Injury time drama costs hawks

A promotion battle fixture that was very much a story of three halves. Hosts Dereham Town came out of the dressing room flying and took the lead after just five minutes, captain Nicky Howell sent over a deep cross which found the head of unmarked Dan Morphew, but his header crashed back of the crossbar straight to the feet of right back Ryan Hawkins who scrambled the ball over the line. Two minutes later Sam Borrer nearly extended Dereham's lead when his header was kept out by Luke McGee in the Hawks goal. Harlow's first chance of the half came on thirteen minutes when Shane Stamp's cross from the left was met by the head of James Smith but was straight at Will Viner in the Dereham goal. Hawks starting eleven then had to be reshuffled as both Donny barnard and Shane Stamp feel ill on the pitch, Barnard was being sick and stamp could not breath properly, this made a change of positions as Dadson went to right back, George Smith came of the bench on the right and Scott Curley also came off the bench into the centre half position while Leon Antoine moved into midfield and James Smith went wide left.
On thirty three minutes Howell found himself clear down the right wing with McGee coming out of his goal but the Dereham winger could only chip McGee and the crossbar, when he should of done better. A minute later Matt Howard hit a shot from 20 yards but McGee was equal to it.
The second half was a total contrast to the first with The Hawks dominating possession, Dereham had 11 men behind the ball trying to preserve there slender lead. James Smith and Alex Read were denied by Viner by saving low down on both occasions, but he left his best save until 85 minutes when Layne Eadie let fly from 25 yards, only to see Viner tip superbly one handed around the post. With the hawks camped in the Dereham penalty box it was feet, legs, heads and all parts of the anatomy keeping the ball out of the goal, but Harlow's constant pressure paid off ain the first minute of injury time, another scramble in the penalty area, saw the ball fall to Read who shot goal wards and Junior Dadson diverted the ball past the goalkeeper and defenders on the line, sending the travelling supporters into ecstasy, but the old saying of being most vulnerable after you have just scored could not of been more true, literally 60 seconds later Adam Smith pounced on a cross to slide the ball past McGee to give Dereham the points.