A stunning long-range strike from Man of the Match Ollie Curry set the OHAFC 2s on their way to win number five of the season and, in the process, a League double over the Salopians' second string. The win moves the Blues just three points behind leaders Alleynians in Division Three, albeit having played a game more.

Journeys to Saturday's game in Chiswick were varied: Lederman timed the run from his front door to the car park at eight minutes, possibly a new record time for any away game ever; meanwhile Pablo Hutchinson spent longer than that on a public bridleway just yards from the changing rooms - unfortunately for the youngster a ten foot-high wire fence came between him and his destination, skipper Geoff Taunton-Collins unhelpfully showing him precisely where not to go.

Changing rooms at the Kings House Sports Ground were in short supply with a cheery message on the whiteboard outside asking two teams to change in the 'lobby of the women's changing rooms' as there weren't enough to go round. The OHAFC had no such trouble, being offered a small-to-medium-sized area with insufficient benches and two large puddles for company. The changing room was not the only thing suffering from damp however, with each shirt pulled from the kit bag asking ever-more-serious questions regarding Doug Morrison's washing abilities. It was surmised that only two possible methods could have produced shirts of such dampness and stenchability: either leaving them out in the rain overnight or getting his mother to take them down to the banks of the Thames in a big wicker basket on her head before scrubbing them on a wooden board. Whilst slightly less plausible, the second idea was eventually agreed upon and prayers were said for Mrs Morrison and her cruel, lazy son.

As usual there were some slightly odd pre-game conversations with Azhar Khan's cookery skills being brought into question (is there any greater crime than providing teammates with slightly hard avocados for their pre-match breakfast?), skipper Geoff Taunton-Collins suggesting that if players were going to try a special trick, today was the day to do it (something he would severely regret around 37 minutes after kick-off) and Jack Orr-Ewing interrogating poor referee Ron Large for several minutes over the etiquette for dealing with the ball colliding with one of the two wires traversing the pitch.

When this was finally done with, and the referee and Woolley had compared their matchday leggings, the game could begin and it didn't take long for the visitors to exert their authority. After a competitive quarter of an hour the Harrow midfield trio of the two Curry's and Lederman gradually began to take charge and play was concentrated in the Salopian half. On the left, Jack Alhadeff made several weaving runs, albeit without quite the spectacular goalscoring results of the previous week, whilst up front Soyinka looked his usual threatening self.

Several corners were forced, Max Curry fired two long shots in on goal, one that bounced in front of the 'keeper, a second, much cleaner strike, flew inches over the bar. From another flowing move through the midfield Lederman then collected the ball on the edge of the box, weaved his way past a couple of defenders but saw his effort cleared off the line.

The Harrow back four, in contrast to the week before, looked comfortable defensively but panicked somewhat in possession with the ball carelessly given away on several occasions. Nevertheless, with Salopians offering little by way of a threat, it was unsurprising when the visitors opened the scoring on the half hour. The goal was simple but spectacular with substitute Jamie Barwick playing a ball inside from the left and Ollie Curry taking aim from twenty-five yards out, letting fly with a screamer that grazed the underside of the bar before nestling in the back of the pleasingly rectangular goal net.

It was at this point that Geoff Taunton-Collins' pre-match instruction to try some fancy tricks proved spectacularly unwise. Barely two minutes after the restart Harrow were again on the attack as Hutchinson drove towards the Salopian box. Having ridden two challenges he then eschewed a simple square pass, instead following his captain's orders by trying some bizarre rabona cross to the back post. Predictably the ball fell straight to a Salopian defender in front of him who hoofed it back into the Harrow half, giving Orr-Ewing a foot race with the lone Salopian striker. The striker did well to ride the challenge on the edge of the box, round Pittalis, who to this point had been a spectator in the game, and slide the ball in from a narrow angle.

It was desperately frustrating to concede an equaliser in such circumstances and especially so soon after taking the lead - even more so when the side had twice done the same thing against Chigwell the week before.

Nevertheless there was optimism at the break and a determination to continue playing in the same vein in the second half.

In fact the second half was a mirror image of the first, with Salopians again contesting well for the opening spell before the visitors superior quality on the ball began to tell. The two Curry's in midfield were the major difference, winning plenty of ball and driving forward in turns. The Salops 'keeper was forced into several saves from decent Harrow strikes, on each occasion fumbling the ball.

Despite playing some excellent football at times, the visitors earned the win thanks to two scrappy goals from close-range in quick succession. Twice the ball was played into the box from the right, Barwick again supplying one pass, Lederman the other from a corner. Twice the ball fell kindly for the Blues, Hutchinson and Soyinka able to turn inside the six yard box and force the ball home, Soyinka's effort only just crossing the line but well spotted by referee Large.

For a while it looked as though the visitors would see out the game in some comfort with Salopians rarely able to threaten. The centre-half pairing of Orr-Ewing and Robinson looked solid at the back and the distribution out improved immensely as the game wore on, the Harrow back four switching the ball with confidence, one suicidal pass from Robinson aside.

With fifteen minutes remaining however the hosts pulled one back thanks to a second superb goal from their striker, who pounced on a loose ball in midfield, carried it forwards and produced a stunning strike into the top corner, Pittalis helpless in goal.

The goal changed the flow of the game completely and Harrow were forced to hang on for the points as they were put under fairly severe pressure. Although the defence remained resolute and Pittalis remained untested in goal, the sense prevailed that there could yet be a twist in the tail - perfectly exemplified when an innocuous pass into the Harrow box should have been routinely cleared but instead hesitation between 'keeper and defence left substitute Woolley screaming 'Nooooo....' in desperation as a Salopian closed in. Fortuantely Pittalis reacted just in time to narrow the angle and prevent what would have been a catastrophic concession.

With the danger averted, the visitors breathed a collective sigh of relief at the final whistle, the three points no more than they deserved despite, again, having made life far harder for themselves than they needed to.

After the game, Jack Orr-Ewing brushed his teeth and headed to a party in Amsterdam whilst everyone else consumed the match tea of chicken goujons, curiously shaped as fish, and chips. A game of rugby eventually began outside and this provided plenty of amusement as Taunton-Collins came up with his second bizarre idea of the day, for the 2s to play a game of rugby 'for a laugh.' A front row of Woolley, Lederman and Alhadeff was suggested before it was quickly agreed there would be little to no interest from anyone in playing rugby again, the Curry's particularly vociferous in their ambivalence towards 'egg-chasers.'

The Blues, remarkably, have now played half their League fixtures but continue unhindered in their quest for glory with a home fixture against Epsomians next Saturday and a chance for revenge for an opening day defeat.

Unfortunately Saturday's two stand-out performers, the Curry brothers, will miss the game. They're watching rugby instead.