Chromasports United Counties League
Division One
Harrowby United 1
Northampton ON Chenecks 0
Harrowby United collected another three points in a close encounter at Dickens Road.
The opening half was a stalemate with both teams cancelling each other out in midfield, and goal scoring openings few and far between. Lee Shaw went the closest to getting on the scoresheet when he turned his marker with ease but shot over the crossbar.
The Arrows started the second half the brightest and a good move down the right after 53 minutes caused panic in the Chenecks defence before the ball was hacked to safety.
On the hour mark, both teams were reduced to 10 men when Harrowby’s Sam Kirton was dismissed with a straight red card for a two-footed lunge. Chenecks’ Joe Evans joined him in the dressing room for collecting his second yellow card for his part in the brief scuffle after the tackle.
Two minutes later, Harrowby were grateful to Sam Hill who cleared off the goal line after a cross punched away by Sam Scothern, making his debut in the Arrows goal, was knocked straight back towards goal.
On 70 minutes, a well-worked move down the right between Hill and Liam Harper saw Harper’s cross met by Shaw whose effort was well saved by Janis Lauskinieks in the visitors’ goal. From the resulting corner, Harrowby finally got the goal they deserved. Bobby Lee’s ball in found its way to Shaw who controlled and finished with a precise shot into the right hand corner of the net from 12 yards out.
Lauskinieks again came to Chenecks’ rescue minutes later, with an even better save from another Shaw effort. After 88 minutes’ Arrow’s man-of-the-match Simon Bolland thought he had doubled Harrowby’s lead with a fine header that was acrobatically tipped over the bar by Lauskinieks.
The home side should have been safe three minutes into the bizarre 12 minutes of added time, when a great run by Shaw, beating two defenders, ended with him being brought down for a penalty. Harper stepped up to take the spot kick and saw his effort rattle against the crossbar and stay out.
Harrowby saw out the remaining minutes to keep a clean sheet and take the three points.
Harrowby: Scothern, Hill, Vorley (Preston, 63), Hodgkin, Whyley, Harper, Bolland, Kirton, Lee (Sheridan, 90), Wormall (Webb, 87), Shaw. Subs not used: Weatherstone, Gibson.