Non-League and Academy football writer

This Boxing Day (Thursday) a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture between NW London and Harlow Town, took place at Coles Park. The home side, NW London, started this game in 15th place in the league standings after 20 league matches played. Harlow Town started this match in first place in the league table after 23 league matches played. This good step 6 match would finish 0-0. Started at a good pace, it would toke a little while before the first goalscoring chance of this early afternoon kick off was created. The first chance of the game was created by the visitors, Harlow Town (they were seeing more of the ball during the opening stages of this game). The first effort of the game arrived following a Harlow corner-kick, which was cleared to the edge of the NW London penalty area, with Terrell Egbri hitting an effort on the half-volley, which went over the goal.

Soon after that effort from Harlow Town player Terrell Egbri, NW London player Bernardino Andeme would travel forward with the ball, through the middle of the pitch. His powerful resulting effort from close to 30 yards out from goal, was gathered well by the Harlow goalkeeper, James Pellin. NW London were well organised and they were playing their football confidently at this stage of the first half. Shortly after David Aderibigbe had hit an effort over the Harlow goal from distance, Harlow would go onto create two good chances. Firstly, a well worked move would end with Terrell Egbri hitting a low effort (from the edge of the penalty area) just wide of the NW London goalkeeper’s left-hand post. Then a couple of minutes later, Jack Zielinski would find Terrell Egbri on the right-hand side of the NW London box, but after some good skill on the ball, his effort on goal was blocked accidentally, just in front of the goal by a teammate.

After Bernardino Andeme had glanced a header wide following a corner-kick delivery to the back post of the Harlow goal from Valentin Burcea, Harlow would go very close to taking the lead during the latter stages of the first half. Their captain, James Folkes’ whipped ball into the NW London penalty area (from the left flank) was flicked on by Fred Agyemang, whose initial effort was kept out by the goalkeeper, Volodymyr Levchuk. Fred Agyemang’s effort on the follow-up, from quite a difficult angle, would end up hitting the bottom of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. Just before half-time Harlow player Arley Barker’s lay-off (from a free-kick on the edge of the NW London penalty area) was met by Terrell Egbri, whose powerful first time effort on goal was well tipped behind by the outstretched Volodymyr Levchuk.

NW London would start the second half of this match well, going forward. Shortly after Arianit Krasniqi had hit an effort over the Harlow goal from distance, Bernardino Andeme came very close to giving the home side the lead. With his curling effort from right on the edge of the Harlow box, hitting the goalkeeper’s crossbar. Harlow would also hit the crossbar, this time at the opposite end of the pitch and a couple of minutes later. As Fabion Simms headed an effort against the crossbar, after meeting Arley Barker’s corner-kick delivery to the centre of the penalty area. Decent efforts, firstly from Bernardino Andeme (inside of the Harlow box, following a good move) and then from Suleyman Zahmoul (from the edge of the Harlow penalty area) were both kept out by James Pellin, before Arianit Krasniqi  would head an effort over the Harlow goal, after meeting Kai Peters’ free-kick delivery into the box.

Past the midway point of the second half, the game was starting to become quite stretched. After Jack Zielinski had chased a long ball, inside of the NW London penalty area, before getting to the ball and initially having an effort saved by Levchuk, his resulting effort after a clever turn from inside of the penalty area, would go wide of the open goal. Harlow Town were now really quite dominant with the ball. After substitute Gavin Cockman’s effort (he was through on goal, inside of the NW London penalty area) was saved by Levchuk, James Folkes would head wide from Terrell Egbri’s cross into the home team’s penalty area. Harlow were continuing to push for a late winning goal, as the second half reached its latter stages. After Jack Zielinski had hit an effort wide at the back post of the NW London goal, Levchuk would then make a good save with his feet, to stop Jesse Ansen’s low effort from inside of the penalty area.

Harlow were giving everything to try and score a very late winner, and they came very close to doing just that, when Jesse Ansen played the ball across to Jack Haley, just inside of the NW London box, but his first time effort went narrowly wide of the goal. The final effort of the game was from Lamine Gomes, who hit a low effort wide of the Harlow goal, from close to the edge of their penalty area. This was a good and competitive game of football, and although Harlow will be very disappointed that they couldn’t get that all important goal on the day to win the game, NW London deserve credit for how they managed the game and ultimately got a point from it. For NW London, I thought that in the midfield, that Bernardino Andeme was influential and he had a good game, so he was therefore my NW London player of the match (they did well as a team). However, my overall player of the match was Harlow Town player Fabion Simms, who put in a really fine and efficient defensive performance.