Hillingdon Borough’s leading goalscorer is using all of the tricks he learned as a centre-back in his new role as the club’s centre-forward, writes Nick Purves.
Kieron Gradwell has stepped up to the mark since Rob Laney’s departure to Hanwell Town and scored in each of his last three outings.
It’s a role the ex-Wycombe Wanderers youngster admits he didn’t see himself playing, but Gradwell reckons his experience as a defender has helped him in some ways.
“It’s not my normal position and I’m having to adapt to playing up front,” he said. “I’m just trying to do the things that would annoy me at centre-half and trying to remember what used to get under my skin.”
The former University of Buffalo student’s latest strike came in Saturday’s 4-2 derby victory over Harefield United. Gradwell says the players felt they owed it to the fans to grab three points after a dismal performance in the 3-0 defeat suffered at the hands of the Hares in the reverse fixture.
“We knew that we played poorly that day, we didn’t turn up and this was our chance to put that right,” he explained. With this derby, it always makes the match a bigger battle. Our stadiums are so close, we all know each other pretty well, which made it so important to put in a good performance.”
Sam Hurrell’s brace and a Jack Sharples effort set Hillingdon on the road to victory before Harefield pulled a goal back through Andy Hiblin. Boro restored their three-goal lead through a Gradwell penalty after Hurrell had been taken out by goalkeeper Michael Pearce.
United finished stronger after Jake Girt capitalised on a Richard Ajayi mistake to narrow the lead again, however Hillingdon held out for the victory.
Boro were due back in action on Tuesday night at Oxhey Jets while Phil Granville’s Hares took on Stotfold.
