Uxbridge entered the New Year Day encounter with Middlesex rivals Harrow Borough in the league for the first time since 1975.
Uxbridge were looking to avenge a 3-0 defeat on Bank Holiday Monday in August but on a good run of form accumulating 25 points from 10 games with Harrow Borough only picking up a surprising 10 points.
Uxbridge made 3 changes from Saturday’s wonderful win over Kingstonian, captain CJ Fearn and fellow centre half Luke Paris injured and Leo Decabo dropped to the bench in place of Casey Bocarro, the returning James Taylor and new signing Harry Rush from Chesham, who was the Hanwell skipper when they were promoted a few years ago via the playoffs….
The game started off slowly and it took 8 minutes for a first shot on target by either team, this from the inform George Moore but it was tame from the edge of the box.
21 minutes elapsed when Stephan Langley, the Harrow centre half, was booked for lunge on Fabio Sole on the left hand side by the away team dugout who had no complaints with the card. The resulting free kick did not come to fruition.
With 40 minutes played, the best moment of the half so far happened when Moore chipped the ball on the half way line over 2 defenders with the ever willing Josh Addae running into it but his cross shot evaded both the far post and Ada Okorogheye.
With one minute to go and Harrow having not had a shot on goal, new signing Harry Rush lost the ball near the centre circle and a through ball found 16 year old Ridwan Hassan - on loan from QPR - one on one with Uxbridge stand in skipper George Legg and showed composure beyond his years finishing calmly.
With 2 minutes injury time show , Bailey Lamb committed a 2 footed challenge in front of the Uxbridge dugout, the Assistant Referee giving a free kick but no resulting card, yellow or red, maybe the ref gave enough cards out at Christmas! The resulting free kick was launched into the area to James Taylor who headed wide.
HT 0-1
Leo Decabo replaced Fabio Sole at half time and immediately had a positive influence on the game. However, 6 minutes into the half, Harrow broke through but a ‘professional foul’ by James Taylor saw a Harrow striker stopped in his tracks on the edge of the area to ensure Legg in the Uxbridge goal had only faced one shot on goal! The resulting free kick came to nothing.
2 minutes later, Ada set up George Moore with a pin point through ball and with Moore 25 yards from goal, carried the ball forward and expertly tucked the ball between Dan Hosier legs for his 20th goal of this campaign and his 20th in 24 games. Moore being the first striker since Antony Mendy in the 2021-2022 season to net 20 goals for the reds!
A minute later, the ever influential Decabo beat 2 men but failed to spot the runs of Ada and Moore and went alone into the box but was tackled in the box. Harrow quickly lost the ball and Casey fizzed a cross across the box but nobody was there!
In the 58th minute, the reds of Uxbridge thought they had the lead when Addae header at the back post found Moore who rifled home but the Assistant Referee ruled that Addae was offside, correctly in my humble opinion.
3 minutes later, Ada thought he had scored but again the Assistant Referee had other ideas as the goal was ruled out - from a short corner routine where Bocarro delivered an out swinger and - Ada beat the keeper to head home. This one was tighter. VAR might have given it a goal but I’m glad it’s not involved in this this level of football as it will spoil the enjoyment!
66 minutes elapsed when Addae had a shot blocked and Toby Nnadozie- still searching for his first goal - had a goal bound effort deflected over the bar.
Harrow had their first corner of the game in the 68th minute, which showed Uxbridge dominance in this encounter.
In the 77th minute, Uxbridge had their 10th corner of the game which game to nothing but a minute and from another corner a clearance found Moore in space and his bullet of a shot was well saved by Dan Hosier deputising for the suspended Andrew McCorkell.
Harrow waited until 87 minutes for their 2nd corner but it was their 3rd in the 92nd minute when 16 year old Hassan had a free header which he put wide which would have given Harrow an undeserved victory.
There was still time for Lamb to escape a second yellow card when blocking a Legg kick from his hands with the referee blowing for full time when the ball reached the half way line.
10 points from 4 games over the Christmas period against teams 9th or above is good going and puts us in 4th place going into 2025!
FT 1-1
Att 214
Match report courtesy of David Mallam
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