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reporter: Jim Bravery
Horsham’s “jinx” team have
done it again. Harrow Borough, who started the day in 11th place,
totally demolished a very poor Horsham side by 4-0 at the Earlsmead
Stadium this afternoon, safeguarding their 40 year unbeaten home
record against the Hornets. With the news this week that the ground
share with Crawley Town had fallen through, this latest result has put
an even blacker cloud over the club's future. The recent run of poor
results has put the chances of promotion even further back, mainly
because the teams directly below the Hornets are still picking up
points, putting more and more teams in with the chance of reaching the
play off positions.
Before the game got underway, a minutes silence was impeccably
observed by a sparse crowd of 157 in memory of Malcolm Melbourne, a
Harrow club member for over 40 years who died at the end of February
after a short illness.
Harrow kicked off today’s game with a swirling wind, mostly at their
backs, that made it difficult to control the ball. The home side
adapted quicker to the conditions but still over hit a number of
passes. Within the first minute, a careless underhit back pass by Andy
Howard almost caught Paul Seuke flat footed and the lively Victor
Asombang was first to the ball but it bounced off the 'keeper at the
expense of a corner. Kwasi Frempong’s corner into the box was met by
the head of Danny McGonigle but, fortunately for the visitors, Lee
Carney was on the line and saved a certain goal by heading clear.
The Hornets were being constantly pushed back into their own half with
Harrow taking full advantage of the wind. Tom Graves was almost caught
out by the marauding Jonathan Constant, whose pace and control took
him past the defender but Graves' experience got him back goal side of
the attacker forcing him to shoot wide of the goal. Bobby Highton was
next to get a shot in, his effort from distance took a deflection and
won him a corner but skipper Eddie French was able to get in a good
clearing header with Danny Leach, who jumped with French, suffering a
head injury that required treatment.
Horsham managed their first shot on target in the 18th minute. Lewis
Taylor finding Danny Davis inside the area, he managed to swivel and
hit a low shot close to the near post but Gary Ross made the save look
easy. Frempong was shown a yellow card for a foul on Matt Geard as the
Hornets tried to ease themselves into the Harrow half but with so many
passes going straight back to the red shirts it was clear it was going
to be another disappointing off day.
John Maggs had dabbled with the line up before the start in an attempt
to give the Hornets more fire power, starting with Taylor alongside
Lee Farrell while Davis and Simon Austin worked the flanks in totally
unfamiliar roles. The engine room of Carney and Jacob Mingle was not
firing either as, time and again, passes were being overhit or just
going astray. Harrow kept up the momentum and the Horsham goal came
under even more pressure. Frempong challenged Seuke to a ball at the
back post but the keeper dropped it, relying on his defence to hoof it
clear.
On the skills front, French showed a touch of genius when he
intercepted a dangerous through ball, nonchantly flipped it over the
head of one player, stretched to clear another then had to head clear
under pressure. Within seconds, Harrow managed to win a corner on the
right. The ball was not properly cleared and, with the tall figure of
Danny
Brown
in the box, he found the time and space to head the home team into the
lead after 26 minutes.
A Carney free kick, after Taylor had been brought down, gave the
Hornets a chance to get back into the match and his ball into the box
won a rare corner. The kick found its way to French who managed to
turn but only hit a weak shot that the keeper collected with ease.
There was some hope for the Hornets fans in the 36th minute when a
superb build up of one touch football (that we once expected to happen
all the time) saw Carney start the move and was desperately unlucky
not to finish it. His pass to Farrell, then on to Taylor and back to
Carney, put the midfielder in on goal but Ross came off his line to
narrow the angle forcing Carney over the goal line and crashing into
the advertising boards behind the goal.
Ross kicked a long clearance into the Hornets half and Geard,
distracted by Asombang, lost the ball to the big striker but recovered
quickly to give away another corner. As the kick came over Graves
headed clear but it went straight to Highton who tried a speculative
lob that Seuke had to turn over his crossbar. Constant knocked a gem
of a pass right across the face of goal but Lee Hall, at the back
post, was unable to get his touch on target and his effort went wide .
Seuke had to be alert to another Constant shot with half time
approaching while, at the other end, Taylor was setting Austin up for
a cross to the back post that was put over the line for a corner. The
same two players were involved from the corner but a tame looped
volley by Austin was collected by the home keeper.
With the half 44 minutes old Graves tried a back pass that was badly
directed. Asombang pounced on the loose ball, beat Seuke and expected
to score but found Graves had recovered to clear the ball away. There
was just time for Taylor to make one last dash down the right wing but
he lost out to the attentive Gary Meakin and stupidly found himself
getting another unecessary yellow card after wrestling the full back
to the ground by THEIR corner flag.
H/T Harrow Borough 1 Horsham 0
Half time gave the supporters a chance to top up with some warm liquid
in an attempt to keep out the biting wind.
The players emerged for the second half with the same personnel lining
up for the start of the second period, the swirling wind still hadn’t
abated, question was could the Hornets capitalise with it
predominately behind them. Straight from the kick off the Hornets went
on the attack and were awarded a free kick some twenty five yards out,
after Leech had upended Taylor, but Carney’s curling ball into the box
went straight into Ross’ hands and was cleared.
Another half chance went begging after Farrell was brought down right
on the edge of the box, this time Geard tried to bend his effort
around the wall but, like most things on the day, it bounced back off
the wall and another chance had gone begging. Meanwhile at the other
end Seuke was called into action, keeping out a hooked shot from
Frempong and the same player was also involved when a 50/50 ball saw
Carney writhing in agony as the two made contact and the Harrow man
also limped away.
The home bench were clearly audible, trying to get their players to
start taking control of the game again and their encouragement nearly
worked when a good through ball from home skipper Wayne Walters sent
Asombang through on goal. Graves' timely interception was enough to
put the striker off and the visiting bench breathed a huge sigh of
relief. From the clearance, Farrell got goal side of the home defence
but Ross was alert to come off his line forcing the striker wide and
out for a goal kick.
Graves again averted danger when he forced the lively Constant wide of
goal with the Hornets defence at sixes and sevens. A sudden gust of
wind gave the supporters something to smile about as John Maggs' cap
flew off, landing in the opposition's coaching area and bringing a
smile to both managers' faces to enlighten an otherwise pretty gloomy
afternoon for the Horsham Manager.
A minute later, Mingle almost certainly wiped the smile off of Mr
Maggs' face with a terrible back pass intended for Andy Howard.
Instead it landed at Constant’s feet and the winger homed in on goal
but was denied by a superb save by Seuke. Horsham’s failure to clear
the ball from the danger area came back to haunt them immediately and,
this time, it was
Constant
who made them pay. French slipped as he was about to clear the ball
and the winger went straight past him, tucking the ball under the
advancing Seuke to give the home side a two goal cushion with only 24
minutes of the game remaining.
Maggs decided to change the side, putting Stefan Cox on in place of
the ineffectual Austin, and he was immediately involved running at the
home defence. A rare, but good, build up from the Hornets found Davis
but his teasing cross was put out for a corner by Leech. Highton
found himself in Mr Steel’s notebook for a late tackle on Taylor in
the 70th minute and Carney’s kick found Taylor but the temporary
striker seemed to be caught by surprise and his casual toe poke sent
the ball wide of the upright. With 19 minutes to go, Harrow increased
their lead when
Asombang
latched onto an excellent defence splitting through ball, knocking it
past Seuke at the second attempt. This prompted the visitors to make a
double substitution, Graves and Carney making way for Kevin Hemsley
and Gavin Bolger.
Hemsley’s first touch was in keeping with his team mates, knocking his
first clearance straight to a red shirted player. Geard, who had been
given a torrid time by Frempong, received his mandatory yellow when he
brought down the winger with a high tackle that needed treatment, the
resulting kick landed on the unmarked Leech’s head but fortunately
Seuke was on hand to save.
Horsham’s horrendous afternoon was complete a minute later when Andy
Howard made a major mistake and Lee
Hall
finished by blasting the ball past the exposed Seuke with 15 minutes
still to go.
Horsham’s luck was right out at the other end when a cross from
Mingle, who was playing in a more forward role, went straight across
the goalmouth without anyone able to get a touch on it. Cox, on the
other flank, twice got past the last defender but was unable to
deliver a telling cross.
Bolger’s first meaningful action saw him try a shot from distance but
Ross was right behind his effort, making a routine save after Mingle
had set the chance up with a nice lay off. Frempong was replaced by
James Fraser for the last five minutes during which the majority of
those were spent in the Harrow half as the visitors tried to seek out
a consolation goal. A weak final shot by Davis, after Farrell put him
in, was followed by a free kick that was awarded after McGonigle
brought down Mingle on the edge of the box. Taylor’s accurate kick
cleared the wall and keeper Ross’ outstretched hands but came back
into play via the crossbar which basically summed up the Hornets
afternoon. There was just time for Mingle to foul Meakin before Mr
Steel brought proceedings to a close.
Maggs' problems in not being able to secure the services of a proven
striker are having a serious effect on the team's chances of reaching
the play offs. On today’s showing, Lewis Taylor isn’t the answer.
Along with Carney and Mingle, the creative and hard working midfield
trio are more likely to score when running at defences rather than
being the target man.
NEXT MATCH: v Shoreham (a)
Wednesday 12th March ko 7.45pm |
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