FA CUP 1st Qualifying Round
Harrow Borough 2
North Greenford United 2

HARROW Borough’s season hit a new low in this FA Cup draw at home to 10-man North Greenford United on Saturday.

Danny Bennell’s leveller for United with almost the last kick of the game meant both sides must try again at Berkley Fields tomorrow night (Tuesday).

However, do not let the fact Neil Shipperley’s men left it late mislead you into thinking Borough were unlucky not to progress at the first attempt against a team from one level below them in football’s pyramid.

In truth they were awful. Outplayed for much of the first half they should have trailed by more than the one goal by Harry Walker at the break.

They levelled little more than a minute after Michael Dart was red-carded early in the second half, but even then United looked the more threatening side and it was something of a shock when super-sub Rhys Murrell-Williamson appeared to have snatched victory with an 88th minute goal off the bench.

So justice was well and truly served by Bennell’s late intervention.

New signing Brandon Horner made his debut in place of Michael Barima in the only change from Monday’s league defeat at home to tenants Hendon, but his presence did not prevent another sluggish Borough start and United took the lead on 16 minutes.

Harry Walker sprung the offside trap and though Adam Louth got back to deliver some sort of challenge the young striker re-gathered himself to shoot home from the edge of the box.

Only a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Danny Leech prevented Anton Robinson adding a second midway through the half and it was half an hour before Borough arose from their stupor.

Saheed Sankoh’s weak shot was easily held by Lee Pearce, while Shaun Lucien should have made more of a headed opportunity from Horner’s cross.

Former Stoke Academy centre-back Manny Parry then had two efforts blocked following a corner, but Borough continued to lack spark and cutting edge.

The ineffective Lucien was hooked at the break with Chris Benjamin taking his place, but despite a Jordan Berry header over the top the hosts would have been further behind if Junior Scott had been able to make the most of a Michael Peacock slip, the defender recovering and just doing enough to take the sting out of the shot.

What should have been the game’s defining moment came on 53 minutes when Simeon Akinola slipped the visitors’ defence and was dragged back by Dart.

The defender was last man leaving referee Stephen Rubery no option but to brandish a red card.
Borough’s retribution was swift as although Pearce produced a flying save to keep out the resulting free-kick by Akinola, the striker found a yard from the corner which followed to head home and even up the score.

Anyone who thought the underdogs would buckle and go quietly was disappointed as despite that man disadvantage it was United who looked the more likely to produce a winner.

With 15 minutes left Walker got the wrong side of Leech to unleash a powerful shot palmed away by Tokarczyk and the visitors must have thought they had won it with four minutes to go when substitute and leading scorer Anthony O’Connor’s pile-driver beat Borough’s custodian but cannoned to safety off the bar.
Nevertheless, Dave Anderson’s side looked to have pinched a place in today’s draw when they grabbed the lead with two minutes of normal time remaining.

Berry got to the by-line down the right and drove the ball across to Akinola and though Pearce performed miracles to keep out the close range shot, Rhys Murrell Williamson forced in the rebound –his second goal from off the bench in recent weeks.

Berry almost applied the killer third a minute later, shooting inches wide, but even then Borough lacked the guile to see the game through paving the way for one last dramatic twist from a corner in the last of four added minutes.

Even keeper Pearce was up for the set piece and amid the sea of bodies Bennell got the final touch to give United their deserved second chance.