Harlow beat Maldon and Tiptree to get vital win

Harlow Town FC v Maldon and Tiptree FC Ryman League One North Saturday 11 April 2015

Visiting manager Alan Kimble recalled Darren Behcet and Alex Anderson to his starting line with Theo Jones and Harry Palmer dropping to the substitutes bench.

Maldon and Tiptree put in the early pressure and Mitch Hunter put a free kick from the edge of the penalty area just over before the visitors shocked their hosts with a goal after just 5 minutes. Nathan Koranteng won good possession in midfield before putting Sos Yao clear down the inside left channel and as the home defenders backed off he was able to pick his spot to put his shot low into net at the far post. The visitors then suffered a big blow after 9 minutes when captain and central defensive lynch pin Gavin Greenfield was forced to leave the field with what looked like a hamstring injury to be replaced by Theo Jones, who took his normal place in midfield, with Alberto Pinto moving back to replace Greenfield. A lot then depended on Phil Anderson (pictured) for the visitors but he stuck manfully to his job including trying to keep the dangerous Jamie Guy quiet. Stung into action Harlow then started to put the visitors defence under some pressure with Junior Dadson's strong low shot only being stopped from counting as visiting keeper Darren Behcet got his foot to the ball to send it over the bar. On 16 minutes the home side did secure a rather bizarre equaliser when Marc Gorbell got up well to head a free kick goal wards that Behcet just managed to turn away from goal but the unfortunate Mason Bloomfield could not prevent getting a touch to send the ball back into his own net for an unlucky own goal. Play then became a midfield battle with neither side able to produce much in the way of goal mouth action. Harlow's Dadson had a good volley well saved by Behcet before the home side gained their second goal after 32 minutes when some penalty box trickery from David Cowley was only stopped by a foul tackle and the referee awarded a penalty kick for the home side. Jamie Guy stepped up to hit a good shot into the top right corner to register a goal against one of his former clubs. A somewhat non descript half ended with Hunter for Maldon and Tiptree getting in a fine cross from a free kick with no forward able to get a touch and with Harlow's Robbie Martin finding a surprising amount of space from a throw in but he put his shot wide.

Half Time Harlow Town FC 2 v Maldon and Tiptree FC 1

The visitors needed to play the early stages of the second half very tightly and not concede any further goals if they hoped to get anything from the game but were unable to do so as the home side increased their lead after 55 minutes. Guy was the provider as he got to the byline before pulling the ball over for Dadson to convert from close range. Cowley then played a free kick into Dadson that the latter put just past the far post before the home side seemed to take their foot off the pedal somewhat with result that the visitors were able to create some chances of their own and an early second goal may have provided some further excitement but this was not to be. Home keeper Andy Walker was called into action to get up well to collect Matt Pooley's cross before Yao kept the ball well to earn a corner and from this Koranteng, at the far post, just failed to get his shot away. The Hawks's Layne Eadie then put over a dangerous cross that was just cleared before a sustained spell of pressure from the visitors saw Alex Anderson's hard shot from a Hunter cross just blocked on the goal line before the ball fell again to Hunter who put over another teasing cross that was just cleared. The Jammers
Bloomfield was next to go close as he exchanged passes with Anderson before firing a fine shot just over before Pinto, up from the back, got up well to powerfully head Hunter's corner just over. Maldon and Tiptree substitute Alex Andrews then hit a fine volley that needed an equally good save from Walker to just get the ball over his bar before a rare attacking move by Harlow saw home substitute Alex Read head a Craig Pope free kick over. Harlow's Dadson then found full back Eadie running powerfully through wide on the left but he fired over from the goal area angle before Harlow keeper Walker again did well to block out visiting substitute Jonathon Nzengo fierce close range shot. By the end of the game Harlow had done enough to get the three points with the visitors just not able to exert sufficient pressure and goal scoring ability to get anything from the game.

Final score Harlow Town FC 3 Maldon and Tiptree FC 1

Harlow Town FC

Andy Walker, Craig Pope, Layne Eadie, Warren Goodhind (Joshua Urquhart 72), Marc Gorbell, Fabion Sims, Robbie Martin, David Cowley, Jamie Guy (Alex Read 83), Leon Antoine (Billy Jones 76), Junior Dadson

Unused Substitutes

Jared Small, Daniel Matsuzaka

Maldon and Tiptree FC

Darren Behcet, Matt Pooley, Mitch Hunter, Alberto Pinto, Gavin Greenfield (Phil Jones 9) , Phil Anderson, Alex Anderson, Matt Gulfer (Jonathon Nzengo 64), Sos Yao (Alex Andrews 72), Nathan Koranteng, Mason Bloomfield

Unused Substitutes

Tunde Adewunni, Harry Palmer