Harrow Borough 2-2 Wealdstone
The FA Carlsberg Trophy
Second Round Qualifying
3pm, Saturday 31 October 2009
Earlsmead Stadium, Harrow Borough FC
Winning clubs will receive £3,000 from The FA prize fund
Local pride was shared in a cracking 2-2 draw between Harrow Borough and Wealdstone, infront of 513 supporters at Earlsmead Stadium. Wealdstone looked to have done enough to seal their passage into the next round until Rocky Baptiste fired home a dramatic stoppage time free-kick, forcing a replay between the two north-west London sides.
Baptiste’s equaliser was his second strike of the match and was a fair reflection of the home side’s late dominance.
Just two miles separates the Isthmian League Premier Division sides, but the clubs have endured contrasting fortunes so far this season and Wealdstone entered Saturday’s tie as narrow favourites.
The Ruislip based side lie fourth in the league standings with just one defeat to their name so far this season, while Harrow languish in 18th place having won just three of their opening eleven fixtures.
Harrow’s confidence took an early dent when Rob Fitzgerald put the visitors ahead after just eleven minutes. Wealdstone were good value for their one-goal lead at the midway point, but Harrow came out firing after the restart and levelled the scores on 50 minutes through Baptiste.
Lee Chappel’s 62nd-minute free-kick re-established the visitors advantage, but a series of late attacks finally yielded a second goal for Baptiste deep into injury time.
Harrow Borough club secretary Peter Rogers said: “It was very competitive which you would expect from a local derby.
“We were pressing forward throughout the second-half and I think we definitely deserved the eqauliser when it came.”
The replay will take place on Tuesday night at Wealdstone.