Off the back of a 7-1 drubbing in their last match, Harlow were looking to make amends as they become accustomed to life in a higher division of the Football Alliance Conference, following promotion last season.

Romford, who sat second from bottom of the Southern B Division before today’s encounter, travelled to Harlow with only 11 men and without a recognised Goalkeeper. Harlow were handed a further advantage as a recurring back injury to the Romford left winger meant the visitors effectively played the second half with 10 men.

But in a match in-keeping with their tumultuous start to the season, an enthralling second half saw the hosts take a point on a chilly autumnal afternoon at Paringdon Sports ground, as they showed great spirit and resolve to fight back from two goals down.

After the match, Coach Steve Blaney seemed pleased with the result but rued not taking advantage of the extra man. He said: “I thought in the first half we were very good but in the second half I don’t know what happened to us. But we dug in and managed to nick a point.”

“I think the 10 men is an indictment on us. We didn’t make enough of the advantage; we need to see a few more leaders on the pitch.”

Harlow were boosted by the return of first choice goalkeeper James Russell, having conceded 15 goals in their first four matches this season.

A reshuffled back four limited Romford to only several half-chances in the first half and Harlow took the lead themselves after 28 minutes. Jake Goddard leapt above the Romford left back to meet Billy Jones’ cross and head beyond the Romford centre back playing in goal.

After the break Romford were lucky not to concede a penalty, when one of their defenders moved his right elbow out to block Goddard’s cross.

Six minutes into the second half though, the injured Romford winger, moved up front at half time presumably in a bid to keep him out of harm’s way, played a delightful through ball for Romford’s equaliser.

10 minutes later, Romford took the lead as their right winger, who caused all sorts of problems throughout the second half, cut the ball back from the touchline for a Romford forward to tap the ball home.

Rhys Watkins and Henry Dodson came on for Harlow and Curtin was pushed up into midfield. However Romford doubled their lead after 75 minutes, Russell beaten from 10 yards as the Romford shot crashed in off the underside of the bar. The first half hard work of the defence had been well and truly undone.

But the prolific Billy Jones scored his sixth goal in five games to give Harlow a lifeline with 10 minutes remaining. Collecting Jack Leachman’s pass on the edge of the box, he unintentionally span around his marker and rifled a shot in off the bar from 12 yards.

In the dying moments, Leachman began to pull the strings in midfield as an exhausted Romford started to fade. Harlow’s equaliser came two minutes from time as Leachman, unmarked on the edge of the 6 yard box, headed a cross straight at the goal keeper who parried the ball into Curtin’s path. The midfielder, who had started the game at centre-half made no mistake from 8 yards, rescuing a point for his side. That was his third goal in three games.

Steve Blaney added that the team need to become a little more physical: “We could be a bit meaner and do the dirty stuff better because we play some lovely football. We’re too nice and lacking that killer instinct.”