AFTER three successive defeats, Borough got their quest for a play-off place back on track with a gutsy display against an in-form Hayes team at Earlsmead on Saturday.

Missing the injured Richard Goddard and Steve Dogbe, the unwell Clemente Lopez, and the suspended Ross Fitzsimon, the Harrow side had a slightly disjointed look to it, and it was the visitors who made the early running.

Kevin Warner held off Kevin McKenna to hit a low shot which Keita Karamoko saved, before Peter Holsgrove struck a dipping volley just over the bar. Warner then forced another save.

Borough began to settle and Daniel Dyer's clever wing-play set up Brian Haule, who held off a defender to bring a save from Jallow.

Full-backs Daniel Church and Richard Weale combined in a neat move which ended with a Dyer cross which Jallow punched clear under pressure.

Peter Holsgrove's dangerous raid into the Harrow box was stopped by a great tackle by Perry Norman, deputising for Goddard at centre-back.

Play then switched to the other end of the field, where Haule's clever shielding of the ball allowed Abdulai Yoki a sight of goal, shooting wide.

Borough dominated the period before half-time.

McKenna forced a full-length diving save from Jallow, Dyer was off target with a 30-yard effort, and Church's cross struck former Borough player Adam Everitt on the arm, the referee deciding that contact had been unintentional.

A great Dyer right-wing cross picked out Yoki at the far post, but a poor connection gave Jallow the chance to save.

The resulting corner dropped to Yoki six yards out, but his snatched effort flew back past the post.

Haule's shot from Yoki's cross then flew across the face of goal before Harrow went in front after 41 minutes.

Simon Underwood took a quick free-kick on the right, freeing Dyer, whose run ended in a cross touched in by Haule's telescopic leg on the near post.

Borough's ascendancy continued at the start of the second half.

Underwood and Church were both off-target with long-range efforts, before Yoki cut past two defenders and clipped a shot wide.

Haule, putting in as good a display by a Borough target man as has been seen for many months, held off the Hayes defence and forced a good catch by Jallow.

Against the run of play, Hayes went very close to equalising after 68 minutes.

Weales fouled Peter Holsgrove on the edge of the penalty area, and Holsgrove got up to smash a fierce free-kick that was kept out by a great save by Karamoko.

Wayne Walters, outstanding all afternoon in protecting his back-four, headed a Dyer free-kick just wide, and then Case blocked a low effort from Haule.

Hayes threatened late on, with Everitt driving over, Walters tackling Kevin Warner as he shaped to shoot, and Karamoko and Dean Marney combined to block after some hesitation by Weale.

The win lifts Borough to 16th in the Ryman Premier table, their highest position of the season.