Harrow Borough v Merthyr Town
18 November 2023
Kick Off:
15:00
1-2
Result:
Harrow Borough Football Club, Earlsmead, Carlyon Avenue, Harrow, UK
Match Report:
At the end of 90 comfortable enough minutes, perhaps the best to take from this afternoon in North West London was the end of the six game win-less sequence with a good performance, plus the rewarded of 3 points and a return to the top five.
Against a side languishing just outside the bottom four, searching for something to climb the table, they only really obtained a foothold in the game in the closing stages when the Martyrs were required to clear their lines to secure the victory.
There is some sympathy for Harrow, a side on the margins of the Isthmian league boundary but forced to play in the Southern League due to their geographical location, which potentially restricts their recruitment plans.
As the first half drew to its conclusion in which the visitors were on top, Lewis Powell gave the Martyrs a lead that they deserved. Controlling the firm pass from Callum Ryan-Phillips his touch flicked up before he turned quicker than the defender on his shoulder to fire into the roof of the net from close range and set up the confident finish of a striker in peak form.
After two remarkable saves from Tyler Tobin, the Harrow keeper to deny Rees and Handley, the second goal came from another reliable source just past the hour mark. After a defence splitting pass from Alex John it was the ice-like finish of Ricardo Rees to place it in the far corner, which provided the Martyrs with the decisive second goal that had been eluding them in recent games. The Martyrs fans behind the goal were once again buoyant in a swashbuckling performance.
And that proved to be the difference between the two sides until the 89thminute. Gethyn Hill, Frazer Thomas and Joe Woodiwiss were introduced to see out the game as Hill almost grabbed a third for the visitors, before Victor Osobu pulled one back for Harrow direct from a well struck free kick from twenty yards that appeared to go through the defensive wall.