News

2015 STARTS WITH A HARD FOUGHT WIN

Boroughs penalty shoot out Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy win at Hullbridge Sports was a testament to the Club's strength in depth.  With at least 9 players who would have been in contention for a place in the squad absent through injury or non-availability competition for places  will have been increased by the superb perfomance of those who were available.  Two goals came early in each half with an early long shot deceiving Borough 'keeper Ashley Harris before Anthony McDonald equalised seven minutes later with a superb individual run and swerving low finish.     Daniel Aristidou restored Boroughs lead shortly after the interval but that lasted only a few minutes as Borough were caught out by a swift break down the left and the low cross was flicked home.   Neither side wanted extra time, and penalties even less, so an end to end thriller ensued with Joshua Willer clearing the ball off the Borough line seconds before the end of extra time.  And it was Willer who scored Boroughs fifth and final penalty enabling Harris to send Borough through to the quarter finals 4-3 on spot kicks as he beat away the final kick of the ten.

League Vice-Chairman Derek Prentice attended the match and the following is his "take" on it:-

CHANGES AFOOT FOR BOROUGH WOMEN

Haringey Borough Women start the New Year under new Management with STEVE BROWNE taking over the reins from Natalie Silva-Knight who, as Player-Manager in tandem with Team Administrator Karla Parker , has guided the Club through a rather difficult two and a half seasons during which the dressing room ambience has not always been one of  “sweetness and light”;  the Club greatly appreciates her perseverance and is  pleased that she will still be with us in a playing capacity.

Steve has for many seasons run the highly successful Youth League Club   S & T ACADEMY (the “T” stands for Troy Townsend) and has been coaching Borough Women as well for two months.    Many of  the S & T girls on reaching 16 have dual signed for Borough to move up into Adult football and seven of them appeared in Borough’s last match – a vital away win at the League’s bottom Club.         

For the remainder of this season pulling away from the relegation spots is the prime target, perhaps with a League Cup run by way of light relief, and then to “hit the ground running” to propel the Club onwards and upwards from the start of next season in pursuit of the promotion spot which would see Borough enter the Women’s Premier League.  Steve's  endeavours will be enhanced  by the efficiency of  Karla with her understanding of the Club ethos after 11 years as player and Administrator and on the coaching front  by Mickey Leslie.who has extensive previous experience at Senior  level and by Kendal Campbell who has been with the Club in that capacity for two seasons.

Any player (minimum age 16) who would like to "train and trial" with the Club should contact Karla by e-mail at haringeyboroughwfc@gmail.com

BOROUGH SET NATIONAL RECORD FOR 2014

It seems we have set some sort of unofficial record in 2014 - and below is an extract from the latest Essex Senior League Bulletin penned by Chairman Rob Errington:-

Thanks to the good work and eagle eye of media buff David Ballheimer, he reckons that HARINGEY BOROUGH have the best league record in Non-League football in 2014. Their record has resulted as follows ......P 41 W 38 D 1 L 2 F 139 A 28 Pts 115.

So I put a request out on a National Forum if anyone could beat it but the only response from over 650 readers was a mention of NWCL 1874 Northwich FC who went into their last league match of the year on Boxing day with only a single loss but their opponents, Winsford, won the game 1-0 so their record ended up as ..... P 33 W 26 D 6 L 2 F 71 A 15

Let, us therefore congratulate HARINGEY BOROUGH on this magnificent achievement which can go into our League books as a NATIONAL RECORD !

WOMEN DEFY THE ODDS FOR VITAL WIN

With the Men’s game waterlogged off it was the Women’s turn to take centre stage and a 240 mile round trip to a village lying to the East of Norwich was hardly the most desirable of fixtures on the Sunday before Christmas so unsurprisingly Borough had to field a much changed team for their relegation tussle with Acle United. But the 12 who turned out did themselves and the Club proud returning with a 3-0 win which was not in any way as comfortable as the score might suggest for it was not until the closing seconds of stoppage time that the clinching third goal was slotted home. An early injury reducing the squad to 11 while playing up the slope and into the wind hardly helped.   But all recognised the team ethos that they were defenders whenever Acle had the ball and although confidence spreading ‘keeper Cherkish Young was kept busy throughout the first half the shield in front of her limited real opportunities to the minimum; and midway through the half Rianna Davies muscled her way into a scoring position to lash the ball into the roof of the net from six yards out in one of Borough’s far fewer sorties.   Confidence soared early in the second half when Ellena Finneran cut in from the right to loft her cross shot over the keeper and although Borough had the better of the second half there was still plenty of defending to be done with some vital interceptions keeping the  sheet clean until Zhane Amoaten raced clear of the tiring home defence in stoppage time to arrow her finish low to the ‘keepers left.   That the victory was secured by a team with an average age of just under 20 which included four sixteen year olds and three seventeen year olds reflects their long and painstaking preparation for adult football while with S & T Academy by their Manager Steve Browne who now doubles up as Borough Women’s Head Coach. The win kept Borough six points above Acle and also enabled them to overhaul AFC Dunstable on goal difference.

WIN No. 18 BUT AN EDGY ONE

With what was far from their most sparking performance of the season Borough edged home 2-1 at Tower Hamlets Mile End Stadium thanks to a superb individual goal from Anthony McDonald just before the interval and Darrell Cox's powerful close range header from a McDonald cross midway through the second half.  Both sides had spurned golden opportunities early on.  But having secured  the comfort of a two goal margin Borough conceded only three minutes later when Sodiq Ayinde headed home a free kick conceded just outside the right of the penalty box.  The lofty home side posed a massive aerial threat and it was fortunate that Borough did not concede too many corners and free kicks.

SUPER - SUB SEALS ANOTHER WIN

Neither Borough nor our visItors Sawbridgeworth Town could have had any complaints had the points been shared.   But Borough kept a winning streak going thanks to a strike which will probably not be bettered all season.  Had it been by Ronaldo or Beckham it would have featured on every TV sports programme ad infinitum.    But it came from Florin Pelecaci - our  latest signing just two days ago -  who has been out of the game through injury  for many months and  was introduced as a 75th minute substitute.    Within seconds he had curled a sensational 30 yard effort just beneath the angle of bar and post  to the 'keepers right .  Few, if any, 'keepers could have stopped it .  Anthony McDonald had put Borough ahead with a fine low shot from the edge of the penalty area after 32 minutes but the lead lasted only seven  minutes as the fast skilful and determined visitors equalised with a low cross shot from George Wappett who was a thorn in Borough's side throughout.    Ten minutes into the second half Darrell Cox was on hand to scramble home a loose ball when Cornel Cornea's low cross shot struck the inside of the far post only for Wappett to equalise eight minutes later following a sweeping move which ended with him drilling home a low cross from the left at the foot of the far post.   After that it was cut and thrust and looked to be anyone's game until Pelecaci's magic moment  settled what was certainly one of Borough's toughest games of the season 

ANOTHER HARD EARNED WIN TO MAKE IT SWEET SIXTEEN

Borough have now won 16 of their 17 League games this season but it was not until Walid Matata put away a penalty a few minutes from time that Borough could feel assured of the points despite a two goal interval lead secured by Lynvall Duncan who reacted quickest when the 'keeper did well to beat out a free kick in the 6th minute and Darrell Cox who also followed up well to smash home a loose ball after Matata had drawn another fine parry by the 'keeper on the half hour mark.   Before half time visitors Waltham Forest had tested the Borough defence with a spell of sustained pressure and their determination and persistence brought them just reward seven minutes after the restart when Luke Ifil drove home a low close range shot.    An equaliser seemed far from unlikely but some vital Borough blocks kept Forest at bay and  Matata's clinching 83rd minute penalty following a tired tackle on the rather heavy and lifeless pitch was to be the only further score.  

ANOTHER THREE POINTS - BUT HARD EARNED

Borough made it 15 wins from 16 League games to consolidate their position at the top of the table thanks to a powerful top corner header by Saleem Masri as he connected with a cross from Anthony McDonald in the last minute of the first half at Takeley.   Borough had previously  squandered some fine opportunities to make the game safe and early in the second half were unlucky when the bar denied Daniel Aristiodou's long range dipper.   But Takeley hit back strongly in the last half hour and Borough were also saved by the framework as well as some vital stops by Ashley Harris.