“We were technically poor against 11 men, but we were worse against 10!” Kevin Watson’s chilling verdict on his Chatham Town’s side performance that saw them against ten men for 39 minutes before succumbing to two goals in stoppage time which saw Harlow Town leave the Maidstone Road Sports Ground deservedly with the three Ryman North points.

Watson was clearly frustrated in his teams showing as be bemoaned another poor home performance. Clearly missing the suspended Matt Solly, Watson bemoaned, “When Solly’s not there’s nothing there its almost as though we’re playing with just one leg! They wanted it a lot more than we did especially when the keeper got sent off.” And that was bizarrely the turning point for Watson’s side should have been the 51st minute dismissal of Harlow keeper Darren Behcet for handball out of his box, and for a short while, it was the Chats you felt showed the determination to go on a win the game that the visitors had dominated.

But the Chats really did miss their chance and although the visitors goals came in minutes 91 and 95, Harlow made the trip home with possibly the three most deserved points of their season. Indeed the visitors came flying out of the blocks and in the first ten minutes could and perhaps should have scored at least three. Alex Read shot wide, Leon Antoine was denied by a smart save by Chats keeper Jack Bradshaw, whilst Shane Sharp drilled the ball into the side netting when well placed. Read went close again only for Bradshaw to deny him as he raced clear from Layne Eadie’s great through ball.

It was only in the half’s final five minutes that the home side threatened. Greg Benbow sprinted forward from left back, exchanging passes with Austin Gacheru, before rounding Behcet wide out from goal. His centre though sadly for the home side found no one in a red and black shirt and the chance was gone. On the stroke of half time, Gacheru beat Behcet to a corner but couldn’t keep his header down and the ball flew over the bar.

The second half began in a similar fashion to the first with Harlow dominant. James Smith battled through down the right and his shot was cleared off the line by Drew Crush before the follow up from Antoine saw Bard Potter repeat the feat as the Chats goal somehow stayed in tack!

Then on 51 minutes came Behcet’s dismissal. A long ball forward saw the keeper come outside his area to head clear from Alfie May. The ball fell to Lee Hales 30 yards out and as his shot was driven in low, Behcet’s immediate reaction was to dive to his left to save. Problem for the Harlow stopper was that the Assistant who was up with play deemed the save to have happened outside the penalty area, and after calling over Mr Moore, the referee showed the keeper a straight red card. Disappointly for the home side Hales’ free kick hit the wall and was cleared. For a short spell whilst the visitors were readjusting their formation, Chatham had the chance to take the game by the scruff of the neck but too often the final ball just wasn’t good enough leaving the manager completely frustrated. The best chance they did create fell to Kieran McCann, but after a well worked short corner with Alfie May, McCann’s drive was inches too high over sub keepers James May’s cross bar.

At the other end however the chances kept coming. From Stamp’s cross, Crush came agonisingly close to turning the ball into his own net; Urquart’s cross then saw Potter’s header brilliantly blocked by his own keeper Bradshaw; Read centred from the right inches too far in front of the lunging substitute Aaron Greene before Harlow’s best chance saw a super double save from Bradshaw. After a great ball in from the left, John Glowacki’s shot was deflected inches wide. From the corner, Daniel Brown’s downward header was brilliantly blocked and as the ball fell to Read with goal at his mercy, somehow Bradshaw managed to block the shot.

As the clock approached the 90th minute, Chatham almost won the game. Gacheru sprinted away down the right, and as his centre fell to McCann the wingers shot deflected into the side netting. From the corner the ball fell to Gacheru who shot thundered into the wall at the back of the stand rather than troubling the keeper.

With the home faithful thinking that they were going to get a point, disaster struck. May’s long clearance was missed by Crush and as Bradshaw came out, Junior Dadson with possibly his first touch raced clear. His second touch saw his attempted shot horribly scuffed before he regained his composure and rolled the ball into the empty net to send the visitors into wild celebrations – celebrations that continued moments later when Read got the goal that his efforts fully deserved as he raced onto Robbie Martin’s through ball before drilling the ball beyond Bradshaw and into the corner of the net to seal the Chats defeat.

This was the Chats fourth defeat in their last six, and a display that clearly left Watson shaken. “I’m so, so disappointed in the performance,” he said, “They just wanted it more than we did plain and simple and that’s what really hurts!”

CHATHAM TOWN – Bradshaw, Morath-Gibbs, Benbow, Bennett (Alderman 76), Potter, Crush, Hales, Luke May (McDonagh 86), Gacheru, Alfie May, McCann

Subs not used – Hickey, Watson, Kidman

HARLOW TOWN – Behcet, Martin, Eadie, McLeod-Urquart, Brown, Blewett, Smith (Greene 75), Glowacki, Read, Antoine (May 51), Stamp (Dadson 86)

Subs not used – Clurley, Hart

Referee – Mr S Moore
Assistants – Mr C Pullen & Mr D Gainsford