Match played at Harrow Borough due to damage at Casuals’ ground
Isuzu FA Trophy, Third Qualifying Round, Saturday 8th October 2022
Harrow squeezed through in a penalty shoot-out in what looked, frankly, a game between two poor sides at The Rogers Family Stadium. Despite the progress to Monday’s First Round Proper draw, Borough still look a long way from the team that performed so well at Beaconsfield less than a fortnight ago.
An ill Imran Uche was the latest player to join the absentee list. This left Harrow without a recognised centre-back, and it was Samuel Adenola and Isiah Noel-Williams who lined up at centre-backs. Keegan Bloom made his first start at right-back, and George Moore returned from injury. Charlie Taylor was between the sticks with Jacob Knightbridge having suffered a concussion last Tuesday.
Harrow went ahead in the ninth minute when a raiding Moore was brought down just outside the box. Moore tapped the free-kick left to Billy Leonard, who rifled a low shot from 20 yards past Sami Nabbad’s left hand. For a while, Harrow were dominant, but never got the second goal that would have relaxed them. James Ewington set up Leonard who side-footed past the near post, Adenola found Moore whose shot was spilled by Nabbad. Ewington tapped in the rebound but was foiled by the assistant’s raised flag. And Kai Omoko Brosnan played a one-two with Moore, but saw his effort blocked.
After 25 minutes Casuals began to gain a foothold in the game and after Adenola rescued Harrow from one dangerous situation, Moore gave away a needless free-kick in the 33rd minute. Caton floated the ball in from the right and Sanogorose was unchallenged to bullet a header past Taylor.
[mailerlite_form form_id=1]
Brosnan cut in from the left to fire a right-foot shot against the foot of the post, and Carvalho had a free-kick deflected wide, as the half came to an end. The second period began with a long run by Brosnan that ended with a shot across goal, Carvalho firing wide at the other end. Harrow increasingly struggled to put anything constructive together, illustrated when Moore tried a shot from fully 60 yards, the ball drifting harmlessly wide. Brosnan and Moore created some space for Leonard to shoot narrowly wide. Casuals threatened when Noel-Williams blocked Carvalho’s effort, and a shot from Caton was blocked. In the 71st minute, they went in front when the Harrow defence failed to clear a left-wing cross and, after a scramble, Edwards netted. For a couple of minutes, the storm clouds were starting to gather over The Rogers Family Stadium but Harrow levelled two minutes later, Brosnan cutting in from the left to rifle a low right-foot shot into the far corner.
Ewington, looking very short of confidence, lost control of a Moore pass and put another effort past the near post. Taylor saved from Carvalho, and Thompson’s header from a deep Casuals corner was blocked. Carvalho nearly won it for Casuals with a twist away from a defender and a shot that went inches over, and on it went to penalties, with Ahmet Biler’s first spot-kick for Harrow saved. Chiabi scored to put Casuals in front, but it was 1-1 after two penalties each when Sanogo hit the post and Leonard scored. Adelukan fired the third Casuals effort way over, and Michael Bryan put Harrow in front. New signing Lene Burden saw Nabbad touch his effort onto the post, but when Taylor saved from Maskini it meant that Adenola could put Harrow into the next round. Which he did.
Harrow are back at The Rogers Family Stadium on Tuesday evening, facing a very tough-looking league game against a high-flying Chesham United outfit. They desperately need a few of the injured back on the pitch.
Result: Corinthian Casuals v Harrow Borough, FA Trophy, Harrow Borough win 3-1 on penalties.
Attendance: 59
