Report: Brian Walter
Photo: Gary Brigden

After a two week break from league action, Harrow travelled to Carshalton to face Sutton Common Rovers for their first Friday night game in – well nobody who attended was quite sure when Borough last played on a Friday night. There is a chance that is was as long ago as the early 80s. Sutton Common were still wearing nappies and learning to walk back then. Only formed in 1978, they didn’t start playing Saturday football until 2004.

Sutton are in their second spell as tenants at Carshalton Athletic, who having been drawn at home to Melksham Town in the FA Cup on the Saturday, resulted in our fixture being moved to Friday evening.

The logistics for an away fixture on a Friday evening, having played on Tuesday would have been a headache for Ben and his management team. Sutton had a week to prepare for the fixture having not played in midweek. Harrow had a very hard fought cup tie on Tuesday. Non-league clubs usually train or play on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a game every Saturday. I’m not sure if Harrow had a light training session the day before this game, but for large parts of the game, it looked as though the team had never met before, let alone trained together as they gave the ball away under no pressure time after time.

The rarity of a Friday night game also threw a spanner in the works for Harrow’s supporters. A large number were unable to attend. Having to attend a meeting in Victoria on Friday afternoon gave the man with the pen two choices. A desperate dash back to collect the car and drive to Carshalton in the rush hour, or forcing myself to accompany my colleagues to the pub for a couple of hours, before jumping on the train to Carshalton.

The pub won out. My colleagues, fully aware that I was ‘working’ in the evening, tried to sabotage me by buying me alcohol when I told them I was only having 2 pints then orange juice. Another half an hour in the pub and the sabotage would have been successful. As it was, I made the 18:11 to Dorking with plenty of time to spare.

Carshalton Athletic's ground is less than a 10 minute stroll from the station – as long as you get off at the right stop and have put the right ground in your phone. There are rumours that one Harrow supporter ended up with a 45 minute walk back from Carshalton FC having made that schoolboy error. Don’t worry Dave, we wont reveal it was you…

The War Memorial Sports ground looks almost identical to how I remembered it. My last visit being many years ago. The only thing that has changed is the pitch. 3G now as opposed to its previous 80% mud /20% grass that Harrow supporters remember well. Carshalton was never a happy hunting ground for Harrow when we regularly crossed swords with them back in the 90s. Conrad Kane regularly tearing Harrow a new one.

Since the Southall game in midweek, Harrow have signed Dernell Wynter from Isthmian Premier side, Cheshunt. Dernell scored 20 goals for Welwyn Garden City last season at step 4 and should be a good addition to the squad. Dernell having played for Borough back in 21/22 under Steve Baker. Dernell was on the bench for his first game back with Boro.

*This also explains my spelling of Wynter in the previous report. In amongst the nonsense I write, there is occasionally a method amongst the madness.

Carshalton had a lovely press area with a splendid desk. Unfortunately, there was also a pole directly in front of it, blocking the view of half the pitch, so working off the lap in the main stand it was.

The first question asked when the game kicked off at 8pm was ‘Are they going to put the lights on?’ It was certainly very gloomy. Similar to the lux levels at Walton & Hersham.

Harrow nearly conceded in the 2nd minute. A long throw on the left into the Harrow area was only partially cleared to Jayden Smith, who shot a few feet over the Harrow bar.

Stephan Langley gave the ball away under no pressure deep inside the Harrow half in the 5th minute. Noah Africa forcing Andrew McCorkell into his first save of the evening from the edge of the box.

Harrow were very much under the cosh early on. A Sunday league style goalmouth scramble in the 6th minute saw red shirted defenders throwing their bodies in front of 4 shots in a row. Jeffrey Cobblah putting the final shot a yard wide of the post.

At this point it looked a matter of when, not if Sutton would take the lead.

Harrow ventured into Sutton territory for the first time in the 14th minute. Leo Sery opting to shoot over from 25 yards when Jordan Hamilton-Olise was begging for a pass that would have had him in on goal. Harrow were clawing their way back into the game but were frustratingly giving the ball away nearly every time they got possession.

Mack Miskin and Dan Williams combined well on the left in the 17th minute. A Williams cross was turned behind for a corner.

Noah Africa’s 25 yard shot in the 21st minute could only be parried away by McCorkell. Tyrese Osbourne first to the loose ball. His cross shot ran across the face of the Harrow goal and out for a goal kick.

Despite being second best, Harrow should have been ahead a minute later. Miskin’s 25 yard piledriver couldn’t be held by Kacper Orlowski the Sutton keeper. Dan Williams had to react quickly but will still be disappointed that he failed to hit the target from inside the six yard box with Orlowski stranded on the floor. Williams stabbing the ball wide of the keeper’s right post.

The game was now quite scrappy with Sutton still looking much more comfortable with the ball.

Plot twist in the 32nd minute. Dan Williams is fouled on the edge of the Sutton area. The offender – Evangelos Empochontsif becomes the first name in Mr Tingey’s book. I doubt Harrow will come across another player this season who’s name would score more points in Scrabble.

After Williams had received treatment, James Gurteen took aim and curled a delicious left footed free kick, low around the wall and past Orlowski’s right hand, into the net. 1-0 Harrow.

Sutton were nearly level in the 39th minute. Carl Stewart the only Harrow player appealing for offside as Osbourne went through into the Boro area. A desperate block from a red shirted defender kept Boro’s lead intact. Harrow were being restricted to counter attacks, that all too often ended with an inaccurate final pass.

Sutton had what looked a decent claim for a penalty turned down in the 42nd minute. Nahum Melvin-Lambert looked to be clipped inside the Harrow area, but stayed on his feet to get a shot off that McCorkell did well to block.

A final Harrow counter in the last minute of the half saw Hamilton-Olise opting to shoot when Dan Williams was better placed ten yards to his left. His shot was weak and gathered easily by Orlowski.

Half Time 0-1.

The talk on the terraces at half time was to keep it tight for the opening 15 minutes of the second half and hopefully pick off Sutton as they pushed forward in search of an equaliser.

Within 90 seconds of the resumption, Sutton were level. A long ball into the Harrow half. Bailey Lamb makes a hash of attempting to control it. This allows Jayden Smith to run free into the Harrow area and fire a shot that deflected past McCorkell and into the net. 1-1.

The best laid plans and all that…

Harrow then had their best spell of the match. For the next five minutes they passed the ball with pace and accuracy. Dernell Wynter came on for Hamilton-Olise and was immediately involved. Released by Leo Sery’s pass over the top, he was unable to get a shot off before home skipper Bertie Lloyd had cleared the ball behind for a Harrow corner.

Both sides were cancelling each other out in the middle of the park and Sutton had caught the Harrow bug of passing to opposition players. There was nothing worthy of being written down from either side from the 52nd to 66th minute. The time wasn’t wasted in the stand as we tried to work out who the Harrow player from 25 years ago was that Trevor Darling couldn’t remember, but described as ‘Defender / midfielder, had a jewellery business and was a very good looking man’

The game came back from life support in the 66th minute., with Cobblah forcing McCorkell into another save. This was followed by Osbourne getting onto a pass behind the Harrow defence. James Gurteen doing well to get back and prevent Osbourne from getting a shot off.

Wynter was trying to get behind the Sutton defence, but the service to him and Leo Sery wasn’t accurate. When it was accurate, the front men were surrounded by several yellow shirted defenders.

As the game entered the last ten minutes a draw was looking the most likely result. The pendulum then swung in Harrow’s direction. Leo Sery cleared out by Empochontsif 30 yards from the Sutton goal. The Sutton player needing a couple of minutes treatment from the physio. This gave Mr Tingey the time to write at least half of ‘Scrabbles’ name into his book for a second time. The defender being shown a second yellow card, instantly followed by the red.

When play resumed, James Gurteen buoyed by his first half goal decided to try his luck from the resulting free kick. His effort was so far over the bar that I’m told it caused a security alert when it landed inside the gardens of the American Embassy several miles away in Battersea.

With their numerical advantage, Harrow pushed forward in search of a winner, Sutton pulling numbers back happy to settle for a point. Harrow only created one clear cut chance, this coming in the last minute of the 6 added minutes. Leo Sery heading, under challenge a foot wide from Dan Williams right sided cross.

Full Time 1-1

If this was a boxing match, Sutton would have won the bout on all the judges’ cards. Boro manager Ben Bukowski was extremely unhappy about the performance as he left the pitch. Harrow were definitely way off the standards they set earlier in the season. There is definitely the need for a couple of new faces to be added to the squad, to add competition for places along with cover for injuries. Let’s hope that Ben can find some more players who are prepared to buy into the Harrow ethos as the current squad have.

Borough remain in 2nd place following Saturday's fixtures in the South Central. A free Saturday allowed me the welcome opportunity to become the man without a pen at Uxbridge v Ashford. Uxbridge winning 2-1. The game featuring 10 yellow cards and 2 red cards for Ashford - who were also awarded 2 phantom penalties as the referee completely lost the plot.

Harrow are back in league action at home to Horndean this Tuesday 1st October and are away to Southall at Burnham next Saturday 5th October.

The original and much superior man with the pen, Simon Grigor will be dusting off his notebook for a one off return v Horndean. We are still searching for someone to do the match report v Southall on 5th October as I am away in Bosnia. If another civil war was to start in the Balkans, you can guarantee it’ll be this week.

If anyone is willing to cover the Southall game – please step forward.

The former Harrow player and good looking jeweller was in fact Phil Gridelet. Anyone who guessed that can claim their prize from inside one of the sketchiest bars in Sarajevo any evening this week.

Harrow Borough: Andrew McCorkell, Luke Ifil, Bailey Lamb, Carl Stewart ©, Stephan Langley, James Gurteen, Mack Miskin, Harry McCorkell, Dan Williams, Leo Sery, Jordan Hamilton-Olise.

Used Subs: Dernell Wynter on for Hamilton-Olise 48 mins. Javon Marquis on for Ifil 76 mins. Deago Dunbar-Bonnie on for Miskin 88 mins.
Unused sub: Keegan Bloom.
Yellow Cards: Ifil 36 mins. Lamb 73 mins.

Sutton Common Rovers: Kacper Orlowski, Luke Ige, Charlie Stallard, Darnell Bromfield, Bertie Lloyd ©, Evangelos Empochontsif, Jeffrey Cobblah, Tyrese Osbourne, Nahum Melvin-Lambert, Noah Africa, Jayden Smith.

Used Subs: Cam Dobell on for Cobblah 67 mins. Francis Sey on for Africa 67 mins. Troy Walters on for Melvin-Lambert 68 mins. Matt Tanton on for Osbourne 86 mins.
Unused sub: Danny Iqbal.
Yellow Cards: Bromfield 31 mins. Empochontsif 31 mins.
Red Card: Empochontsif 80 mins (2nd yellow)

Attendance: 131
Referee: Marcus Tingey
Weather: Dry 56f