Harrow boss David Howell has sent out a warning to his side's Christmas opponents, declaring: we are better than you think.

It might be the season to be jolly but Howell is prepared to be mean if it means his side can claim a Santa's sackful of points.

And having guided his side to ten league points out of a possible 15 in November, Howell is now turning his attentions to teams that had the better of Borough earlier in the season.

Last night (Wednesday) Harrow were due to take on Earlsmead tenants Hendon in the Ryman League Cup second round at Wembley FC, desperate to avenge October's 7-0 drubbing dished out by the Greens in the Ryman Premier. Since that hammering Harrow have lost just once in the league.

They are also due to entertain runaway leaders Dover Athletic at Earlsmead this Saturday - a team that produced a devastating second half dis-play to defeat Borough 4-0 on the opening day of the season, another occasion where Howell believes his side did not do themselves justice.

Sandwiched between cup games is a trip to Heybridge Swifts, who held Borough to a goalless draw in August, while a home win against Hastings United on December 20 would be sweet revenge: Hastings dumped Howell's men out of the FA Trophy last month.

"We've taken ten points from a possible 15, meaning we've beaten our November target of nine points," enthused Howell. "Now we have a different target entirely for this month. Starting on Wednesday [last night] we want to beat the teams we should have done better against earlier in the season. Hendon beat us 7-0, we lost 4-0 at Dover, while Hastings United knocked us out of the FA Trophy."

Howell, whose side host one of his old clubs, Enfield Town, in the Middlesex Senior Cup Second Round next Tuesday, is loath to tinker with his starting lineup for the cup matches.

Harrow gave Dover a scare on the Kent coast in the summer before the Premier Division new boys cut loose in the second half, and Howell says they will show his side plenty of respect.

"Dover have won 15 of their 17 games, have a plus 24 goal difference and are flying [2014] they are the team to beat. We had them worried for the first half at their place. They were in a new league and all of a sudden an unfancied team was giving them the runaround for a while.

"If they think they will have it easy at our place then that is their lookout. Knowing Andy [Hessenthaler], he will not allow his side to be complacent, overconfident or underestimate us."