Hawks score late to seal Boxing Day derby win

Joshua Urquhart took the plaudits as his injury-time header gained all three points for the Hawks. Ware had gone ahead early in the game, before a good Shane Stamp finish and yet another Alex Read goal put Harlow up at half-time.

Ware equalised mid-way through the second half, before each side had a man sent off for a controversial off-the-ball incident. The three points belonged to Harlow however thanks to a converted corner late in the game.

Ware had come into the game in a rich vein of form, and with Harlow looking out of sorts recently the Hertfordshire side must have been confident of coming away with something from the usually unassailable Harlow Arena.

They started brightly, and on the 11th minute took the lead. A cross in was met by the head of Ware striker Kieran Bishop. His glanced header hit the far post and ricocheted along the goal-line, where Hawks’ keeper Thompson couldn’t prevent it crossing the line.

Harlow were creating chances, and on 17 minutes had a penalty appeal turned down. A one-two between Billy Jones and Alex Read put Jones free in the box, and he went down under a fair shoulder-to-shoulder challenge that saw the penalty appeals waved away.

Ware had a great chance to double the lead when the goal-scorer Bishop was through on goal. Edward Thompson saved well to deny him, and then Rheo Josephs put the rebound agonisingly wide for the Ware fans behind the goal when he had an empty net to aim for.

Fabion Simms and Alex Read both had half-chances to level the game, but were hit high and wide respectively. Ware were also threatening, especially along the right flank with Khale Da Costa keen to carry the ball forward at every opportunity, and Joshua Urquhart was on hand to block shots coming in from that danger area.

The next goal went the way of Harlow, when Shane Stamp collected the ball centrally on the edge of the area, turned and shot with his right foot. The ball went low into the bottom corner of the net, out of the reach of former Harlow ‘keeper Rhys Madden in the Ware goal.

Not two minutes later Harlow had the ball in the back of the net again. Alex Read gathered the ball in the area and turned the defender brilliantly before releasing the shot. Again it was low and in the corner, and despite Madden getting a hand to it he couldn’t keep it out.

HT: Harlow Town 2-1 Ware

The second half had the same ebb and flow, with both teams creating opportunities but neither side being able to get a hold on the game. Alex Read had further shots blocked before they could trouble the keeper, and Joshua Urquhart was also throwing himself in front of chances that Ware were creating.

Ware equalised on the 70th minute, when a half-cross, half-shot made it’s way to the back post and another former Harlow player, Murat Karagul, was there to hit home into the empty net from close range.

Harlow pressed for the equaliser, and when Jared Small came off the bench he was troublesome for the Ware defence down the right-hand side. One such attack then led to the game’s controversial moment.

Harlow captain David Cowley received the ball and in the process of turning left-back Alaa Oudji he was fouled by the Ware player. There was then an altercation in which the players’ faces were millimetres apart, before Oudji thrust his head forward to head-butt Cowley.

The Ware player was shown a straight red card. As Cowley was then lining up to take the free kick the referee spoke to his assistant who had been closest to the incident, and to the disbelief of the home fans he then showed a red card to the Harlow player as well.

In the last five minutes both teams were pushing for a winner, but it was Harlow that were to take the spoils in injury time. An outswinging Shane Stamp corner was met by the jump of Joshua Urquhart, whose looping header went into the top corner of the net to seal three points.

FT: Harlow Town 3-2 Ware
ATTENDANCE: 230

The game was an even affair, with both sides carving out a host of half-chances, while never being able to dominate the game. It was a tricky tie for the Hawks, with Ware on a good run, and three points was a great way to end 2014.

It puts Harlow level on points with table-topping Needham Market, but having played a game more.

The next game is away to Waltham Abbey on New Year’s Day, a 3pm kick off.