Lacklustre First Half Costs All Three Points

After a fairly even start to the game, which saw Bell save a shot from the visitors and Birchall lobbing just wide of the far post, Harlow started to push the home defence deep into their own half.

A quick attack down the right flank saw Bell punch clear a cross before having to back pedal and tip the rebound over the bar as Harlow pushed forward with intent. Another attack from the visitors saw Bell rush out to clear but was beaten to the ball, however, Symonds covering was able to clear the ball before it crossed the goal line.

The pressure by Harlow finally paid off after 13 minutes with Wroxham failing to cleared a cross from the right and the ball was slotted home to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Within 2 minutes, the hosts almost grabbed an equaliser, but Rowlands shot from a corner was cleared off the line before being scrambled away to safety.

Birchall went close firing just past the outside of the far post after receiving a long ball from Bell midway through the half, but 2 minutes later Harlow doubled their lead. A ball threaded past the home defence was rifled home to put the visitors 2-0 up.

A lull in the game followed with play being mainly fought out in midfield and neither side testing the opposing keepers, before Bell was forced into a good save. The final action of the half saw the away keeper punch clear a Wroxham corner after Birchall had latched onto long ball from Larkins forcing a corner.

The second half started with the hosts showing more purpose and attacking intent. Birchall had a shot just wide, Rowland saw a free-kick saved by the Harlow keeper at the second attempt, before a quick throw-in put Birchall free, but her shot was into the side-netting.

However, with an hour played the visitors scored again to put the hosts under real pressure to get something out of the game. A ball was not cleared as it rolled just outside the penalty-area and was returned with interest into the top corner to give Harlow a 3-0 lead.

Five minutes later, Wroxham pulled a goal back. A long ball was collected by Birchall who beat her marker, rounded the keeper and slotted into an unguarded goal. Buoyed by this, the hosts had their best spell of the game, forcing the visitors to defend deep. Holloway’s cross to Birchall was deflected wide, then Bygrave narrowly missed the target.

The home side had a let-off when a Harlow header was ruled out for offside but most of the play was at the other end of the pitch. Bygrave’s free-kick was just wide of the post, Birchall had an overhead kick saved by the keeper, before a Bygrave lob over the keeper was just the wrong side of the post.

Deep into added time, with Wroxham pushing forward, Harlow grabbed a fourth when Bell was beaten to the ball allowing the away striker with a tap-in to give the visitors a deserved victory.

Wroxham Women: A Bell, A Larkins, L Symonds, K Pasque, V Pleavin, C Shields, K Holloway, B Bygrave, G Birchall, A Rowland, N Cooper. Subs used: R Brister, G Parker. Unused: O Mungham-Gray, C Fullbrook.