For the second time in four days, Harrow Borough produced a performance on the road in which they soaked up opposition pressure and hit hard on the break to seal a 2-0 win over Welling United.
Their progress to Monday’s draw for the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Cup was, like the win at Farnborough in midweek, a masterpiece of planning, implemented to perfection.
With George Moore ill, Frank Keita returned to midfield, while Lewis Cole’s second half performance at Farnborough had earned him a starting berth in midfield.
Playing down the appreciable Park View Road slope in the first-half, Harrow survived a scare in the opening seconds when Akinyemi, coming in at the far post, couldn’t stretch sufficiently to reach Allen’s right-wing cross.
But Borough dominated the next period of play. James Ewington’s shot from Keita’s pass was blocked, the ball falling to Dernell Wynter on the edge of the box.
He switched it onto his left foot but fired over the bar.
Samuel Adenola’s far-post cross found Wynter, but he took one touch many and his shot was blocked.
Ewington and Cole then worked the ball through to Wynter, but home keeper Smith was out quickly to hack clear.
Keita dispossessed O’Keefe, but touched the ball just too far and again Smith moved rapidly off his line, to save at his feet.
Michael Bryan then feel awkwardly and, after a brief period of trying to continue, limped off, Kamon-Sherell Assidjo coming on in his place.
A diving Shaun Preddie couldn’t connect with a curling Leo Donnellan free-kick: Donnellan’s free-kicks were a positive feature of the afternoon and a lesson that perhaps every single set-piece 30 yards from goal does not need to be a George Moore hammered shot?
The Wings had their best chance of the afternoon when Campbell got past James Taylor and laid the ball on a plate to Akinyemi, about 12 yards out, but he skied his shot way over.
A Cole shot was blocked after good work by Wynter, who was then dispossessed after Keita had found him.
Ezennolim delivered a dangerous ball across the Borough goalmouth, with no-one there to get a touch, before Donnellan’s pass sent Assidjo away on the right, his cross just too high for his colleagues.
Cole had a double effort on goal, one blocked and the second deflected over, before having another shot blocked after good work by Assidjo and Donnellan.
Samuel Adenola, again playing really well, cleared a dangerous Krabbendam delivery, Ewington blocked at the other end as he turned onto Wynter’s pass.
Just like on Tuesday, Harrow hit their opponents with the half-time whistle near.
The half was two minutes into stoppage-time when Taylor took a throw-in on the left, Keita worked the ball into the area and Cole, in the inside-left channel, took the ball past an opponent and drove it low into the net from a very narrow angle.
Welling made two changes at the break and, although Harrow threatened twice early on, through Taylor’s flick header from Ewington’s cross, and Wynter’s right-footer past the far post, they enjoyed a spell of ascendancy.
Josh Strizovic saved well from Pepe although the offside flag was up anyway, and Akinyemi headed over to end a long spell of pressure.
Akinyemi then headed a right-wing cross into the path of Stevenson, who shot across goal.
But once again the Harrow back four looked disciplined and well-organised, and Shaun Preddie went upfield to head a Donnellan free-kick over the bar when he probably should have hit the target.
In the 72nd minute, great work in midfield by Keita, Donnellan and Cole led to Keita feeding Ewington and from an angle on the right of the box he controlled the ball with one touch before firing a low right-foot shot across Smith into the far corner for his eighth goal in his last seven games: what a signing he is proving to be!
Wynter bravely went for a ball with home keeper Smith, probably knowing he was going to get clattered, before getting past his man on the left-hand by-line but failing to deliver a telling cross.
Kunle Otudeko, on for Cole, stung Smith’s palms with a fierce drive, Wynter’s shot from the rebound saved.
Alfie Cain came on for Wynter with ten minutes left and provided more midfield stability, as Harrow finished strongly, with Otudeko shooting wide and Donnellan curling a free-kick over.
At the final whistle, there were long celebrations by the players and a decent number of travelling fans, who’d got to North Kent despite the Chiltern Line being out of action this weekend.
All eyes will be on the FA HQ at Wembley for Monday’s draw but, before the tie takes place, Harrow have a double-header of home league games, against Dorchester Town next Saturday and against runaway leaders Hayes & Yeading United on Tuesday.
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