Ten Man Hawks defeat Chatham

The Hawks came out of the blocks flying and could of been Three nil up in the opening 10 minutes. After only two minutes a cross from James Smith on the right wing found Alex Read 6 yards out but Read mistimed his header and put it wide when unmarked. On Six minutes Darren Blewitt found Leon Antoine on the right of the Penalty are, Antoine crossed to Shane Stamp who fired his shot into the side netting. Two minutes later it was Smith down the right wing again who sent a delightful cross over to Antoine at the back post, his header was well saved by the Chatham goalkeeper Jack Bradshaw, but the rebound fell to Stamp who's fierce shot was blocked by a defender. Bradshaw saved again on fifteen minutes when Stamp crossed to read to see his shot well saved. Chatham's first real chance of the game came on 34 minutes when Hawks goalkeeper Darren Behcet raced out towards a ball he was not going to get, but luckily the Chatham winger wasted his chance. Then just before the half time break Chatham's Austin Gacheru headed over the bar from 10 yards out.

The second half started with Chatham on the front foot, a long clearance from the Bradshaw had Gacheru racing through the centre of the pitch towards the Harlow goal but the quick thinking Behcet raced out of his area to head clear, but the clearance fell to a Chatham midfielder and as Behcet was retreating back to the penalty area the midfielder hit a shot goal wards, Bhcet dived to his left to keep the effort out with his left hand, but referee Stephen Moore helped by his assistant Craig Pullen agreed that Behcet was just outside the penalty area when he made the one handed save and so received a Red Card. Leon Antoine was the unlucky player to be substituted for James May to take over in the Hawks goal. May was called into the action on 58 minutes when a free kick by Chatham found the head of Gacheru but it was placed straight into May's hands. A minute later Shane Stamp steamed down the left wing and his cross was meet by Read but it was straight at Bradshaw.
By this time Danny Chapman's 10 men were giving 150% and passing the ball round for fun, with some very exciting football. You would of thought that Harlow Town had the extra man. On 61 minutes Josh Mcleod-Urquhart and James Smith closed down a defender and won the ball sending Urquhart down the right, his cross was deflected off of an outstretched defenders foot and end up in the goalkeepers arms. Five minutes later Smith made himself space in the penalty area to shoot straight at Bradshaw. With the hawks pulling all the strings Chapman broght on Aaron Greene for James Smith and Greene should of scored when Alex read sent a great ball across the face of the goal but with Greene sliding in the ball hit his studs but not enough to put it over the line. An inspired substitution on 87 minutes by Chapman saw Junior Dadson replace the energetic Stamp and as the game went into 4 minutes of injury time Dadson found himself in front of goal with defenders closing in on him but he calmly stroke the ball home from 15 yards to send the players and supporters into ecstasy, it was no more than the visitors deserved and 2 minutes later top scorer Alex Read found his 23rd goal of the season when he cut in from the right and stroked the ball passed the onrushing Bradshaw into the far corner to seal the three points for the Hawks.