HARROW continue to struggle in the league with a second home defeat, this time at the hand of St Albans 22-5, leaving them languishing at the wrong end of the table.

On the day, Harrow could not be faulted for enthusiasm or commitment throughout the team but the game did highlight the basis of Harrows current problems.

While the forwards held their own in the scrums and did well in the line out against much bigger opposition and the backs defended resolutely throughout, there was a lack of cutting edge in attack .

This, with a habit of either dropping or giving a bad final pass, meant Harrow could not sustain pressure long enough to establish clear-cut scoring opportunities.

Harrow were not helped by the loss of their fastest back, Matt Colgate and their most potent attacking forward, Nick Argent and although Adrian Curtis moved to number eight with much credit he often lacked close support.

After going behind to slick work by Alderton on ten minutes, Harrow recorded their only score on 12 minutes when James Finn crossed in support of a well worked catch-and-drive move from a line out.

A second try for the visitors, by their speedy left wing, Dickinson on the half-hour mark, put Harrow 5-12 behind at the break and things worsened when the winger crossed again on 49 minutes for another converted try.

For the next 25 minutes Harrow tried everything to score again but simply lacked penetration despite an adequate supply of ball from their hard-working pack. A penalty for the visitors on 75 minutes completed the 5-22 scoreline.

Some cheer for Harrow came with the news that an unusual combination of results saw them rise one place to seventh.

October 31, 2001 19:07

Kevin Affleck