The impressive manner in which they managed that point couldn’t be said of today’s performance, despite coming behind after Christopher Wilcox’s guided header put Ken Charlery’s boys ahead.

The equaliser arrived through a Blaise Riley-Snow strike, with very little mustered up from both teams thereafter for any to warrant the three points.

A possible hangover from midweek was brought in to question with not even five minutes on the clock, when a corner from Lawrence Vaughan was put into the path of Wilcox to nod into the far top corner.

Vaughan’s crosses spelled danger early for the Hares after previously whipping in an awkward ball that escaped the clutches of Ballheimer, uncharacteristic after his masterclass against Colney Heath.

A free header gifted to captain Liam Andrews from another set piece was a call to action for the home outfit to address the space presented to London Colney.

The Reds maintained much of the ball but couldn’t rise to the prior challenge set out by the visitors, just yet.

Lenny Farhall naturally controlled a ball received by Tash Jordan well and registered the first shot on target for his team, while the other number nine on the park, Timothy Obisanya, was making his physical presence and his height count when having a pop from 25 yards that was a little too close for comfort.

Harefield pulled one back after the half hour mark to bring themselves in to the game, Blaise Riley-Snow justifying his venture forward from centre-half to piledrive home a strike that bumbled under ‘keeper Edward Allan.
Farhall couldn’t maximise on momentum gained from Riley-Snow’s goal before half-time, heading wide a Rowan Larrington cross that fell just behind him and lifting the ball over Edwards to only trickle wide.

Steven Green, filling in as a third centre-half to allow Jack O’Malley’s introduction at right back, made an important tackle on a Richard Price chance after resuming to maintain Harefield’s position in the game.

Richard Pacquette made his first appearance on a football pitch for the first time in nearly two months after knee ligament damage, immediately making an impression and giving a defender an idea of which way he was going with a pass and doing the opposite.

Kosi Basden played a long through ball to substitute Harvey Karnell, who fired a dangerous cross into the danger area only for Riley-Snow to unburden the ball from goal.

The linkup play between Tash Jordan and Farhall, with the former playing off the number nine, has been the source of United’s creative output for much of the season, and again Jordan found the young striker but unfortunately on his weaker left foot who fired just above the woodwork, doing well given the circumstances.

Karnell’s footprint after being brought on was impressive; often being the centre piece of any London Colney movement, more often than not on the right flank, found forcing saves out of Ballheimer and replicating the cross seen when first introduced, unfortunately for him with nobody on the end of them.

Impact substitutions should have been the order of the day when one cross did find it’s man, Riley-Snow pushing forward yet again to reach Pacquette, who, off-balance, used the outside of his boot to get a shot off but was denied a barnstorming, triumphant return by a wonderful Allan save.

The sharing of points mean the visitors still sit in the elimination chamber and have already played four more games (28) than closest rival North Greenford United (24), meanwhile Harefield have played as much games (27) as those above and below, meaning it’s game on for a top half finish as the season closes in on the home straight.

Harefield United Team:
Jacob Ballheimer (GK)
Rowan Larrington
Steven Green
Ryan Wharton (C)
Jack O’Malley
Blaise Riley-Snow
Tash Jordan
Luke Baldwin
Lenny Farhall
Sam Shaw
Nikco Williams

Subs:
Richard Pacquette (Used)
Foday Sesay (Used)
Paul Underwood
Aderi Dede
Reece Mallett

London Colney Team:
Edward Allan (GK)
Kosi Basden
Eduino Vaz
Liam Andrews (C)
George Ezekiel
Christopher Wilcox
Jack Mace
Anthony Stockman
Timothy Obisanya
Richard Price
Lawrence Vaughan

Subs:
Elliot Beevor (Used)
Eben Mbona (Used)
Harvey Karnell (Used)
Marco Faria
Zack Holding