AT LAST! After 98 days and umpteen postponements, Haringey Borough played their first home game at Coles Park and the spectators who turned up had a decent game to watch.
Thurrock arrived in second place in the division but ten points behind leaders AFC Sudbury and hoping to close the gap, but a resilient Boro’ made them work hard for their one point, and on another day Haringey could have taken all three points.
The game started in clear and sunny conditions but the pitch was showing wear from the recent bad weather and started to cut up quickly.
Thurrock settled first and had a chance to open the scoring after ten minutes, when two Thurrock chances were cleared off the line and away. This spurred Boro’, who went up the other end where Anthony McDonald (returning from injury) finished past the keeper after a good run. Haringey doubled their lead a couple of minutes later, when a high ball took a wicked bounce and deceived the keeper and Joshua Willer was on hand to head home from close range. The rest of the half was played in midfield with both sets of players still trying to come to terms to the playing surface. Then, with the first half going into time added on, the incident that changed the course of the match happened. With the ball going out of play, a Thurrock player was bundled over in the penalty area and the ref had no choice but to award the spot kick. Harry Palmer (a recent signing from Braintree Town), saved low to his left but the ball hit the post and returned to Harry Agombar who scored at the second attempt.
Haringey survived for nearly thirty minutes before Thurrock equalised. David Cowley’s right foot shot found the net through a crowed area to make it 2-2. Haringey did have the chance to win it at the end when a two on two break ended up with Jorge Djassi-Sambu’s effort just going over the bar, but all in all a fair result.
With all three teams in the relegation spots losing, Haringey are now nine points clear of the drop zone.
Haringey play Brightlingsea Regent in their next two fixtures. Home on Tuesday the 15th and the reverse fixture next Saturday the 19th, this time next week the Division could be a little clearer.
COME ON BORO!
HARINGEY BOROUGH: Harry Palmer, Rakim Richards, Anton Blackwood, Jorge Djassi-Sambu, Coby Rowe, Ross Dedman, Dean Fenton, Leon Wilson, Joshua Willer, Ishmail Kamara (Daniel Aristidou), Anthony McDonald (Alexander Cathline)
UNUSED SUBS: Daniel Walker, Aaron Scott, Mikheil Kharshiadze (gk)