Harlow demonstrated the importance of playing with dogged determination from the first and the final whistle in their encounter with Campion on Saturday. Although Campion are only one place off the bottom of the League they have upset a number of much stronger clubs this season and their performance on Saturday showed why. They established a convincing early lead and managed to stay in front, until a resurgence by Harlow in the closing 20 minutes clinched the result. As the other leading clubs also won at this weekend Harlow remain in second place in the league one point behind league leaders Bury St Edmunds.

Harlow started playing up the slope and were kept well pegged back by useful kicking from the visitors. A couple of early attacks by the Rams’ forwards were repulsed as a result of penalties conceded and then a penalty allowed Campion to take a three-point lead. The Harlow forwards managed again to take play up into the Campion half only to have them clear back down field. A good counter-attack from half way allow their winger to break clear for a well-constructed try. The conversion took the lead to 10 nil. Harlow had one success when fly half Nick Ford slotted a penalty reducing the margin to 10 points to 3. Twenty-five minutes into the half a very good attack by the Harlow forwards allow them to link-up with the backs to produce a very good scoring opportunity. Unfortunately this was just not Harlow's day and the final pass was in intercepted by the Campion fly-half Paul Larner who sprinted 70 yards to touch down under the posts giving himself an easy conversion and taking the scoreline to 17 points to three. This was probably the lowest point from Harlow point of view but towards the end of the half they rallied and resorted to their traditional strengths of retaining the ball in the forwards of making good use of the rolling maul. From a penalty they set up the line-out inside the Campion 22; the rolling maul made it all away to align with hooker Tommy Johnson touching down for the try making the half-time score or 17 points to 8 in favour of the visitors.

Despite playing uphill and into a headwind Campion still made good use of the tactical kick and 10 minutes into the second half a well-placed kick to the corner allowed on their winger Luke Maguire to run onto the ball and sprint in for a try. Larner was on target taking the scoreline to 24 points to 8. At this point in time Harlow could easily have accepted that the game was lost, but they did not. They tightened their play and continue to apply pressure making good use of ruck ball. Although it was not making a lot of ground they tended to make to move three yards at each breakdown recycling and going in for further hits. It had the advantage of wearing down on the visitors' pack and it kept play within striking distance of the try-line. A good driving maul by the Harlow pack took them across the line for lock Lloyd Matchett to touchdown for the try and Ford clinched the conversion taking the score to 15 Points to 24. Although Harlow kept up the pressure through their forwards whenever they spun ball wide a very effective Campion defence from their centres and back-row broke the moves down. When awarded a penalty Harlow opted for the posts and Nick Ford slotted the ball taking the score to 18 points to 24. With the clock running down this kick was to prove critical. Harlow came back onto the attack and Campion were penalised for fringing and that the ruck. Lee Harron snatched the ball took a quick tap and sprinted for line shrugging off a defender to touchdown and Ford converted. Thanks to the earlier penalty this took the score to 25 - 24 in favour of Harlow. From a further assault on the Campion line Harlow were awarded another penalty and this time one of the Campion forwards was yellow-carded for repeated fringing at the break down. Harlow took the tap penalty and continued to attack and for a while it looked as though Campion would be able to hold them off but then an effective offload to David Straddling playing at centre allowed him to drive forward to the line using his strength to force his way past a defender for the touchdown. The Campion forwards managed to charge down the conversion and a minute later the whistle went full time giving Harlow their absolutely essential victory by 30 points to 24.

This division of the league is very close and the result on Saturday shows that there is no such thing as an easy game. Despite being in a good position for promotion Harlow nearly came unstuck to one of the back markers just as last week the league leaders Bury St Edmunds were held to a draw by bottom team Hadleigh. If any team in the league has promotion ambitions it shows that they must treat every game as though it was a decider against the league leaders regardless of the playing record of their opposition.

The match between Harlow Seconds and Thurrock Seconds in the semi-final of the Essex Second Teams cup had to be abandoned after 50 minutes because of serious injury to one of the Thurrock players. At the time of the incident Thurrock were leading by five points to nil in what had been a very close contest. Arrangements are in hand to reschedule the match for early February.