REFEREE

C Fitch

HARROW

1 Andray Baptiste 2 Richard Orlu 3 Ronayne Marsh-Brown 4 Wayne Walters 5 Tobi Jinadu 6 Kwasi Frempong 7 Dean Fenton 8 James Fraser 9 Dewayne Clarke   Kurt Morlese 86 10 Rocky Baptiste 11 Lewis Cook   Kenta Nakashima 53 12 Kurt Morlese 14 Kenta Nakashima 15 Simon Dahl 16 Daniel McGonigle 17 Keita Karamoko

BILLERICAY TOWN

1 Paul Nichols 2 Dave McSweeney 3 Ian Cousins 4 Michael Shinn 5 Lee Kersey 6 Chris Wild 7 Danny Green   Dave Wareham (84) 8 Matt Hall   Russell Malton (57) 9 James Baker 10 Russell Pond 11 Danny Slatter 12 Dave Wareham 14 Russell Malton 15 Gareth Street 16 Greg Oates 17 Andy Walker

HARROW 2 Rocky Baptiste 63 Dean Fenton 74 Billericay Town 1 Chris Wild 16

by Simon Grigor at New Lodge

Harrow registered their first league victory of 2010 with a fine second-half comeback at New Lodge on Saturday.

There were two changes from the last league line up two weeks ago.
Up front Dewayne Clarke replaced Kurt Morlese, while recent signing from Staines, Ronayne Marsh-Brown, came in at left-back for the injured Ryan Watts.

On a heavy surface, liberally sanded in parts, both sides had great chances in the opening minutes. Lewis Cook’s cross found Rocky Baptiste unmarked at the far post but, possibly distracted by the bright sun, he headed across to James Fraser, who was closed down, when an attempt on goal would have only had the keeper to beat. But then, at the other end, Baker held off Richard Orlu but, with a clear sight of goal, shot wide of Andray Baptiste’s left hand post.

Cook screwed a shot two feet past the post after a good move between Orlu and Dean Fenton, but it was the hosts who drew first blood in the 16th minute. No-one picked up giant centre-half Wild as a corner was bent in from the left. Nonetheless Baptiste would have been disappointed that his downward header found the net, the Grenadan keeper appearing to dive over the ball.

Home keeper Nichols caught Kersey’s deflection of Wayne Walters’ shot, while Green shot over for the hosts following a controversial free-kick. Rocky Baptiste set up Fenton for a shot wide, and Andray Baptiste saved from Shinn. Fenton shot across goal and then Nichols punched away Tobi Jinadu’s header.

Harrow were inches away from levelling when Rocky Baptiste had a shot that Nichols pushed away. Baptiste was first to the rebound and his second effort beat Nichols but bounced off the foot of the post. Cook’s cross then deflected off McSweeney but Nichols was alert and saved.

Andray Baptiste was put under pressure early in the second half by the otherwise excellent Jinadu’s weak back-header, the Harrow custodian scooping the ball off Baker’s toe. Baptiste held another Baker effort, and caught the ball following some head tennis in the visiting box, but Harrow then began to press and Clarke’s shot was blocked after a Rocky Baptiste cross. Cook, who had looked a threat suffered an ankle injury and as a result might miss Tuesday night’s match against his old club Kingstonian. However his replacement Kenta Nakashima was immediately involved in the action. The ball was worked from right to left across the home box and Nakashima shot across the goal, narrowly wide of the far post.

Nichols plucked Nakashima’s pass off the toe of Clarke before Harrow levelled after 63 minutes. Clarke was poised to rise for Baptiste’s cross at the far post when he was grabbed by Kersey. There was little argument about the penalty, and Rocky Baptiste coolly dispatched his first league goal since mid-November.

Slatter immediately drove a shot over Andray Baptiste’s bar, Pond shot wide after a surge forward, and Green was off target with an effort, but increased confidence was coursing through the Borough veins, with Fraser and Kwasi Frempong increasingly dominating the midfield exchanges. Some desperate defending kept out a dangerous Nakashima cross. What proved to be the winner came after 74 minutes, Andray Baptiste’s clearance upfield was flicked on by Rocky Baptiste and Fenton, sensing hesitation between Nichols and his left-back Cousins, nipped between the two of them to squeeze the ball into the net.

Fenton’s shot then hit Clarke, who himself shot over from a Rocky Baptiste pass. Baptiste’s header from a Nakashima cross was hacked away, and Nichols made two fine saves in the dying minutes, beating away a Baptiste free-kick, and then a shot by the same player from a Nakashima cross.