailable for this game, something that Steve Baker had known about when he signed him in the summer, young Keval Patel came in for his first game at this level. For those Borough followers fearing ‘another Jamie Cassel Boxing Day horror-show’, Patel performed well. His handling was good and could only have the third Needham goal marked down as, even slightly, being one he might have stopped.

On a slick, wet surface, it was visiting keeper Gay who was in early action, twisting in mid air to turn away a Marc Charles-Smith shot from just outside the area. Josh Webb was close to turning a visiting corner into his own net before Gay was off his line rapidly to parry a shot from Ibrahim Meite, who had turned sharply past Miller. Needham Market threatened when Curtis’s close-range shot was turned away by Patel. Gay saved from Josh Webb before Dobson skipped past Lewis Ochoa and thumped a shot against Patel’s bar.

In the 32nd minute, Dobson again danced through the right of the home defence, setting up Curtis who fired low past Patel to open the scoring. Gay kept out Josh Webb’s shot before, in the 38th minute, the Marketmen doubled their lead. A left-wing build-up was again the foundation, with Ochoa really struggling to keep Dobson in check. It led to Brothers picking up the ball on the corner of the home area, and he fired an unstoppable dipping shot over Patel.

Gay made the save of the match, diving to turn away Meite’s shot one-handed, and that proved crucial because on the stroke of half-time, it became 0-3. Tom Willment gave away a free-kick 25 yards out, and Brothers’s curler went round the wall, past Patel’s right hand and into the net.

Baker made two changes at half-time. There were plenty of candidates for the hook, an ineffective midfield four in particular, and it was David Taylor and Joshua Webb who made way, for Francis Babalola and Harry Newman. Harrow had better width as a result and Babalola proved to be a real threat. But it was Patel who made the first save of the half, stopping Brothers from netting a hat-trick.

Ochoa’s headache of handling Dobson continued, the Needham winger twisting past him to fire over. At the other end Ochoa crossed and Meite directed a firm header past the post. Willment made a vital tackle to stop Dobson, before Newman crossed, Meite headed the ball on, and Marc Charles-Smith’s header was going into the goal before Coakley got up to head the ball onto his own bar, and it then was cleared for a corner. Babalola then whipped in a lovely low cross that George Nicholas slid in for, but his connection was poor and the ball went across the goal. Another great Babalola cross was just too far in front of three Harrow forwards, and again the winger crossed, this time for Meite to set up Nicholas who scooped the ball over the bar.

Gay turned away an inswinging Josh Webb corner that was heading for the far corner, and ensured that he went back to Suffolk with a clean sheet when he saved substitute Lewis Driver’s header from the following corner from Newman.

Harrow now have a League Cup tie against Wingate & Finchley on Tuesday, before that FA Cup tie at Honeycroft next Saturday. Baker has much to ponder although, with his midfield looking a particular problem area on today’s evidence, there was the encouraging news that Mark McLeod is getting over his injury quicker than anticipated, and elsewhere turned out for Aylesbury under a dual-registration arrangement.

HARROW BOROUGH: Keval Patel, Lewis Ochoa, Josh Webb, Tom Willment, Shaun Preddie, Joshua Webb (sub Harry Newman, h-t), George Nicholas, David Taylor (sub Francis Babalola, h-t), Marc Charles-Smith, Ibrahim Meite (sub Lewis Driver, 78 mins), Ryan Hope. Unused subs: Max Holland, Michael Peacock.

NEEDHAM MARKET: Danny Gay, Jake Dye, Darryl Coakley, Oliver Fenn, Ian Miller, Joe Whight, Luke Ingram, Keiran Morphew, Michael Brothers, Jack Curtis (sub Emmanuel Osei, 78 mins), Reece Dobson (booked, 66 mins; sub Max Booth, 75 mins). Unused subs: Kieran Turner, Kemal Izzet, Sam Nunn.
Referee: Mr N Morrison

Att. 156

by Simon Grigor