The Hawks claimed their seventh straight win on Saturday, as upper-mid table side May & Baker travelled to the Pardus Wealth Stadium, and were destroyed by the reds in what was a dominant display.

Just before the game, a minutes’ applause took place in memory of supporter Matt Parsons who recently sadly passed away, the game was dedicated to him and a speech was read out in his honour.

May & Baker were the first side to have an attempt at goal in the game, with striker Lamina heading wide from an early corner. After Jasan Pauline hit a long-range effort straight at James Pellin, Harlow went down the other end, with Denzel Effah’s cross being spilled by Liam Keeble into the path of Korede Da Silva. The Harlow midfielder got a shot away, but Keeble recovered well to deny him.

Once again, Denzel Effah looked to cause carnage with his left-footed cross, this time finding Jack Haley darting in at the back-post, but the wing-back could only find the side-netting, sliding at speed.

The deadlock was broken as Jesse Ansen played a ball straight through May & Baker’s entire team, causing keeper Liam Keeble to come rushing off his line, but instead of winning the ball, he clattered into his own player, being robbed of the ball by Fred Agyemang who tapped it into an empty net to give the home side the first-half lead.

Grabbing their second quickly after the first, Denzel Effah whipped in a corner which was headed home by Fabion Simms, with panache beyond Keeble, doubling the Hawks’ advantage.

May & Baker proved they were not quite down and out towards the end of the first half, as Jesse Ansen was robbed of a loose ball in midfield by Anthony Cooke, who played a superb ball, sending Jack Ferris through on goal. The forward finished terrifically past Pellin, grabbing one back for the Bakers.

Jack Haley almost netted a contender for goal of the season after some great footwork, and playing a ‘one two’ with Korede Da Silva that sent him one-on-one with Keeble. However, instead of striking on his weaker left foot, Haley opted to cut inside which allowed the away defenders to reposition themselves. In the end, he got a good shot away, but with little direction, as it traversed towards Keeble.

James Folkes very nearly extended Harlow’s advantage in the first half, after his header from a corner was denied impeccably by Keeble.

Jack Haley missed yet another chance to extend the lead after Korede Da Silva won the ball back high up the pitch, squaring it across the box where Haley struck it first time straight at Keeble.

Fred Agyemang missed a couple of half-chances before smashing home a bullet header in his third chance, grabbing his second goal of the game. Jack Haley’s cross to set him up was pinpoint, and when Agyemang emerges, there’s simply no one that can stop him at the moment.

After James Folkes narrowly missed a header from a corner, Harlow grabbed their fourth of the game, with Arley Barker sprinting onto a ball, playing it across and into the penalty box, where Gavin Cockman picked it up and found the bottom-right corner; his first goal for Harlow since he was forced to retire prematurely in October 2023.

Rubbing salt in May & Baker wounds, Jordan Burnett scored a fifth goal for the Hawks after a bad throw out from Liam Keeble found Denzel Effah, who sprinted down the left hand side and squared it across to Burnett for a simple finish.

It was an absolutely dominant display from Harlow Town, who played similarly dominant against Enfield Borough at home two weeks ago, but scored only three goals, which could have been a lot more. Hackney Wick’s defeat to Cannons Wood meant that the Hawks’ advantage at the top of the Thurlow Nunn Division One South extends to 7 points, having played one more game than Hackney Wick.

We thank you for your continued support in what was our final home league game of 2024, and we look forward to seeing you in our next game, on Saturday, away at Brimsdown.