HARLOW TOWN 0 GRAYS ATHLETIC 2 Pre-Season Friendly 24-7-07

BEN Watson’s 87th minute spot kick secured a 2-0 win for Blue Square Premier Division side Grays Athletic at Barrows Farm on Tuesday evening.
But the late goal completed a scoreline that didn’t reflect how well Ryan Kirby’s Harlow Town side defended, in a game where key defender Beckett Hollenbach was absent.
Hawks trialist Darren Stapleton, who was named the Irish Young Player of the Year for 2005, impressed at left back, while Jordan Fowler made his second start in four days.
Neither side made any substantial breakthrough in the opening period of the pre-season friendly, although Mark Taylor had to be on his guard to clear a dangerous low cross from Andy Sambrook on 11 minutes.
With a quarter of an hour gone, Aaron O’Conner’s skills left Hawks keeper Glenn Jackson in no-man’s land, presenting Jon Ashton with an open goal, but defender Danny Chapman recovered heroically to deny Grays an opener.
Danny Green fed Kenny Davis 10 minutes later, who controlled the ball in midfield before trying a shot from 25 yards, forcing keeper Ross Flitney to tip over the bar.
O’Connor went close for the visitors five minutes from the break, but was denied by Jackson’s reflexes, the stopper diving to push his effort around the post.
James Hasell replaced Jackson between the sticks for the second half, and was called into action on 53 minutes, saving well with his legs from substitute Ben Watson.
Danny Chapman looked to have pushed Watson over in the penalty area on 62 minutes, but referee Wade Norcott was having none of it, despite the protests of the visiting players.
Chapman cleared the danger well eight minutes later after Daniel Kedwell whipped in a menacing cross, but a lapse in Harlow’s defence led to Grays’ opener on 72 minutes, with Kedwell placing the ball low into the bottom corner of the net.
A long goal kick from Hasell bounced once and fell kindly for the attacking Clark Akers, who did well to get a shot away under pressure from a visiting defender, but his effort failed to trouble keeper Flitney.
Matt Bodkin’s accurate through-ball found the charging Watson at the other end three minutes from time, before keeper Hasell was adjudged to have brought the attacker down in the area.
Watson was soon back on his feet to slot home the resulting spot kick, sending Hasell the wrong way.
Harlow debutant Alfie Hayes had a shot blocked on the line in the dying seconds after a well placed cross from Mark Taylor found him at the far post.Harlow Town: Glenn Jackson, Mark Taylor, Darren Stapleton, Lee Miles, Ryan Kirby, Danny Chapman, Leon Lalite, Kenny Davis, James Bunn, Jordan Fowler, Danny Green. Subs used (in order of appearance): James Hasell, Clark Akers, George Chanda, Alfie Hayes, Leon Antoine, Michael Glidden.