The win was Harlow’s ninth in a row, as they faced fellow Division One South side Dunmow Town, who sat in 10th position in the league table at the time.

As was expected, Dunmow Town were a hungry side, that refused to let Harlow run away with the game, defending well and often attempting to hit the Hawks on the break at pace.

Within minutes of kicking off, Harlow Town were awarded a free-kick in shooting range from the Dunmow Town goal. Tom Jelliman stepped up and opted to strike the free-kick, rather than attempt his trademark cross into the box. The effort was sensational, and flew into the top-left corner, beyond the reach of Ben Loftus in goal. After 3 minutes, the home side had found an early lead.

Moments later, down the other end, Alex Georgiou attempted a free-kick shot of his own, but on that occasion, it was a very different story. The Dunmow 7 smacked it into orbit.

A threat to Harlow all game, Darnell Fuller danced past Dan Heald before getting a shot away, that ended up being a particularly weak effort, straight at James Pellin.

The space opened up for Jack Zielinski, but with two Dunmow defenders attempting to close him down, the striker took it on his weaker left foot, and sliced it well wide of the target.

Denzel Effah looked to cause trouble for the Dunmow Town defence when he swung in a left-footed cross from a free-kick. Jack Zielinski was waiting at the back-post and headed it just wide of the goal.

Harlow had won yet another free kick, and this time Tom Jelliman opted to cross rather than shoot, finding Fabion Simms whose looping header almost caught out Loftus, but hit the roof of the net.

The red lead didn’t last long though, as twenty-six minutes into the game, a Dunmow corner was met by the head of Eamon Payne who unleashed a bullet header past James Pellin, levelling it up.

With the momentum, Dunmow Town looked to turn the game on its head, as Darnell Fuller found himself in ample space again on the left-hand side. Dan Heald recovered excellently to get back in front of the Dunmow striker, but Fuller hit it on his left with a weak effort at Pellin.

Harlow responded with a bombardment of chances, and it begged the question of how did they not score? Dunmow’s defence held up terrifically and were able to clear the Harlow danger.

Fred Agyemang almost re-found the lead for Harlow when Denzel Effah crossed it into him. The Harlow striker headed it into the crossbar before Dunmow Town cleared.

Attempting to score a worldie, Darnell Fuller decided to hit a strike from distance, to little effect.

From centre-back, James Folkes went on a storming run, the entire length of the pitch before cutting inside and shooting just wide of the right post with a curling effort.

From a ball over the top, the space opened up for Harlow’s Jordan Burnett, who decided to shoot. Although he connected cleanly, his effort flew over the bar.

Darnell Fuller came the closest to scoring he has all game with a volleyed effort from close range at James Pellin’s near-post. The Harlow Town goalkeeper pulled out a top save to deny him.

Fuller continued his search for a goal by cutting inside from the left and almost curling it far-post, with James Pellin rooted to the spot. The shot curled slightly wide.

Both sides agonisingly continued searching for a goal to try and break the deadlock, until it was finally broken.

Dunmow tried to hit Harlow on a rapid counter-attack until Syrus Gordon made a great interception, and released Denzel Effah. Effah turned brilliantly, and paced past Kelly Ayitefyio and Eamon Payne before squaring it across the box. Dunmow struggled to clear it, and in stepped Ishaq Ameen, who finished well past Loftus, and in the 89th minute, he had won the game.

There was simply not enough time for a comeback for Dunmow Town, and the Hawks emerged victorious, progressing into the quarter-finals of the Thurlow Nunn League Challenge Cup.

Thank you for your continued support, and we hope to see you at Saturday’s league game away at Newbury Forest.