Staines Town's unbeaten run comes to an end

Feb 18 2009 By John Bathamsportnsl@Trinitysouth.Co.Uk, Staines News

RYMAN PREMIER Harrow Borough..............2 Staines Town............1

Steve Cordery took responsibility for defeat as Staines run of six successive wins came to an end at relegationhaunted Harrow Borough last night.

The Swans boss and his team have been famous for late wins in recent weeks, but the boot was on the other foot this time as host substitute Gary Noel struck a 90th-minute winner to sentence Staines to a first league defeat since November.

The visitors led early but paid for not killing off their lowly opponents.

Cordery said: "You could put defeat down to a number of things.

"We conceded two bad goals and our defending wasn't good enough on the night. And you can look at the number of chances we missed before that and the saves their keeper made.

"But I'll hold my hands up and take responsibility because we went all out to win the game - we don't play for draws.

"One point is no good to us so I went for three, and that's something I will deal with."

Howard Newton almost gave the Swans the lead inside a minute, bursting through, only to be denied by the legs of Harrow keeper Andray Baptiste.

However, the visitors led on 22 minutes. Newton began the move, releasing Leroy Griffiths, who beat the offside trap before squaring for Richard Butler to slot his 16th of the season.

Marien Ifura and Danny Gordon both had headed chances to double the lead early in the second half, the latter's effort clipping the crossbar.

Baptiste twice denied a marauding Butler and performed heroics again to deny Griffiths, but the warning signs were there for Staines when Jonathan Constant's 65th-minute effort for the hosts struck the woodwork.

The warning wasn't heeded, and Harrow levelled on 77 minutes when a quickly-taken free-kick released Constant, whose excellent cross was glanced into the far corner by Dewayne Clarke.

And Noel sealed victory when he robbed Ifura and raced away to score.

Staines will attempt to bounce back when they visit Maidstone on Saturday. Griffiths should be the only absentee as he is attending a family wedding in Jamaica.

However, fellow striker Elliott Onochie could be back in contention after a long spell on the sidelines with a rib injury.