Haverhill Borough manager Harry Zachariou frustrated for players after another Thurlow Nunn League First Division North defeat
Last week’s 2-1 defeat to promotion-hunting Stanway Pegasus was a familiar tale for Haverhill Borough.
Unable to make the most of the chances that they created at one end of the pitch, Harry Zachariou’s young side were duly punished for their mistakes in defence.
It was the seventh time in all competitions this term that Borough have been beaten by a single-goal margin, while their return of six draws is a Thurlow Nunn League First Division North high.
On the one hand it highlights how Borough rarely roll over for their opposition, yet four wins from 24 league outings is proof that they are being made to pay for coming out on the wrong side of the fine margins.
Boss Zachariou said: “We’ve been in every single game this season and I’ve gone into each second half believing that we can either win it or get a draw.
“I really feel for the lads because what these kids are doing is great. I’m gutted for them because it has not come to fruition in terms of points, but they should be applauded for the football that they’re playing.
“It was no different last Friday (against Pegasus). We should have scored to go 1-0 up and then there’s a couple of mistakes and all of a sudden we’re 2-0 down at half-time.
“But the reaction was great and at 2-1 we had them – one of the top teams in the league – holding on for dear life.
“They were dropping deeper and deeper, making big clearances and basically waiting for the clock to run out.
“It’s happened all season and while it is frustrating, I’m only frustrated for the boys. Everyone knows how young they are, but they’ve shown time and time again that they can compete at this level.”
Third-from-bottom Borough will play host to another side hoping to secure a play-off place tomorrow in the form of Diss Town (3pm).
When the two teams met for the reverse fixture at Brewers Green Lane in September, a goal from Kieran Scanlan earned Borough a 1-1 draw.
Since that day the two teams have gone in different directions, yet Zachariou is expecting Diss to take his side seriously.
He added: “If you look at a lot of our games against the top teams you’ll see we’ve lost by one goal to Haverhill Rovers, Harwich and Stanway – and we deserved something from those.
“We were 3-1 up at Framlingham and drew 3-3 and we also drew with Diss, so the sides at the top know what we’re about.
“We’ll do what we do and play how we have been – that won’t change. I think other teams respect us and sometimes that can mean they drop off a little bit.
“We might be towards the bottom but teams know we aren’t being beaten by five or six goals every week. I’m sure Diss will be ready for us after the first game.”
A win for Borough, coupled with Wivenhoe Town failing to pick up maximum points at Dussindale & Hellesdon Rovers, would move them out of the drop zone.
