Harrowing experience (23.12.05)

Maidenhead United (1) 1, Harrow Borough (0) 2

HARROW Borough, from the lower reaches of the Ryman Premier, recorded a good 2-1 win in their friendly clash at York Road on Saturday, with James Bent netting two second-half goals to sink the Magpies.
Maidenhead started well enough and took the lead late in first half, when skipper Matt Glynn dispatched a penalty.
But the game changed soon after the restart, when keeper Scott Tarr brought down a Harrow forward, injuring himself in the process.
Tarr was substituted and Bent scored from the spot.
Harrow then took the lead with best move of game.
Following neat play down the right the ball was crossed into the box and headed goalwards.
Stand-in keeper Dominic White made a good save but the loose ball fell to Bent at the far post, who took his chance well.
After this Maidenhead produced some good attacking football but were unable to break down a resolute Harrow defence.
Despite the result, manager Carl Taylor was reasonably happy with the result, especially as United spent the second-half with a central defender between the sticks.
He said: “We worked out a system in the first half that I want to use in the next few games, and it worked pretty well. Then we lost Scott (Tarr) to an injury and had to put Dominic in goal.
“We also gave a few people games in the second half. It was all very low key.”
However, by then Taylor had seen enough to give him some Christmas cheer.
He added: “I’m really excited.
“For a team in the bottom two we’re playing some pretty decent football.
“That’s why I’m confident we’ll be okay at the end of the season.
“I just have to get the players to believe in themselves.”
While planning to improve United’s performance, Taylor is also counting on other clubs tailing off. He said: “In the second half of the season budgets get cut and players move on.
“There will be teams above us who will have awful runs.”
Taylor hopes to begin United’s revival by recording three wins from their next six games.
These include clashes with Basingstoke Town, Eastbourne Borough and Newport County, who occupy the three league positions immediately above the Magpies.
Taylor said: “We have to play Farnborough twice and on paper we should lose both.
“But we’re planning to get something out of the Eastbourne game and at home to Sutton. Then it’s Newport and Basingstoke.
“If we play the way we did against Bishop’s Stortford, Dorchester and Weston, someone’s going to cop it.”
In addition to two new signings (see story on this page), Taylor sould also benefit from the return of Matt Glynn for Monday’s trip to Farnborough Town, having completed his suspension.
Bryan Smith and Nana Badu will be able to enjoy their turkey, however, as they begin one and three-match bans respectively.