Hawks' season ends on a downer

4:30pm Monday 28th April 2008

FOOTBALL

Harlow Town 1
East Thurrock United 2
(Ryman Premier) HARLOW Town's adventure in the top flight of the Ryman League continues.

The Hawks were guaranteed survival following their stunning victory at AFC Wimbledon in the penultimate week of the season, but the dying embers of East Thurrock brought the curtain down uneasily.

It was substitute Tony Boot who rammed home United's winner in the 90th minute to give his side a 2-1 final day victory, but one which still relegated them on goal difference.

The defeats sees Harlow drop three places to end the season in 15th place.

A trademark right-foot free kick on the edge of the box from Mark Taylor went just over East Thurrock's bar in the eighth minute after Ben Wood had bundled James Bunn over.

A ball in from the left by Clark Akers led to confusion between United defender Ashley Dumas and his goalkeeper, but the latter eventually managed to hoof clear with Kenny Davis in close proximity on 25 minutes.

Ben Boyce then found space in the Harlow defence a minute later, but he rushed his shot and fired into keeper James Hasell's chest.

A long free kick from Dumas dropped just wide of the far post on the half-hour mark, while at the other end, a high ball in from Jordan Fowler confused United's defenders, with Akers gathering and passing out to Danny Green, who hammered wide with four minutes left until the break.

A free kick awarded against Danny Chapman, who made his 200th appearance for Harlow, saw Dumas strike the set piece, which deflected off the wall before clipping the top of the bar on its way over soon after the restart.

But a minute later, Harlow went ahead when Akers scored his second goal in as many games.

An in-swinging free kick from Taylor on the left found the midfielder amid a crowded area, whose downward header went in from eight yards.

The leaders would later regret an ensuing penalty miss by skipper Bunn on 51 minutes.

A trip on Danny Green by United's Ben Wood saw the referee point to the spot, but Bunn's kick was saved to his right by diving stopper Shane Gore.

Harlow substitute Michael Gliddon scuffed a clearance on 73 minutes, allowing Max Cornhill to gather the ball and run on, riding the challenge of Beckett Hollenbach before rifling in East Thurrock's equalizer.

Ex-Harlow midfielder David Lee came on as a 77th-minute replacement for Steve Harrison, and was soon in action as he sent a free kick just over Hasell's bar after Cornhill was felled.

A cross from the right by Kenny Davis, who was presented with the Supporters' Player of the Year award prior to kick-off, forced keeper Gore to punch out, with Green sending the rebound wide on 82 minutes.

Harlow's third and final substitution was the replacement of goalkeeper James Hasell for youngster Michael Dumoulin, who has shone in the 12 previous first team appearances he has made throughout the season.

But his 13th proved to be unlucky, as almost immediately after coming off the bench, he had to retrieve the ball from the back of the net after Tony Boot's 90th-minute winner.

The multi-talented custodian could do nothing to stop Boot's shot into the bottom corner, after David Lee's cross-field pass had outfoxed the defence.

Harlow: Hasell (Dumoulin 89), Davis, Taylor, Hollenbach, Kirby, Chapman (M Gliddon 65), Akers (Baker 84), S Gliddon, Bunn, Fowler, Green. Unused subs: Lalite, Warren.

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