A first away game for Jordan’s new look Harrow side and a chance to bounce back from the late, late heartbreak last week, at home to Totton.
It was interesting to note that despite the defeat last Saturday, Harrow’s title odds had come down from to 40/1 from 50/1 on Monday morning. (You at the back, sit up straight and stop laughing)
Harrow made one change from the starting line-up against Totton. Richie Mbele coming in for Stefan Powell (illness).
In the 6th minute, a Boro corner was caught by the home keeper, who for the third time immediately launched a kick downfield. Ibrahim attempted to control the high ball as it landed on the halfway line, slipped and despite a valiant attempt to win the ball back, it broke to one of the marauding home players.
The ball was moved down the right-hand side, Boro outnumbered 5-3. A cross to the far post was met by Gwengwe, who headed past Tobin to give Dorchester the lead.
Boro responded well and levelled in the 17 th minute. Talla cutting in from the left, setting up Muhemba close to the penalty spot. Excellence made no mistake and curled a low shot to the keepers left and into the net.
Talla was pulling the strings in the centre of the park with Reece Mitchell and Muhemba as last week, both constant threats out wide. Boro has a goal rightly disallowed for offside as the clock hit 45 minutes. This was followed a minute into first half stoppage time by a straight red for Dorchester’s number 9, Leighton Thomas. Mirtahmasebi fouled Thomas from behind when challenging for a high ball just inside the home half.
Thomas, for reasons unknown, leapt to his feet and kicked Mirtahmasebi with force, right in front of the officials. Boro started the second half well. However, in the 55 th minute. A high ball forward from the Dorchester right was allowed to bounce a couple of times on the edge of the Harrow box.
Vernal and Gwengwe tussled as the ball entered the box. Gwengwe used his experience and went down. Penalty given. Very soft and could have been avoided. Gwengwe took and scored the penalty himself to Tobin’s left.
Dorchester replaced attacking players with defenders. They had decided to shut up shop for the afternoon, For the first time this season, Boro looked like a brand-new team, still getting to know each other.
Passes were going astray. Frustration had set in, as they resorted to 40-yard crosses into the Dorchester area, which gained a few corners, but never in truth looked like producing a goal.
As we all know from recent experience, defending with ten men for an extended period is physically tiring and demanding. Borough had 2 gilt- edged chances to equalise in the 87th and 88th minutes. Troy Walters shot weakly from close range after a knockdown from Muhemba. Then, David Nyarko after charging down an attempted clearance from the
home keeper, collected the resultant loose ball on the left-hand side of the box. Goalkeeper,
Thomas on the floor after leaping to try and claim the bouncing ball. Perhaps not realising that he had time and space to set himself and score, he attempted to square the ball to Muhemba. The pass easily intercepted before it got near to Excellence.
A minimum of 8 minutes stoppage time was announced. In the 95 th minute the home keeper went down with no player around him. Requesting treatment from the physio after some of those pesky rubber pellets from the artificial surface went in his eye. This took another 2 minutes out of the game. The clock hit 98. The home bench all took part in synchronised watch pointing. Referee Barber informed them that there was 1 more minute to be played.
One final chance. Ball crossed to the back post from the Boro left. Excellence is there. Despite having a defender right on top of him, he manages to control the ball and roll it into the path of Reece Mitchell, who crashes the ball into the net from 12 yards. A 99th minute goal for the second week in a row. A point salvaged with the last kick of the
game.
