DORCHESTER TOWN 3
Koszela 27, Stanley 81 pen, Gwengwe 82
HARROW BOROUGH 2
Brosnan 18, Noel-Williams 53
DORCHESTER Town pulled off a scintillating comeback to stun Harrow Borough and claim their fifth home win of the season with a 3-2 victory.
Coming into the game with four straight losses, Dorchester fans might have feared the worst when Kai Omoko Brosnan opened the scoring on 18 minutes.
Olaf Koszela levelled to make it 1-1 at the break but Harrow retook the lead on 53 minutes when Isiah Noel-Williams scored from Harry Lee’s parry.
Dorchester looked to be running out of time until Alfie Stanley scored a penalty in the 81st minute.
Then, in a frantic atmosphere, Shaq Gwengwe scored less than 60 seconds later to send the Avenue Stadium into ecstasy.
READ MORE: Dorchester Town 3-2 Harrow Borough - how it happened
The result pushes the Magpies back into seventh place, although Glenn Howes’ men have played one game more than five of the top six.
Looking to arrest a slide in form, Howes opted for two changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Tiverton on Tuesday as Harvey-Joe Bertrand and Jordan Ngalo came in for the benched Alex Moyse and Kieran Douglas.
There was no place for Ollie Griggs, who missed out on the matchday squad entirely, but Gwengwe returned after sustaining a swollen ankle in training last week.
Dorchester began on the front foot during an open start as Olly Balmer fired at away keeper Jacob Knightbridge for the game’s first shot on target.
Harrow were forced into a substitution in the eighth minute when Jaden Sharman replaced Shaun Preddie, who picked up an injury.
Chances came at either end as Balmer guided a free-kick wide after Billy Leonard was booked for impeding Bertrand, before Lee blocked a Harrow shot on the break.
And it was from another counter that Harrow claimed the lead, a low cross into the box supplying Brosnan for 1-0 as the Magpies were caught out.
Things could have worsened for Dorchester, who breathed a collective sigh of relief when James Ewington’s goal was chalked out for offside three minutes later.
However, the Magpies would not have long to wait for an equaliser as Koszela grabbed his fourth goal of the season.
They had Lee to thank for a stunning reflex save and the Magpies punished Harrow on the break as Koszela beat the offside trap, rounded Knightbridge and rolled the ball home.
Stanley fired over the bar and skipper Callum Buckley ventured out of defence to cream a powerful 25-yarder just wide before the interval.
When the teams emerged for the second half, Dorchester were soon behind again as Noel-Williams reacted quickest to a Lee save to net a similar goal to Tiverton’s second against Dorchester on Tuesday.
Dorchester had been slow to react to Tiverton’s winner on that occasion and Howes wasted little time in making alterations as Ngalo and Balmer made way for Moyse and Matty Neale.
His changes appeared to be having the desired effect on his team as Keith Emmerson fired just wide from a Charlie Gunson corner.
Howes saved his final roll of the dice for Gwengwe on 67 minutes, the striker replacing Jordi Foot.
Dorchester duly cranked up the pressure as Buckley’s dipping header forced Knightbridge to palm over before the Magpies won the crucial penalty.
Stanley held his nerve to send the spot-kick into the top-right corner, despite Knightbridge guessing correctly, and suddenly the Magpies sensed Harrow blood in the water.
Less than a minute later, Gwengwe’s pace undid the Boro defence as the forward latched on to a through ball and netted the sort of clinical finish Magpies fans have come to enjoy from the forward.
Gwengwe wheeled away in trademark celebration, removing his shirt and racing towards the Dorchester supporters behind the goal, joined by his teammates as bedlam rained down on the Avenue.
Yet Dorchester were denied a fourth goal in the 90th minute when Gwengwe was penalised for a foul, setting up a nervy finale.
Harrow applied their own pressure in five minutes of stoppage-time as Buckley made a crucial clearance, but Dorchester survived to take an enormous three points despite not having played to their high levels of past matches this season.
Magpies: Lee, Bertrand, Sa, Emmerson, Buckley, Foot (Gwengwe 67), Ngalo (Moyse 54), Gunson, Koszela, Stanley, Balmer (Neale 54). Subs not used: Slough, Douglas.
Harrow: Knightbridge, Adenola, Biler, Uche, Preddie (Sharman 8), Noel-Williams, Brosnan, Leonard, Ewington, Lawal (Assidjo 71), Bryan (Brown 54). Sub not used: Griffith.
Referee: Andrew Hobbs
Attendance: 334
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