Match Report 06/03/2004: Old Harrovians 4 Old Foresters 4

Harrow approached the penultimate match of the season with the expectancy of a team on the verge of achieving something special. Despite some of their main challengers still having as many as five more games to play, Saturday was the first occasion on which the title could be mathematically won. With such drama unfolding, a sizeable crowd gathered on the Phil pitches, eager to witness the Blues fulfil their anticipated destiny.

The opposition would, however, ensure that any victory would be well-earnt: Forest arrived on the Hill as the reigning Premier League holders and still in with a chance of the championship themselves. Traditionally, they had also proved to be one of the hardest teams Harrow has played against in recent seasons.

Despite a lengthy and purposeful warm-up, the Harrow team started slowly. Forest, in contrast to the slapdash Bradfieldians the week before, allowed the Harrow midfield little time on the ball and hence the play in the opening exchanges was fractious and with little merit.

Although it was not against the run of play when the visitors opened the scoring after twenty-five minutes, the manner of the concession was disappointing for Harrow. After initially working back well to help the defence, Lederman tried to spray the ball wide to Piers Bourke who was galloping down the left. Unfortunately, the pass was mis-hit and arrived at the feet of the Forest winger, who ran straight at the Harrow back four, the ball finally falling to a visiting forward who tucked it home.

Despite the setback, the home side responded within five minutes. Lederman atoned for his earlier error with an excellent whipped-in corner, which Paul Molloy met unchallenged, heading forcefully past a static Forest goalkeeper.

The pattern of the game continued for the remainder of the half: Forest looking the more assured in possession and harrying the home side into too many individual errors. Although James Harper was kept alert in goal, it appeared as though the sides would go in level at the break.

Once again however, Harrow conceded a disappointing goal at a bad time. A long ball forward from the Forest right seemed innocuous enough, but the tall centre-forward out-muscled Obi Umenliyora, no mean feet in itself, and sent a looping header beyond the stranded Harper. The silence of the crowd spoke volumes.

Chastened at the prospect of losing their unbeaten home record and, more importantly, the Arthurian league title, Harrow came out for the second half to face the music, the next 45 minutes determining the fate of 7 months hard work.

It didn’t take long for things to go from bad to worse though. As the rain began to pour down, Forest began to pour forward into Harrow territory with alarming regularity. After ten minutes of the second half, a sortie through the middle of the Harrow defence left players desperately scrambling to get the ball clear. Alas, a clever piece of trickery from a Forest player drew a rash challenge from Umenliyora and a penalty was awarded. Despite the prayers from the touchline, there was no miracle save from James Harper and Harrow suddenly found themselves 3-1 down with little over half an hour left.

It was now time for some inspiration, although where this would come from was difficult to fathom. From one to eleven, Harrow was struggling and Forest knew it. Perhaps what they didn’t bargain for was that this Harrovian side has an unrestrainable belief in itself to score goals no matter who the opposition and what the circumstances are. Once more, this proved to be the case as, from absolutely nowhere, Harrow had brought the match level within the space of five minutes.

A Forest attack was halted and Harrow’s front line broke at pace. A square ball found Lederman in the inside left position. Eschewing the options on the far side, he dummied the right-back before cutting inside and firing a low drive past the ‘keeper from just outside the box. It was a tremendous goal that fired the home crowd and Harrovian spirits.

Five minutes later and the Lederman – Molloy set-piece combination had tied things up at 3-3. The right-winger whipped in a free-kick from close to the right touchline which was headed back across the goal superbly by Molloy, leaving the goalkeeper no chance.

The tension was palpable. Twenty minutes remained and everyone present knew that, even given the vagaries of Arthurian league football, the next goal could be make or break for both side’s seasons. The nerves got to both teams; the next fifteen minutes produced the tamest spell of the match, with neither side able to string together sufficient spells of possession to create any notable chances. Harrow’s best fell to Harry Hoffen and Lederman, but both shot over when well-placed.

As with the first-half, the second 45 minutes appeared as though it would end with the sides even. That it did was an amazing fact, even for the Arthurian League, given that Forest broke the deadlock with only two minutes remaining.

As Harrow attacked down their left, possession was lost and Forest broke at pace. A fine cross field ball picked out a striker at the far post and although his initial effort was blocked by James Harper, the Harrow ‘keeper could do nothing to prevent the rebound being slammed home from close-range.

It was a shattering blow that again brought silence from the crowd, this time one that had a state of permanence about it. Despite the exhortations of captain Baker, in truth, Harrow hearts had resigned themselves to a defeat that would probably prove fatal to their title aspirations. As with the Lancing game a few weeks earlier, the team had two minutes to score a goal against one of the top sides in the league.

Desperately, Harrow threw men forward in an attempt to force the issue. The ball was played out wide on the left to the tireless Piers Bourke, so often a provider of wonderful, if slightly controversial moments. Piers cut inside and won a free-kick as a Forest defender grasped onto his shirt. The howls of protest from the away side were in keeping with their behaviour all afternoon, but, as the referee correctly stated afterwards, if you pull a player’s shirt, a foul is given.

With less than a minute to go, it was a case of now or never. Lederman addressed the ball and surveyed the options. Twenty-five yards out and with Forest holding a high line, a shot was the only option. The midfielder, who has studied the likes of world-class free-kick takers such as Beckham, Zidane and Guti for many years, curled the ball over the Forest wall, and into the bottom corner of the net, past a scrambling goalkeeper. Harrow had once more come back from the dead to claim a vital result.

Despite the relief and exhilaration at the end of the match, the home side knew that it had been another very lucky escape. Had the game been won, Harrow would be all but champions by now, failing a mathematical calamity in their final game against Charterhouse. As it is, the point gained on Saturday means that in all probability, the final match of the 2003/4 season played on the Hill will be a championship decider, with Harrow having to win or draw against the Carthusians to become champions.

No-one ever said it was going to be easy…

Harrow (4-4-2): James Harper; Nick Warner, Tim Dalton, Obi Umenliyora, Charlie Tweddle; David Lederman, Quentin Baker, Paul Molloy, Piers Bourke; Rupert Hoffen (sub: Jamie Waugh, 75mins), Harry Hoffen