BAKER’S UNFAZED DESPITE A HALF DOZEN

N’HAMPTON TN 6 HARROW BORO 0

IT WAS far from a fairytale FA Cup afternoon for Harrow Borough, but boss Steve Baker insists he can still be proud of his side despite a heavy defeat to Northampton Town.

Strikes from Paul Anderson and skipper Marc Richards within 12 minutes dampened any hopes of a fast Borough start at Sixfields, though the League One side were denied a chance to build upon their first-half haul.

But Richards doubled his tally after the break, while John-Joe O’Toole, Matt Taylor and JJ Hooper added to the scoreline against the disappointed Ryman League Premier side.

“I’m disappointed to lose and to concede six goals,” said boss Baker.

“The first goal was not defendable but we could have done a little more about the second.

“We played very well in the first half and that is a consolation for us. I told the players to enjoy themselves and not be nervous, and they did so.

“It wasn’t just about today but about getting to the first round and my players have a lot to be proud of.”

Despite the scoreline, the visitors kept fighting as Lewis Driver saw a fierce shot blocked by Gabriel Zakuani, while skipper Marc Charles-Smith failed to get enough power in his shot just before the break.

And while Ibrahim Meite – on the radar of Premier League champions Leicester City – threatened in the second half, Cobblers boss Rob Page was happy to avoid a potential banana skin.

“We wanted to come out of the traps quickly and get a goal – and we got two,” he said.

“We were expected to win and win comfortably and that’s tough but we handled it well.

“We know full well that the FA Cup throws up surprises and we needed to ensure it wasn’t us.”