FA CUP 1st QUALIFYING ROUND REPLAY
North Greenford 2
Harrow Borough 1

DANNY BENNELL proved North Greenford’s hero for the second time in 72 hours as they dumped Harrow Borough out of the FA Cup in last night’s replay.

Bennell who rose from the bench to bag the last gasp leveller in Saturday’s first meeting between the sides, emerged from the dugout once more to claim a 69th minute winner as the hosts came from behind to clinch a giant-killing victory over their Ryman League premier Division visitors.

A trip to the seaside to face Eastern Counties Premier League strugglers now awaits Neil Shipperley’s side on Saturday week.

Liam Hind returned to the bench in the only change to the 18 from Saturday’s drawn first clash, but unlike that encounter this time it was the visitors who started on the front foot.

Simeon Akinola, Rhys Murrell-Williamson and Chris Benjamin all went close for Borough as the hosts were battered in the early minutes, but they served notice of what was to come with a sweeping counter-attack which ended with harry walker’s shot hitting the outside of the post.

Despite Anton Robinson proving a threat down the right, it was almost United’s one and only hurrah of a first half in which Borough threatened to run riot.

Lee Pearce saved well from Danny Leech, while Michael Peacock headed just over from the resulting corner and the United keeper was in action again soon afterwards, diving full length to parry away Rhys Murrell Williamson’s shot from distance.

Pearce did not fare so well in the next encounter between the two as Borough took a deserved lead on 26 minutes, Murrell-Williamson playing a one-two with Benjamin before sliding the ball home.

It should have been 2-0 two minutes later when unmarked just a few yards out Murrell-Williamson miskicked across goal and Benjamin was unable to turn the ball in.

A cross shot from Rob Wolleaston just too far ahead of Leech was another chance which went begging for Borough before Wolleaston limped off with a recurrence of his hamstring injury and the visitors were never the same thereafter.

They might still have wrapped it up eight minutes after the break when Murrell-Williamson back-heeled a cheeky effort against the post, but then just before the hour came Shipperley’s tactical master-stroke, a double substitution which saw Hind and Bennell on for David Taylor and tommy Cameron.

Within 10 minutes both had scored and turned the tie on its head.

First on 66 minutes Hind picked up the ball 25 yards out to the left of the D, took one step inside and smacked a shot beyond the clawing hand of Alex Tokarczyk into the top corner.

Just three minutes later Brandon Horner conceded a needless free-kick down by the left corner flag and from the delivery Bennell sneaked in among the bodies to stab his side ahead.

Pearce saved well from Saheed Sankoh, but the expected onslaught never came, meaning North Greenford’s campaign continues to blossom.