RYMAN PREMIER LEAGUE
Leiston 0
Harrow 1
Harrow overcame Fulham’s 11th hour recall of goalkeeper Max Oberschmidt to record a first win of the season with a late show of their own at Leiston on Saturday.
A phone call from the Premiership side at 9:45pm on Friday evening whisked their German teenage custodian away to a loan spell in the more glamorous surroundings of Scottish giants Celtic, but working into the small hours Chairman Peter Rogers and boss Dave Anderson secured the services of Alex Tokarczyk for the trip to Suffolk.
Their efforts were rewarded when the debutant kept a clean sheet and summer arrival Rhys Murrell-Williamson rose from the bench to score an 89th minute winner – his first goal in Borough colours.
There were recalls for Adam Louth, Shaun Lucien and Danny Leech, the last in a holding role in midfield, while another new face, Stoke City Academy striker Marcel Barrington was named among the substitutes.
The visitors dominated territorially in the first half, but the closest they came to a goal was when Simeon Akinola beat his marker only for a brilliant challenge from Joe Jefford to deny him the chance to pull the trigger.
At the other end Michael Barima had to clear a goalmouth scramble off the line following a corner, while Tokarczyk twice saved smartly from Ryan Crisp as well as dealing with a Gareth Heath free-kick.
The opening to the second half saw Tokarszyk turn aside another Crisp effort, while Kevant Serbonij brought a first real save from Alex Street at the other end.
The closest either side had come to scoring came when Lucien’s fierce 15-yard drive cannoned back off the bar. It was the sixth time in seven matches this season Borough had struck wood.
Having come close Borough then weathered a storm which saw Crisp denied by Tokarczyk at full stretch, while the magnificent Michael Peacock made a brilliant headed interception to cut out another dangerous raid.
The hosts then did get the ball in the net only for the effort to be ruled out for offside and when Street performed heroics at the other end to foil Akinola the game looked destined to end in stalemate.
However, Murrell-Williamson replaced Lucien with three minutes left and became an almost instant hero.
We were into the final minute when Louth’s in-swinging free-kick eluded attackers and defenders alike and though Street parried the ball away it fell to the young substitute who scuffed it in from a yard out.
Not the prettiest, but when it seals a first win of the campaign and lifts you out of the bottom four to boot quite frankly who cares.
