Two goals from James Ewington gave Harpenden Town a narrow 2-1 win away to London Colney and kept them fourth in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division.

Herts Advertiser: Bobby Armstrong scored London Colney's equaliser against Harpenden Town. Picture: Karyn HaddonBobby Armstrong scored London Colney's equaliser against Harpenden Town. Picture: Karyn Haddon (Image: Archant)

Well he may have scored two anyway. He was certainly claiming the first but there was more than a hint of an own goal about it and certainly that’s what his team-mates were claiming in an attempt to wind him up.

There was no doubt about the winner though, swept in with just 13 minutes remaining, and if he does get both goals then that takes his tally in all competitions to 30 this season.

But while Harpenden celebrate there was disappointment for London Colney who will have felt they deserved the point that looked to be coming their way after a fine header from Bobby Armstrong brought things level.

Neither side have played much recently with the Blueboys just edging the number of games since the start of February by four to three.

And there was one point during the morning when it seemed as if games were being called off all across the SSML and surrounding areas.

There was never any doubt that this was going to be another victim of a waterlogged pitch and on arrival at Cotlandswick the surface looked pristine.

However, that belied a squelchy underbelly which started to cut up and caused players on both sides to slip and slide.

Whether that was the reason for the slow burner is unknown but neither side really got going early on.

The Blueboys had the better of the territory and possession in the opening 20 minutes and because of that, they had the chances.

Loren Maxwell got just in front of a Temiloluwa Oladejo cross and couldn’t direct a header goalwards and then fired wide when presented with a chance moments later

Dominic Morgillo was next to have a go but couldn’t control his effort properly and it skewed wide.

That came moments after Ewington had struck Jack Metcalfe’s near post but the Harpenden man would have had trouble convincing anyone that his effort from the right wing was anything other a cross.

It was Harpenden’s first real effort after a sluggish start but they did grow into the game and finished the half on top.

Steve O’Reilly and Mike Davies both sent efforts wide while James Yates fired one straight down Metcalfe’s throat as the half wound down.

Yates, however, played a huge part in the opener.

He somehow wriggled free of a number of blue shirts down the left-hand side and his low pullback found Town’s top marksmen right where you would want him to be.

And Ewington’s shot looked goalbound, which is where it ended up despite the efforts of Jason Coughlan to clear it off the line.

But the goal provoked a good response from Colney who drew level eight minutes later.

Connor Sansom had produced a good diving save away to his right to concede a corner but he misjudged the flight of the set-piece which found its way through to Armstrong, who arrived like a steam train at the back post at just the right time to head home.

At this point the game could have gone either way and the longer it went on, the more it became obvious that something special was needed.

That duly arrived as Colney failed to clear a corner and Ewington lashed the ball in from 20 yards giving Metcalfe no chance between the sticks.

London Colney: Metcalfe, Heald, Oladejo (Westmore 70), Reynolds, Armstrong, Holding, Price (Omitosho 82), Coughlan, Maxwell, Morgillo (Aknbi 74), Adeoye

Subs (not used): Griffin, Mace

Goal: Armstrong 63

Harpenden: Sansom, Davies, Warren, Jenkins, Duncan, Collin, O’Reilly (James 84), Keenleyside (Green 56), Ewington, McLeish (Nevin 77), Yates

Subs (not used): Brothwood, Sutton

Goals: Ewington 55, 77

HT: London Colney 0 Harpenden Town 0