Harlow Town put a dent into the Angels play off hopes while at the same time still keeping alive their own aspirations of joining the end of season shake up with a comfortable 3-0 win at Longmead.

The visitors took the lead after just two minutes when Ibrahim Sonko rose unopposed to head the ball home via the underneath of the crossbar. Harlow might have doubled their score on 20 minutes when Joe Benjamin was put through with a clever free kick but his effort went into the side netting.

The home side started to come into the game in the last quarter of the half with chances falling to Alex Akrofi on 30 minutes whose shot grazed the upright, and Nicky Wheeler two minutes later with a close range shot that was well held by Harlow ‘keeper David Hughes.

It was the goalscorer Sonko who had the best chance right on half time when he nearly repeated his earlier feat but this time his header was to crash against the Tonbridge crossbar and to relative safety.

Although Tonbridge’s Mitchell Nelson went close with a header five minutes into the second half it was Harlow who added to their score in the 79th minute when the hosts failed to properly clear a corner and the loose ball fell to Sonko to score his second.

The Hawks triumph was confirmed in the 84th minute when Fabian Simms scored Harlow’s third again as the result of a corner that the Angels failed to deal with.

Afterwards Angels manager, Steve McKimm said : “Myself and Barry went to look at Harlow play Burgess Hill midweek and identified their strength at set pieces, this information was given to the players, and what happens they score from three set pieces. Such is our form, at this rate we’ll be lucky to finish in the top eight. At half time I could have chosen any player to come off such was the total lack of quality. Some of my players seem to think they are better than what they are – this afternoon they have been completely outplayed by the visitors.”

It was the the Angels first double league defeat of the season and the heaviest home league defeat, but perhaps surprisingly they still stay in fifth position thanks to defeats for Dulwich Hamlet and Wingate & Finchley. On this form however unless there is an immediate improvement including the ability to win some difficult away games then they can wave goodbye to the playoffs.

Pictures supplied by Wesley Flitness.