The second half substitute’s free kick in the final minute of added on time ensured that Justin Gardner’s anniversary at Mill Field ended with a win, but the Hawks will feel hard done by after keeping the home side at bay for the vast majority of the game.

With chances few and far between for either side, it was left to Elbi to strike the killer blow deep into injury time to secure a potentially massive three points as the Millers look forward to visiting league leaders Maldon & Tiptree this coming Saturday.

After a straight forward run out against Ilford, the leagues bottom side, on Saturday, Justin Gardner and his side looked to make it two from two against Harlow, one of the leagues other struggling sides.

Harlow’s league position is somewhat misleading when you consider the 10 point deduction the Hawks were handed earlier in the season, but the Millers would have been expectant of three points as they pushed for promotion.

Despite the Millers being heavy favourites going into this one, it was the away team that had the first opening of the game through Piers Wixon. The ball found its way to the Hawks number 10 inside the Aveley penalty area, but his effort from close range was well blocked by Jay Leader.

Wixon had another chance just a couple of minutes later after the ball fell for him on the edge of the area from a corner only for his effort to flash over.

It was to be the story of the opening exchanges as Aveley struggled to get out of their half as Harlow penned them in looking for the opener.

Despite all the pressure from the away side, they were close to being the makers of their own downfall after a short back pass was pounced upon by Jordan Cox, but Bertrand Bossu did brilliantly well to react and put in a perfect tackle on Cox to come away with the ball.

Just second later and it was Foster’s turn to be under the spotlight as he flapped from yet another Harlow corner. With the ball rebounding around the area and falling to Daniel Brown, from eight yards out the centre back prodded towards goal only to find Billy Holland on the line to save the Millers from going behind.

The game was starting to open up nicely with both sides looking threatening going forward and it was Aveley’s turn next to have a chance on goal. A neat one two between Junior Dadson and Sheldon Sellears on the edge of a crowded penalty area saw Sellears in a shooting position, but, off balance, the midfield man sliced harmlessly wide.

As the half drew to a close neither side could carve out what they would consider a clear chance, with Leader’s offside effort from a Cox flick on being the closest either side came to a goal before the interval.

The second half started in feisty circumstances with Jack Stevenson being felled by Joe O’Donughue who promptly received a yellow card in the first minute of the second period, but the free kick came to nothing as Teddy Nesbitt struck the heart of the wall.

Foster caused another scare for the Millers defence as he came to claim a ball over the top, but in doing so he collided with Leader and Ben Hart. The ball was spilled, but some smart defending from Leader averted any immediate danger.

Harlow were continue to defy their lowly league position, continuing the look threating from set pieces and Holland for the second time in the match was called upon to save Aveley from going behind, clearing off the line again, this time from a powerful header from Wixon from a corner.

Moments later and another set piece opportunity for the away side was whipped into the area. Foster came to try and claim but got nowhere near the ball as it held up in the wind, and he was thankful to see the ball loop over his crossbar after coming off an Aveley defender.

As the hour mark came and went the score-line was a fair reflection of the contest with neither side looking like having the cutting edge to break the deadlock. Although you wouldn’t have known the game was as poor as the score suggested if you were listening to the BBC Essex impersonator in the crowd who was getting very excited at the simplest of through balls.

In the midst of the guy in the crowd giving a very excitable update from Upton Park, Harlow almost opened the scoring after a break down the right.

With Foster coming off his line to narrow the angle, Jonny Butler picked out Wixon around the penalty spot. The Harlow striker had an empty net to shoot at but couldn’t get the ball from underneath his feet before seeing effort eventually blocked by some last ditch defending.

Going into the final 10 minutes and Aveley looked to try and get what could be a vitally important goal in the race for promotion, and after Nesbitt was fouled on the edge of the area Stevenson fired in a free kick which was headed over and away for a corner.

Second half sub Junior Appiah tried taking the game by the scruff of the neck, dancing through a number of challenges before winning a free kick on the edge of the area. Stevenson chanced his arm from 20 yards out but his free kick went harmlessly over without troubling Bossu in goal.

With three minutes added on time signalled, the Millers pushed forward desperately looking for a goal that almost certainly would have been the winner, and with less than one minute of added on time remaining Aveley were awarded a soft free kick on the edge of the area after Petrit Elbi’s attempted pop at goal was halted by Michael Akande.

After Stevenson’s two previous failed attempts, Elbi – a second half sub for Junior Dadson – stepped up and ripped a thunderbolt of a strike across Bossu and into the bottom corner to send the players, staff, fans and the ‘BBC Essex’ commentator completely berserk.

The free kick and the goal was harsh on Harlow who were arguably deserving of at least a point from tonight’s game, but the Millers took the spoils to cap off Justin Gardner’s anniversary at the club in style.

After the game a relieved Gardner said “I think they (Harlow) stopped us from playing. They’re a long ball team and I feel sorry for fans who have to pay to watch that kind of football. It’s just in the air, it’s horrible to watch but that’s up to them. They came here to do a job, it almost worked, but I think the quality shined through in the end.”

The match winner, Petrit Elbi, was equally relieved to have won the game so late on, saying “Looking at that, it looked very boring, but we kept in the game. We’ve not conceded, which is good, but to get away with 1-0 in the 90th minute is very good and we’re happy to get the three points.”

Speaking about his goal that won it, Elbi quite humbly said “I’ve done the best I could. I’ve hit it hard and low and found the only space I could and got a goal”

Gardner was slightly more lavish and extreme with his praise of the goal saying “I wanted to run on the pitch and strip naked; it was that good”

“Credit to the boy, he was devastated not to start today because he played 90 minutes on Saturday and scored. I just said to him that I didn’t think you had 90 minutes in you today. He disagreed, players always disagree, but he’s come on and won us the game.”

With the match marking Gardner’s first year at the helm of the club, Gardner said “what a great way to celebrate it right at the end.”

He concluded by saying, “it’s been a fantastic year. I’m always hard on myself and I’m always going to want more and more, and I look back at the games where we’ve dropped points and have thought ‘if only’. If I take a deep breath and look back it’s been tremendous so far and everyone around the club has been welcoming and long may it continue.”

Aveley: Andre Foster, Marcus Rose (Junior Appiah 76’), Teddy Nesbitt, Jay Leader, Bradley Thomas, Jack Stevenson, Junior Dadson (Petrit Elbi 62’), Billy Holland (c), Jordan Cox, Paul Burnett (Ade Cole 71’), Sheldon Sellears