Match report by Billy ShawPhotographs by Tony Fowles
CLARK Akers’ goal on the stroke of half-time helped the Hawks to a 1-1 draw at premier division table-toppers Hendon on Saturday.
But the mood afterwards suggested Harlow should have taken three points rather than one, having looked impressive throughout.
Hendon threw bodies forward in the second half in search of the equalizer, and eventually found it in the 88th minute through Daniel Dyer.
Popular defender Beckett Hollenbach returned to action for the first time since the match against Tonbridge Angels on 8th September following a spell on the sidelines through injury, while Danny Chapman was missing after sustaining a knee injury in training two days previously.
The opening ten minutes didn’t provide anyone with any real chances, but Clark Akers’ cross in the 11th minute would have caused Hendon problems had it not been fractionally too long for James Bunn to get his head to the ball.
Harlow demonstrated some determined, flowing passing moves, in particular in the 16th minute when Mark Taylor cleverly exchanged passes with James Bunn on the left, before playing into the path of Akers, whose low shot rebounded off keeper Luke Blackmore.
Dean Williams latched onto Taylor’s cross two minutes later, but the frontman fired into the side netting.
Hendon’s Craig Vargas was shown the first yellow card of the match just before the half-hour mark for a dangerous studs-up challenge on Kenny Davis.
A lapse in communication among the Hawks’ defenders allowed Brian Haule to steam through and force a good reflex save from Harlow stopper David Hogan ten minutes before the interval.
The visitors took the lead on 45 minutes through Clark Akers, who bent a free kick around the wall and in off the far post with Blackmore left standing. The set piece was awarded for Davis Haule’s foul on Leon Lalite inches before the 18-yard line.
Midfielder Danny Hill had taken a slight knock moments before the break, and for the second half, young prospect Joe Watson ran out in his place.
A clever ball from Leon Lalite found Kenny Davis on the right on 53 minutes, with keeper Blackmore forced to get low to push his effort out for a corner.
From the resulting corner, Akers’ shot rebounded off the keeper, before Blackmore also blocked James Bunn’s shot in a goalmouth scramble. Hendon defender Marc Leach then arrived to smash the ball away.
On the hour mark, Lalite found Akers with a cross-field pass, the attacker seeing his left-footed effort stopped only by the outstretched right foot of the committed Blackmore.
As Hendon forced more people up front, substitute Daniel Dyer cut inside of Mark Taylor with 20 minutes remaining and lashed a ball across which proved just too long for Gondzia Arkadiusz.
Akers was caught by the offside trap on 73 minutes, and although play had already been halted, he harmlessly hit the post from 25 yards, for which he was deemed to have kicked the ball away and was subsequently cautioned.
Despite being surrounded by at least four Harlow defenders, Belal Aiteouakrim still managed to get a shot away, which sailed wide of the far post.
Jamie Busby’s cross from the left on 86 minutes found it’s way to Arkadiusz, who shot wide of the near post having had time and space on his side.
Prior to SEVEN minutes of added time, Hendon found the equalizer in the 88th minute.
Busby again provided a cross from the left wing which found Daniel Dyer, who struck a low volley unstoppably into the bottom corner of Hogan’s net.Harlow Tn: David Hogan, Kenny Davis, Mark Taylor, Lee Miles, Ryan Kirby, Beckett Hollenbach, Leon Lalite, Danny Hill (sub: Joe Watson, 45), James Bunn, Clark Akers (sub: Danny Green, 82), Dean Williams. Sub not used: Daryl Doolan, Lewis Baker, Michael Gliddon.
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