Looking to bounce back from the weekend’s defeat vs Hackney Wick that saw them replaced at the top, Harlow showed a great togetherness to take 3 points away from home against an AS London team who no doubt will take points off of Harlow’s promotion rivals this season if indeed they’re not there or thereabouts themselves come the end of the season.

It was certainly the home side who had the early initiative and they should have been in front when their left forward got in behind Harlow’s defence and but for a heavy touch as he went past James Pellin in the Harlow goal, the Harlow faithful were relieved to see the ball roll harmlessly wide for a goal kick. They were a couple more incidents similar to this in the first half for which Harlow’s backline did well to repeal, marshaled well by Fabion Simms via a disciplined offside line; Teddy Jones positional coverage and Alfie Attrill commanding headers to clear AS London’s bomb of a long throw. All in all, a contrast to this past weekend’s first half vs Hackney.

As the first half wore on and the defence setting a foundation, Harlow started to get on the front foot. Denzel Effah was looking dangerous on the left running at AS London’s defence and Arley Barker was putting in a typically tenacious display on the right to compliment the hardworking front two of Jack Zilenski and Cav Clarke. It was the latter who gave HTFC the lead on 23 minutes, heading in from under the bar following a wicked inswinging corner from the aforementioned Effah.

The AS London midfield responded well to their setback and were starting to cause some issues in front of Harlow’s backline and Pellin was called in to action, making two very good saves before the break to ensure Harlow went into HalfTime with a slender lead.

AS London started the second Half with the same verve that they’d displayed at the start of the game and were unlucky not to equalise when Pellin spilt a cross from the right to the feet of the onrushing AS London player nine yards out, but was relieved to see the ball scooped over.

Similar to the pattern of the first half, Harlow began to take control of the pace of the game as the second half wore on. Syrus Gordon and Tom Jelliman complimented well by Korede DaSilva’s trickery in the midfield area stamping their collective authority and once the Home Side’s rhythm was broken up by their own raft of Substitutes, Harlow stepped on the gas to reflect their superiority.

They should have doubled their lead when Clarke was brought down in the area on 70 minutes, but after dusting himself off, his well hit biro crashed against the crossbar. There probably should have been a chance for Harlow to try again from 12 yards just a few minutes later, the linesman indicated another foul on Clarke, but perhaps intimidated in awarding a second penalty so quickly after the first, the ref waved away his better placed assistant’s flag.

However Harlow didn’t have to wait long for the score to turn 2 0. Effah went one better than his delivery in the first half and scored directly from the corner assisted by the As London’s Keeper feeble attempt with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game.

Harlow put a gloss on the scoreline a few moments later on when sub Fred Agyemang headed home with aplomb from eight yards out following Teddy Jones pinpoint cross to send the Harlow ultras into raptures and secure a comfortable last few minutes for the Hawks as they returned to winning ways