Haringey Borough match report
To give an idea of the second-half determination K's showed to produce this comeback win, consider the formation we ended up in as the minutes ticked by. It was, perhaps, 2-5-3, with two lonely centre-halves, Gus Sow and Frazer Shaw as advancing fullbacks, Jason Banton in deep central midfield with Kenny Beaney and a phalanx of attackers criss-crossing in all directions ahead of them.
Haringey were, to put it mildly, confused and, once their grip on the game had gone, they never looked like getting it back.
K's had found themselves two down at half-time, Haringey's Jorge Djassi-Sambu twice taking advantage of poor defending on a dark, cold, unfriendly 3G pitch. After the 5-3 defeat at home to Enfield the previous Saturday, there seemed little hope for the remainder. K's produce a rousing comeback now and then (club historians may cite 1908, 1967, 1982, 1988, 2010, 2016...) but nothing prepared fans for what followed after the break.
First Ollie Cook planted a header to make it 2-1, then Elliott Buchanan cleanly converted a cross with his left boot to equalise on the hour.
With three minutes remaining, Buchanan again got to a cross first, adjusting his body to a ball arriving slightly behind him and impudently finishing low into the net. It may even have been a semi-backheel but my view was obscured by a cavorting Ollie Underwood.
The celebrations seemed to indicate a united team determined to make the playoffs, while Hayden Bird would have done a Mourinho slide down the touchline if the plastic surface had allowed it.
As the leading eight Isthmian sides begin to stretch away, there is not much room for manouevre in the coming weeks, with tough fixtures against Worthing, Cheshunt and Folkestone on the horizon. Top three - and a home playoff semi-final - is a realistic target.
Haringey Borough: Alexander Zamani, Charne Lemba, David Olufemi, Rakim Richards, Scott Mitchell, Tyrese Owen, Taylor Curran, Jorge Djassi-Sambu, Bobson Bawling, Mekhi Leacock-McLeod, Sami Bessadi.
Subs: Andre Odeku (for Charme Lemba, 90m), Lamar Joseph-Johnson, Samuel Owusu (for Tyrese Owen, 65m), Ade Cole (for Mekhi Leacock-McLeod, 65m), Narcis-Florin Flilip.
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Nyren Clunis, Fabio Saraiva, Simon Cooper, Ollie Cook, Kenny Beaney, Daniel Ajakaiye, Gus Sow, Elliott Buchanan, Kershaney Samuels, Rhys Murrell-Williamson.
Subs: Jason Banton (for Kershaney Samuels, 55m), Calvin Ekpiteta, Jay Barton, Frazer Shaw (for Daniel Ajakaiye, 69m), Olly Allen (for Rhys Murrell-Williamson, 89m).
Goal scorers: Jorge Djassi-Sambu (32m, 1-0), Jorge Djassi-Sambu (45m, 2-0), Ollie Cook (58m, 2-1), Elliott Buchanan (63m, 2-2), Elliott Buchanan (87m, 2-3)
Attendance: 240
