Truro City 2 Harrow Boro 1

Shaun Preddie had picked up an injury at Walton on Tuesday, so Imran Uche lined up alongside James Mansfield in a centre-back pairing, with a fit-again Michael Bryan returning to the midfield.  There was great pre-match news with Dagenham having agreed to a further three months’ loan for Josh Strizovic, the relevant documents signed before the game.  Meanwhile, Dan Lincoln can be found captaining England’s cricketers in Malaga, Spain.  Hmmm……

The ‘hosts’, who are of course playing 60 miles from home (and had only a dozen or so supporters taking advantage of the free coach laid on for them from Treyew Road – but before we mock, let’s ask how many Harrow followers would do that every other week?), were the first to show on the beautiful Bolitho Park surface, with Rooney’s shot saved by Strizovic, and a Harrow defender clearing off the line when Dean’s far post header was redirected goalwards.  But Harrow settled down, their pressing game was excellent and they moved the ball around quickly on the carpet-like surface.  Bryan found James Ewington, who twisted inside to bring the first save of the game from home keeper Hamon.  In the 18th minute, George Moore and home skipper Richards went in for a robust 50/50 challenge, the sort seen all the time 50 years ago but a rarity now.  However, referee Mr Glanville, who had an inconsistent game throughout, deemed that Moore’s part in the coming-together had been a foul, yellow-carding him.  It was complete nonsense and incensed a decent-size Harrow following but, more importantly incensed the Harrow team too, in particular Moore, but unlike on some occasions in the not-too-distant past, his and their outrage was channelled into upping their game.  Moore had his best half-hour of the season to date, and almost immediately had a run that took him past three players in the inside-right channel before firing a fierce shot against the near post.  

That energy was turned into the opening goal after 22 minutes, as Ewington chased after the ball with Truro’s Diabete, forcing him to lose possession.  The ball was picked up by Frank Keita on the edge of the box, and he advanced a couple of yards to drive a left-foot shot past Hamon.  Great interplay between Keita and Moore then led to another Moore shot, saved.  The Harrow defence had a let-off when Richards’s high hoof forward dropped kindly for Neal, but his shot was lifted wide of the mark.  A dangerous Harrow right-wing attack then saw Moore combine with Samuel Adenola, the latter’s dangerous cross hacked away for a corner.  Good defending by Richards stopped an astute pass forward from Leo Donnellan, the half ending with Harvey shooting over for The White Tigers after a left-wing build-up.

One suspects that the air in the home dressing room may have been somewhat blue at half-time.  Truro emerged for the second period in a more determined frame of mind, and within two minutes they were level, as Harvey came between two Harrow defenders to head powerfully in from Dean’s right-wing cross.  Truro piled on the pressure and Strizovic made a fine save, diving to his left to turn away Dean’s bending shot from the edge of the box.  Richards arrived at the far post to meet the resulting corner but bundled the ball wide, and Strizovic stopped Brett’s shot after a left-wing build-up.  Mansfield blocked Rooney’s effort and Donnellan cut out a dangerous cross from Neal.  

Harrow weathered that storm and hit back with a couple of decent attacks.  Bryan turned just outside the box to draw a save from Hamon with a right-foot shot, before Diabete was close to slicing the ball into his own goal from Moore’s left-wing cross.  Bryan’s deep delivery was then headed in at the far post by Mansfield but the ‘goal’ was disallowed for a push.  Uche then played a wonderful pass forward to give Ewington a sight of goal but his normally-accurate radar wasn’t quite tuned in as, with Hamon advancing rapidly at him, he snatched at his shot which went wide.

In the 79th minute, Truro turned up the heat again.  Moore didn’t get back quickly enough to close down Brett, who crossed from the right.  Two Harrow defensive headers didn’t get the ball clear, and Riley-Lowe found Neal whose effort was brilliantly kept out by Strizovic, but the ball came out to Harvey who arrowed the ball back across goal into the net.

A triple substitution didn’t, today, do anything to help the Harrow cause and with Truro showing clever game management to see the game out, it was to be a 211-mile journey home with no points in the bag.

Harrow are back in action on Tuesday evening when they face a Beaconsfierd Town who also had a long trip south-westwards for nothing today, losing 2-1 at Weston-super-Mare.  It’s a 7:45 pm kick-off for that at The Rogers Family Stadium.

TRURO CITY: James Hamon, Rezart Rama (sub Niall Thompson, 76 mins), Connor Riley-Lowe (booked, 21 mins), Cheick Diabete, Shane White, Jamie Richards, Andrew Neal (sub Euan Pollock, 81 mins), Will Dean, Tyler Harvey, Dan Rooney (booked, 72 mins; sub Josh Barnes, 75 mins),Ryan Brett.  Unused subs: Stewart Yetton, Ryan Dickson.

HARROW BOROUGH: Josh Strizovic, Samuel Adenola, James Taylor, James Mansfield, Imran Uche, Leo Donnellan, George Moore (booked, 18 mins), Michael Bryan (sub David Ozobia, 83 mins), James Ewington, Frank Keita (sub Dernell Wynter, 83 mins), Kunle Otudeko (sub Lekan Orimolusi, 69 mins).  Unused subs: Lewis Cole, Alfie Cain.

Referee: Mr M Glanville

Att. 116

By Simon Grigor