Whyteleafe 1

Harlow Town 1

(Ryman Division One)

IT was a case of two points dropped for the Hawks on Saturday, although they will count themselves lucky that they escaped with a draw at the end.

The visitors controlled the early stages and it came as no surprise when they took the lead on 28 minutes.

An excellent cross-field ball by Mark Tompkins was picked up by Moses Olaleye out on the right, where he was able to take it upfield to the Wyteleafe by-line and cut it back for Martin Young to head home from close range.

Harlow should have been two up three minutes later after more good work down the right by Olaleye saw him release Marc Salmon.

The striker cut inside and while there was a chance on, he unselfishly crossed it in for Tompkins, who with the goal at his mercy struck the crossbar from his central position just eight yards out, to leave it at 1-0 at the interval.

The Hawks continued where they had left off after the break and Martin Young was guilty of missing a real sitter on 58 minutes.

Both Olaleye and Tompkins had been involved in a good move down the middle and while Wyteleafe's Duncan Alger attempted to step in to halt the danger he only succeeded in knocking the ball into Young's path, and despite home keeper Danny Rose finding himself stranded, the midfielder guided his effort wide of the target.

Skipper David Gray then had a header well held under the bar by Rose following a Marvin Samuel corner.

Whyteleafe began to get more of the possession in midfield and their growing number of attacks finally paid off on 83 minutes.

A lack of concentration in the Harlow defence saw them leave a ball that they thought was going out for a goal kick, but which was instead kept in by Gary Bowyer, who pulled it back for Stuart Massey to bury from close range.

Minutes later it could have been a lot worse for the visitors when Massey picked out Daniel Nwanze in the box, but he looked on as his eight-yard effort came back off the bar.

The game petered out in the closing stages and Allinson knows that the side now face two tough home games when they entertain Aylesbury tonight (Wednesday) and Northwood on Saturday.

HARLOW TOWN: Hasell, Samuel, McNally, Gray, Moore, Cook, Cowley, Tompkins (Sub: Coley 61), Young, Olaleye (Archer, 72), Salmon. Unused sub: Rawlings.