P00LE TOWN 3  HARROW BORO 1

Harrow suffered their first league defeat of the season at table-toppers Poole Town but came away having played their best football of the season, doing everything but score as they dominated the middle four-fifths of the game.

But alas they gave themselves a mountain to climb, on a hot Dorset afternoon, when they conceded a goal in the 4th minute.  A corner by Poole’s Moore, Corby, resulted in some head-tennis in the Harrow penalty area, and with Harrow unable to clear, Baker picked up the ball, swivelled, and fired home.

 

Harrow heads didn’t drop and a quick free-kick freed Frank Keita for a powerful shot that Cairney pushed away.  In the follow-up, George Moore hit another fierce effort that again forced a diving save from the home keeper.  Cairney made two fine catches from dangerous Moore crosses, and Moore then sent a cross-cum-shot wide of the far post.  Chinua Cole’s cross hit Jackson on the arm, but referee Mr Underhay showed no interest in giving a penalty.

 

As the half came to a close, Keita played a neat one-two with Michael Bryan, giving himself a clear sight of goal, but he curled the ball wide of the post, a bad miss.  The Dolphins had done little since they’d scored but on the stroke of half-time, Baker was put through, Hafed Al-Droubi rushing out to save, well, with his feet.

 

Things were little different when the second half began.  If anything, Harrow were even more dominant.  Anthony O’Connor got a shot away while prone in the box and appeared to be trodden on deliberately by Jackson in the follow-up.  Substitute Ryan Moss then robbed Cairney of the ball on the right edge of the area.  His cross was worked on by Keita to O’Connor, whose shot was blocked by Whisken.  Shaun Preddie, in midfield today, then got to the left-hand by-line and pulled the ball back to O’Connor, but this time he was denied by Corby Moore’s goal-line clearance.  Moss had a low angled shot saved and another possible handball shout, against Whisken, was waved away.

 

However, Poole had made two substitutions and both the new men, Tavares and Holmes, had added some potency to the home attack, and Holmes shot over the angle after cutting in from the left.  Baker then sprung the Harrow offside trap, Al-Droubi again off his line quickly and forcing the home forward to shoot wide.  Bryan’s free-kick was deflected and saved well by Cairney, Preddie getting in the way of Corby Moore’s shot at the other end.  A George Moore shot then spun off the home wall, O’Connor getting to the ball and crossing just behind the incoming Moss.  

 

But after all their pressure, Harrow were picked off by the hosts who doubled their lead in the 79th minute.  Baker was sent clear on the right by a clever pass from Holmes and he pulled the ball across for Brooks to finish from close range.  Harrow weren’t going to come back from that and in the 88th minute Holmes picked up the ball on the right, went past two defenders and lifted a delightful finish over Al-Droubi.  A three-goal margin was ridiculous and Harrow did at least get a consolation one minute into stoppage-time, when a deep Bryan corner was returned into the middle by George Fenton, and Excellence Muhemba scored his first competitive goal for the club.  Preddie and Kensley Maloney combined for Moss to drive over from the edge of the box but there was to be no repeat of last season, when a Dylan Kearney-inspired Harrow had scored twice in stoppage time to snatch an unlikely point.  Indeed, Al-Droubi had to save at Holmes’s feet in the afternoon’s final action.

 

Harrow now face Beaconsfield on Tuesday evening at The Rogers Family Stadium.  Hopefully, thought will have been given to breaking down a blanket defence, if the Rams employ the same tactics that they did in the league cup encounter five days ago.

 

POOLE TOWN: Luke Cairney, Jack Dickson (booked, 55 mins), Sam Jackson, Will Spetch, Jamie Whisken (booked, 69 mins), Jez Bedford (sub Flavio Tavares, 53 mins), Josh Carmichael, Corby Moore, Harry Baker (sub Jake Smeeton, 84 mins), Marvin Brooks (booked, 77 mins), Ollie Dennett (sub Luke Holmes, 54 mins).   Unused subs: Jake Cope, Josh Leslie-Smith.

 

HARROW BOROUGH: Hafed Al-Droubi, George Moore (sub Excellence Muhemba, 80 mins), Chinua Cole, George Fenton, Shaun Preddie, Jordan Ireland, Frank Keita (sub Kensley Maloney, 72 mins), Kunle Otudeko (sub Ryan Moss, 56 mins), Anthony O’Connor, Michael Bryan, Lewis Cole (booked, 30 mins).  Unused subs: Max Holland, Adam Pepera.

Referee: Mr M Underhay

Att. 467

By Simon Grigor