Rovers started brightly and went close a couple of minutes into the game when a Charlie Stallard throw was flicked on by Bert Lloyd and turned over by Jayden Smith. Noah Africa then pinched the ball off Harry McCorkell and saw his low shot well saved by Andrew McCorkell.
Seven minutes in and Rovers had three chances to open the scoring. Darnell Bromfield found Jeff Cobblah, he cut inside and saw his shot blocked, the follow up by Africa was also blocked with Bromfield firing the loose ball wide.
We were continuing to dominate, with Harrow being all hands to the pump to keep us out, in a frenetic fast paced opening. Africa saw another shot deflected wide, before Harrow gradually got a foothold in the game and started getting the ball into the Rovers defensive third.
Smith had a shot deflected behind for a corner on 14 minutes, a minute later Harrow had their first chance. Breaking quickly from our corner, the ball found Leo Sery (our pre-game “one to watch”) but under pressure for the back-tracking Africa he fired high and wide of the right hand post.
Dan Williams then did well on the left but his low cross was well defended by Lloyd. Harrow we’re getting on top, Williams did well to find Carl Stewart who in turn found Sery but again we defended well and the attack broke down.
On 20 minutes Africa stung the hands of McCorkell with Nahum Melvin-Lambert unable to force home the loose ball. Harrow had a glorious chance to open the scoring on 24 minutes, a wobbly shot by H.McCorkell was half saved by Kacper Orlowski and as the young Rovers keeper and Lloyd hesitated Williams was unable to turn the ball home from a narrowing angle.
Sery was then well defended by Tyrese Osbourne but the loose ball fell to Luke Ifil and his fierce drive was blocked by Stallard from point blank range, with the challenge reverberating around the stadium.
The visitors struck the opening goal on 31 minutes. Orlowski’s poor clearance found Williams and he skipped passed a couple of challenges before being hauled down by Rovers man of the match Evangelos Empochontsif, earning the Rovers man a yellow card. From the free kick James Gurteen fired low to Orlowskis right for 1-0.
We responded positively and almost immediately Osbourne cut in from the left and his low shot bought a good save out of McCorkell. Orlowski atoned for his mistake for the goal with a stunning fingertip save from Williams, somehow getting a fingertip to a shot destined for the top corner.
Half time came with Rovers disappointed to be trailing.
Scores were level four minutes into the second half. Smith picked the ball up on the right, drove at the back line and his goal bound effort took a nick of Gurteen to send it beyond McCorkell and into the net for 1-1. Game on.
Harrow had a great chance to retake the lead almost immediately, a defence splitting ball sent Sery away and he raced through on goal, with only Orlowski to beat, only for Charlie Stallard to appear from nowhere to make a goal-saving challenge – the ball going out for a corner. Melvin-Lambert almost took advantage of a great cross by Osbourne but saw his header go wide of the right hand post.
Smith then jinked passed Bailey Lamb and delivered a dangerous cross into the Harrow area, only for a stunning headed clearance by Stephan Langley diverting the ball away from Melvin-Lambert. From the long throw Osbournes shot was deflected high into the air, and McCorkell did very well to gather under heavy pressure from Melvin-Lambert.
Cobblah saw an effort held by McCorkell, and a minute later a long ball by Stallard saw Osbourne push the ball beyond McCorkell but defenders got round quickly to clear the danger. The game was swinging from end to end providing huge entertainment for those in attendance and on 66 minutes a rare mistake by Africa saw Williams pinch the ball and race forward. His shot looked to be on target but a half block meant it dropped comfortably into Orlowskis hands.
We made a triple change on 67 minutes, with Africa, Melvin-Lambert and Cobblah making way from Francis Sey, Troy Walters and Cameron Dobell respectively.
With just over 15 minutes remaining Smith again did well on the right and his cross was well defended by Langley, Harrow broke quickly with the ball quickly being transferred to Dernell Wynter, and his run and shot went wide of the left hand post.
Our hopes of claiming all three points took a severe blow on 82 minutes when Empochontsif clashed in the thirty yards from goal with Sery and was given a second yellow reducing us to ten men. Gurteen stood over the free kick, but unlike his stunner in the first half, this cleared the fencing behind the goal, to a collective sigh of relief from the Rovers faithful.
The last action of a thrilling game saw a deep cross by Lamb well claimed under pressure by Orlowski and the sides settled for a point.