News

...........HIGHEST FINISH SINCE 2001/02

Despite losing the 2 final games Borough still held on to 15th place in the table.   

A 7-0 home defeat is not the ideal way to end the season but no-one had told Hanwell Town it was a meaningless mid-table end of season match !        The only question is whether they are the best team in the Division or if we just made them look like it.     The truth is that going forward there is probably none better and they certainly sliced through our defence at will;  but they may be a little  suspect at the back for Borough went very close to securing a consolation or two.

Borough’s campaign ended with them having played 50 Competitive games of which 14 were won,  9 drawn and 27 lost.  73 players were used.    75 goals were scored  and 97 conceded.     Charles Douse made the most appearances (42) with Bosun Adebaki and Billy Haspineall both one behind.   Lloyd Opara was top scorer with 19 from 35 games while Adam Scotcher netted 10 from just 12 matches.

AN END TO THE 7 MATCH UNBEATEN RUN

A game of such vital importance to the visitors who needed victory to maintain their position as probable Champions was obviously the fixture most likely to end Borough's remarkable late season revival.    And so it proved after a thrilling 90 minutes which was decided by the odd goal in three in favour of Aylesbury by a goal about the validity of which opinion was sharply divided.   But Borough need fear nobody if this squad and form can be carried forward to next season, at the end of which they could legitimately hope to find it their turn to be in Aylesbury's position.

...........JOB DONE

Mario Georgiou's stoppage time penalty at Welwyn Garden City earned Borough the point which makes it mathematically impossible to finish in the bottom 2.    "The Citizens" were already doomed to relegation on account of ground grading issues even in the unlikely event of them avoiding the bottom spot but if there had been winner of a tight game they probably deserved to have been such on account of the greater determination with which they approached the game - and they certainly did not look like the worst team in the Division.

Courtesy of Mr Barry Ward who video'd the game highlights can be seen on You Tube - here is the link    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwvfkIDAJls

.........SAFETY - WITH 5 GAMES TO SPARE

Borough's extended their unbeaten run to 6 games  and five consecutive clean sheet wins with what will sadly almost certainly be their last meeting with Brimsdown Rovers who are amalgamating with Enfield 1893 next season and playing in the Essex Senior League.

The 4-0 win at Goldsdown Road was not quite as easy as the scoreline suggests for Borough were reduced to ten players by a straight red card during the first half although fortunately they were two up by then and added a third soon afterwards and a fourth early in the second half which effectively settled the issue at that point.

The win lifts Borough to 15th place and secures de facto safety for although it is still mathematically possible for Borough to finish in the bottom two they would have to lose all 5 remaining games, Kentish Town would have to win their remaining two games (one of which is against Borough)  and turn round an inferior goal difference of 56 in the process,  Biggleswade United would have to win their last game (which is at Coles Park) by double figures and Hillingdon Borough would have to win all four of their remaining fixtures.    So we can stop worrying !!

 A HAT-TRICK OF 1-0 HOME WINS

Fortunately, Borough produced a battling team performance to prove that there is "life after Opara" whose recent run of vital goals has done so much to secure our Premier Division lifeline; unfortunately Lloyd will probably not play again this season after the injury which saw him carried off last Saturday having scored the games solitary goal for the second time in 3 days.      This time it was Lee Allen who provided a fine strike of which Lloyd would have been proud halfway through the first half to send visiting Dunstable Town home empty handed - although there was no lack of effort on their part to avoid that outcome even though they are already too far behind the two leading Clubs to retain any Championship hopes.  

With Borough now in 16th place on 39 points and 6 games left to play it would need a remarkable run of results by all of the five teams immediately below Borough (coupled with our failure to secure another 3 points from our remaining outings) to push us back into the drop zone.

.................UP ANOTHER 2 PLACES

Borough ground out another 1-0 win, courtesy of a 22nd minute penalty by Lloyd Opara - his third from the spot in his total of five goals in eight days  -  which coupled with results elsewhere raised Borough to 16th in the table.   Two more wins will guarantee safety and one win would be sufficient if it were against Kentish Town.   42 points is the safety mark and the Clubs not yet there are:-

................UP  ANOTHER POSITION

Lloyd Opara's goal early in the second half was enough to secure an edgy victory over visiting Brimsdown Rovers.    The 3 points lifted Borough above Brimsdown on goal difference, both Clubs having played 34 games.

...........SUPER SATURDAY FOR BOROUGH

It must be a long time since Borough enjoyed a Saturday when just about everything went right for them.

They took a vital step towards salvation by their own efforts at Harefield United’s Prenton Park stadium – so often a graveyard for Borough’s hopes in both League and Cup encounters – to secure the 3 points which lifted them above Kentish Town with their battling 4-2 win.  Borough’s first League triumph there since 1997 after six unsuccessful attempts.  Fuller report under FIXTURES &  RESULTS

In other games Kentish Town lost 0-4 at Dunstable Town

Hillingdon Borough lost 0-1 at Hertford Town

Biggleswade United lost 0-10 at Aylesbury

Brimsdown Rovers lost 0-2 at Welwyn Garden City

With Borough having games in hand against all bar one of the bottom 7 teams it is now realistic to think of climbing above the three teams immediately  above us and should anything be decided on goal difference it’s a “no contest”

The situation at the foot of the table is now:-