Borough recovery stuns Darts (From News Shopper)

Borough recovery stuns Darts

4:41pm Monday 10th November 2008 in Sport By Mike Brett-Smith

Harrow Borough 2-1 Dartford

DARTFORD were quite a bit below par at a murky Harrow and didn’t get the best of starts on the home side’s well-grassed pitch as John Guest aggravated a hamstring in the pre-match warm-up and was substituted after just 10 minutes.

That apart, there was little to suggest what was going to unfold later in the game as Harrow were decidedly second best once Darts settled in. The first real chance fell, naturally, to Cody McDonald who ghosted past his marker but the finish lacked a little conviction. Just before the half-hour mark, McDonald made amends when he received a pass from the right, controlled in on his chest, turned and volleyed home.

Darts seemed to ease down a bit, which enabled visiting Barry Fry to run the rule over Harrow winger Robin Shroot. Fry had seen enough by half-time and returned to Peterborough, dispelling rumours McDonald was the object of his attentions.

The second half began with a downpour which dampened Darts more that the home side and Harrow soon had the ball in the ne,t only for it to be deemed offside.

Andrew Young saved acrobatically from Shroot and then turned a crisp volley aside for a corner. Five minutes after the hour, Harrow drew level when Kurt Morlese bundled an innocuous left side cross past Young. Four minutes later, a Watts free-kick was hit home by Shroot to put Harrow in front.

For a while is seemed like Potters Bar all over again and though Darts bucked up in the latter stages, it wasn’t to be their day as Andre Baptiste handled crosses and corners with consummate ease. Ryan Hayes replaced Danny Dafter and he provided the required variety. Baptiste’s handling ability was now tested and he fumbled a couple of times, but a resolute Harrow hoofed the danger away to safety en route to recording their season’s first home win.

Dartford: Young, Coyle, Osborne, Flanagan, Guest (Powell 10), Dafter (Hayes 82), White (Barnes 70), Day, Haworth, McDonald, Butterworth. Sub not used: Cass. Att: 329.