Fabion Simms struck home from close range before Mario Noto doubled the lead with half an hour played. A goal for each side just before half time game Harlow a two goal lead going into half time.

The second half started where it had left of, with Layne Eadie scoring another for the Hawks soon after the re-start, before Alex Read made it five with less than an hour on the clock.

Needham Market squandered a penalty late on, but Harlow dominated the game to seal an impressive win.

It was the visitors who had first sight of goal, when Darryl Coakley’s left-footed free kick tested David Hughes early on. The Harlow ‘keeper got behind the ball to collect easily.

Harlow set down a marker soon after though, when Alex Read got behind the defence. His toe-poke beat Danny Gay in the Needham net, but clattered off the post for the goalkeeper to gratefully dive on the rebound.

The Hawks did get the ball in the net on 12 minutes. A scramble in the penalty area fell to Fabion Simms, who had time to pick his spot and side-foot the ball into the bottom corner for a deserved lead.

Joe Benjamin and Layne Eadie combined well to put Eadie into the box, but his powerful shot was well saved.

Harlow dominated the opening half an hour, creating chance after chance. Alex Read saw a speculative long-range effort go wide of the post, and it seemed a matter of time before there would be another goal.

Alex Read, returning from a bout of illness, looked sharp up front, and his persistence led to the second goal. Read chased down defender Ian Miller on the byline, stealing the ball before laying off to Mario Noto. Noto put a low shot through the legs of the goalkeeper to put the Hawks two goals up.

Harlow looked to be cruising just before half time when they added a third. Fabion Simms set Joe Benjamin running at the defence, with Benjamin’s speed and strength too much for right-back Jake Dye. Benjamin beat Gay at the near post to give the home side and unassailable lead.

Needham managed to pull a goal back in first half injury time. Darryl Coakley’s ball in from the left looked to be a cross, but it looped over the head of David Hughes for the only blemish in an otherwise perfect first period for the Hawks.

HT: Harlow Town 3-1 Needham Market

The Hawks scored another soon after the re-start. Joe Benjamin played a pass back from the byline, for Layne Eadie to shoot first-time. His effort was blocked, but the rebound fell favourably and he smashed the shot in off the bar at the second time of asking.

The goals didn’t stop there, as just five minutes later the Hawks scored a fifth. Mario Noto put a floated corner onto the penalty spot for Lawrence Yiga to head goalwards. Alex Read, near the goal-line, got a faint touch on the ball, and despite the Needham protests for offside, the goal stood.

It took until the final quarter of the game for Needham to assert themselves on the game, but it was too little too late. A long throw from Coakley reached John Sands, who volleyed after one bounce. The effort hit the bar before being cleared from danger.

With 10 minutes to go, former Hawk Reece Dobson was fouled in the box after a late Layne Eadie challenge. Dobson stepped up to take the penalty, but put the effort wide to sum up the Needham Market performance.

FT: Harlow Town 5-1 Needham Market
ATTENDANCE: 204

The result moves the Hawks to 8th in the division with 14 points from the opening 10 league games.

Next up for Harlow is the long trip to Lowestoft on Saturday 1st October. Kick off is at 3pm.