Holder's heroics saves Borough

Greenwich Borough boss Peter Garland was understandably disappointed with the 1-1 draw against Sevenoaks Town on Saturday, writes Barry Feist.

 

But it was a string of superb saves from goalkeeper Michael Holder early in the second half that basically earned the point for the visiting team.
 
Sevenoaks finished bottom of the table last season but have strengthened their squad considerably.

In fact it was the home side on three minutes that created the first chance. Danny Hogarth latched onto a mistake by former Sevenoaks Town player Dave Waters and crossed the ball in from the left, but Matt Fagan failed to connect properly and Holder watched as the ball went high and wide of his goal.
 
Four minutes later Borough's Danny Tipple put in some good work down the left flank, crossed the ball into the box for Lee Anderson but the Sevenoaks defence quickly forced the ball behind for a corner.
 
On 10 minutes Oaks’ Ryan Haskins sent his free-kick into the Borough box but Peter Smith, playing in his preferred right-back position, cleared the ball as far as Peter Garland. Garland's ball forward to Anderson was perfectly executed as it split the Oaks defence wide open, unfortunately Anderson was adjudged to have been off-side.
 
For the next few minutes the ball bobbled around the midfield, occasionally skidding off the slippery surface which made it hard for both sides to keep the ball under control.
Borough's centre back John Samuel lost the ball on the goal-line and it took another well timed interception from Peter Smith to deny the home side another shot at goal.
Oaks' former Dartford striker Matthew Jones-Butler then fired wide of Holder's left-hand post.
 
Borough then began to control the game. As Borough pushed forward Anderson won a free-kick 25 yards out. Garland stepped up for the kick but it was easily cleared by the Sevenoaks defence.
 
Ben Yiadom was lucky not to get a booking when he clattered into Oaks right-back Joe Hamshire five minutes later.
 
But Borough's best chance came on 26 minutes when new signing Dave Hassett found himself with a one-on-one with the home side's keeper Joe Skillman.

Skillman parried Hassett's initial shot and then watched as the rebounded off the former Tunbridge Wells striker, which went wide of his post for a goal-kick.
 
Yiadom went close on 39 minutes when he capitalised on a Sevenoaks defensive error. Yiadom forced himself into the area but his shot was well saved by Skillman.

Then two minutes before half-time Borough had another two chances. Firstly  Waters headed wide following a free-kick from Garland.

The player-manager then instigated another opportunity when his ball forward found Hassett whose cross into the box was turned round the post for corner by Skillman.
 
Sevenoaks came out of the blocks quickly in the second-half and on 49 minutes  Holder was finally called into action.

Jones-Butler found himself unmarked in the box, but his goal-bound shot was superbly saved as Holder threw himself in the way.

Two minutes later Holder then produced another heroic save when he managed to tip away Ray Whitehead's cross-shot which was also heading for the back of the net.
 
Back came Borough and Danny Tipple's 25 yard effort on 57 minutes flashed just past Skillman's post. Two minutes later Meshach Nugent made his debut for Borough when he replaced Anderson.
 
Borough continued to pressure and it finally paid off when on 70 minutes a lovely diagonal ball from Garland found Nugent. Nugent promptly crossed the ball towards the far post and  Hassett was on hand to fire Borough into the lead.
 
Nugent was winning everything in the air up front and on 73 minutes he nodded on Garland free-kick to Yiadom, who beat the defender and crossed into the box towards the advancing Hassett and Nugent.

Hassett was first to the ball and promptly smashed it home past Skillman, but referee Simon Finnegan disallowed the goal saying that there was an infringement in the area.
 
Borough were still firmly on top but with 10 minutes remaining Oaks' Nick Reeves forced Holder into making another superb save, however the ball fell kindly to Jones-Butler who hit the ball into the back of the net to level the scores.
 
Sevenoaks then went into overdrive and continued to pressure the Borough defence until the final whistle, but they were unable to break through. 
 
Greenwich Borough: Holder, Smith, Tipple, Sutherland, Waters, Samuel, Radbourne, Anderson (Nugent, 59), Hassett, Garland (Hubbard, 87), Yiadom.
Subs: Walker, Budak, Moncrieff
 
Referee: S. Finnegan
Assistants: M. Huggins and M. Dunne