Heybridge Swifts 2-2 Harrow

Ryman League Premier Division, Scraley Road, Saturday December 13

Borough returned from bottom-of-the-table Heybridge with a point, reflecting that they should have made more of a first half when, with a cold wind behind them, they dominated but only held a one-goal lead at the interval. The second half was a different affair, the lowly hosts outbattling Harrow in midfield and, without over-threatening, looking the more likely to get the winner.

Jamie Lawrence was the only midweek injury victim who failed to recover fitness. Daniel McGonigle took his place in midfield. Wayne Walters returned to defence, Andray Baptiste to goal, and Dewayne Clarke to the centre-forward’s shirt.

On a wet, but playable, surface, Harrow pressed forward from the off, Bobby Highton returning Morris-Sanders’ punch clear back over the bar. A lovely move involving Highton, Robin Shroot and McGonigle saw the ball returned to Shroot who was stopped by a terrific tackle by Hawes. The resulting Shroot corner saw a Swifts defender’s attempted clearing header rebound off the post. Another Shroot corner was played to Clarke who cut inside and set up Walters whose near post shot was blocked. Swifts’ first effort on goal was a warning to Harrow, as Cousins broke away from a square Harrow rearguard but was denied by Baptiste.

Clarke then broke through the middle and set up Gary Noel for a shot across the goal. Harrow went ahead in the 33rd minute. McGonigle was brought down on the edge of the box, Shroot asked the referee if he could take the free-kick and, with that agreed, curled the ball over the wall and past the static Morris-Sanders. It made it six goals in the last week for the young Irishman.

Morris-Sanders was then quick to dash out of his area to foil the breaking Noel, and Murphy tried an audacious 45-yard lob, that Morris-Sanders held under his bar. But Harrow had not heeded the earlier warning and, when they lost the ball in midfield in the 40th minute, Swifts broke in the inside-right channel, the ball ending up with Cousins whose angled shot was perfectly placed past Baptiste.

But Harrow took just three minutes to regain the lead. Shroot danced up the left to the byline, beating two defenders, before hitting a super cross over Morris-Sanders for Noel to convert the dropping ball with no little skill. Highton’s low left-footer was saved by Morris-Sanders as the half closed.

Harrow nearly went 3-1 up as the second half opened. A Shroot corner led to an almighty scramble in the home goalmouth. Noel shot across goal, Tobi Jinadu’s first effort was blocked by Danny Leech, his own player, and his second effort cannoned off the bar. But instead of being two goals up, the 51st minute saw the scores level. Borough were guilty of defending too high up the field, and when Cousins went past the defenders, no-one could catch him and he raced through to beat Baptiste.

Growing in confidence, Heybridge then enjoyed their best spell of the game. Kwasi Frempong made a super tackle to stop one break, and another effort was blocked. At the other end, Noel and Highton’s shots were blocked.

Dewayne Clarke was substituted, allowing a debut for Nick Salapatas, recently arrived from Wealdstone. His cross was flicked on by Shroot for Noel to have a shot deflected away for a corner. A late Swifts break ended in a shot just wide, while Highton had two late shots off target for Harrow but in the end, it was honours even.

Harrow 2: Robin Shroot 33, Gary Noel 43

Heybridge Swifts 2: Neil Cousins 40, Neil Cousins 51

Harrow team:

1 Andray Baptiste

2 Danny Leech Leech booked 75 mins

3 Danny Murphy

4 Wayne Walters

5 Tobi Jinadu

6 Bobby Highton

7 Daniel McGonigle

8 Kwasi Frempong Frempong booked 90 mins

9 Dewayne Clarke Clarke booked 65 mins

Nick Salapatas 69

10 Gary Noel

Jonathan Constant 84

11 Robin Shroot Shroot booked 90 mins

12 Lee Hall

14 Miles Jones

15 Jonathan Constant

16 Simon Dahl

17 Nick Salapatas