Southern League Premier South: Harrow Borough 1 Weston-Super-Mare 1

A point at last. It’s a start, and Harrow should hopefully move on up from this after an opening set of league games out of the most difficult pages of the Southern Premier South almanac.

Here they didn’t perform as well as last Tuesday against Chesham, but the right attitude was still there and they battled from the first whistle to the last, showing defensive solidity in the face of some late Gulls pressure.

Steve Baker made one change to the line-up but it was a significant one, dropping Southampton loanee keeper Matthew Hall and bringing in Dan Purdue.

Hall had of course made the blunder that had given Chesham their winner on Tuesday night. Purdue was in early action making a regulation save from Matt Jones’s low left-foot shot.

But it was Harrow, attacking the school end, who went in front, in the 16th minute, with a terrific solo goal from George Moore. Picking up the ball on the left, he cut in and across the edge of the Weston box, before letting fly with a 20-yarder that Purnell got his left hand to but could not keep out.

Purdue turned over a drive from Grubb, and Ben Tricker and Jordan Ireland combined to stop Jagger-Cane, but the visitors equalised in the 24th minute with a solo goal to match Moore’s, as McCootie made a mazy run past three red defenders and cracked a left-footer past Purdue’s left hand.

For a while, the visitors threatened to go ahead. Lewis Cole blocked Jagger-Cane’s shot, and the same player then fired over when Babs Jarra’s challenge fell to him.

Purdue saved from Matt Jones, and was then relieved when his clearance cannoned off McCootie, only for him to recover the ball. Borough then regained the initiative with Liam Ferdinand playing a one-two with Michael Bryan and firing across goal, and Moore shooting just wide after an exchange with Marc Charles-Smith.

The veteran Harrow striker then clearly had his shirt pulled, hard, as he ran into the penalty area, but referee Mr Sear was not interested. A Ferdinand shot, blocked, was the last action of the half.

Purdue was in action as the second period began, saving from Matt Jones, and Grubb shot wide, before play switched ends with Moore stinging Purnell’s palms with a 35-yard cracker of a free-kick.

Ferdinand then turned on the edge of the box to shoot, Purnell equal to it. Weston went close when centre-back Tindle rose at the far post to head a free-kick back across goal, and Tricker rescued Harrow with a good tackle after Purdue had been caught in no man’s land out of his goal.

The goalscorers for each side were off target, Moore with a shot and McCootie with a header, and Tindle was again highest to a cross, heading wide.

Into six minutes of stoppage time, and both sides could have won it. Ferdinand crossed from the right and Brendan Matthew seemed to get the ball caught under his feet, Tindle’s tackle saving the day for Weston.

At the other end Harrow gave the ball away and Symons was in on goal, Purdue saving with his legs.

The debutant goalkeeper then touched McCootie’s shot round the post to ensure that Harrow climbed off the foot of the table.

Something then ‘occurred’ on the final whistle as Mr Sear saw fit to red card Gulls boss Scott Bartlett as the players were shaking hands.

Out of the FA Cup, Harrow now have a free week before next Saturday’s visit to another Borough, Gosport, who were early pacesetters but have lost their last two games.

Harrow Borough: Dan Purdue, Kensley Maloney, George Moore, Ben Tricker, Babs Jarra, Jordan Ireland (booked, 90 mins), Lewis Cole (booked, 43 mins; sub Shaun Preddie, 90 mins), Michael Bryan (booked, 81 mins), Liam Ferdinand, Anthony O’Connor (sub Frank Keita, 80 mins), Marc Charles-Smith (sub Brendan Matthew, 71 mins).

Unused subs: Matthew Hall, Ramarne Griffith.

Weston-Super-Mare: Luke Purnell, Keiran Thomas (booked, 78 mins; sub Aaron Parsons, 90 mins), Scott Laird, Chris Knowles (sub Lloyd Humphries, 69 mins), Sam Avery, Greg Tindle (booked, 63 mins), Matt Jones (booked, 90 mins), Jacob Jagger-Cane, Nick McCootie, Dayle Grubb, Ryan Jones (sub Mike Symons, 69 mins).

Unused subs: Lewis Hall, Sam Hendy.

Referee: Mr K Sear

Att. 176