The OHAFC 1st XI earned themselves a lifeline in their quest to maintain their Arthurian League Premier Division status this season with a hard-fought 2-1 win against second-placed Forest on Saturday afternoon. The victory, just their second in the League this campaign, arrived courtesy of a goal in each half from Alex Gilbert and Nick Scarborough. In between, Forest had spurned the chance of an equaliser courtesy of a less than clear-cut penalty but then drawn level with a wonderful goal.

The OHAFC squad of thirteen named for the fixture included four regular 2nd XI players in Taunton-Collins, who started at right-back, Alhadeff, who played on the left wing, and Lederman and Woolley, who were both named on the bench. Alex Breeden returned from his ‘reading week’ travels and he played just behind lone striker Alex Gilbert, thankfully fully fit after suffering an awkward fall in training on Wednesday night.

A familiar face returned to the Hill for the first time in several years as referee Alan Greenberg donned his trusty beanie hat, even though conditions were fairly pleasant with a hint of spring sunshine and what breeze there was blowing straight down the slope towards the Alcock Pavilion. The pitch had been freshly mowed and the surface was as perfect as it has been all season, although underfoot it was slightly soggier than in previous weeks.

As could be expected against a side who have occupied a top-two spot for practically the whole season, the game began at a frantic pace with Forest keen to use both their wide men and fire longer balls into their sturdy main striker, who kept centre-halves Yunus Sert and Kyle Barrett fully occupied.

For Harrow, the trio in central midfield of Poulter, Scarborough and Breeden did their best to hassle and harry their opponents into mistakes and feed wide men Alhadeff and Duah, although such was the pace of the game that attacking with precision was nigh on impossible for either side.

Forest had shown flashes of invention down their right with their pacey winger giving Hamish Macintye a torrid time, but the youngster stuck to his task admirably, denying his man time and again as he sought to beat him on the outside. With the visitors looking sharper in possession but unable to trouble Fred Milln in the Harrow goal, it was against the run of play that Harrow opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour thanks to some persistence down the right from Alex Breeden, who wriggled free from a couple of challenges to cross the ball low into the Forest box. Alex Gilbert arrived in the six yard box slightly too early but adjusted superbly, twisting to flick the ball with his right heel behind his standing foot and send it looping into the far corner.

The goal lifted the hosts, unsurprisingly given the fragile state of confidence that one win all season brings, and they threatened further with Alhadeff breaking inside past two challenges before just failing to beat the final defender. Skipper Poulter’s long-range effort from a free-kick was slightly less threatening however, the ball landing in the cricket square some thirty yards away from its intended target.

The game was interrupted on the half hour by a rather curious incident that ended with Forest being awarded a penalty. Another long ball down their right saw Macintyre and the Forest winger tussle for possession. The defender again did excellently, winning the ball and turning inside but the referee had spotted a shirt tug and blew his whistle, no-one quite sure what for. Clearly with some doubt in his mind, referee Greenberg wandered over to linesman Woolley to ask if he had seen the incident. When the reply came back in the negative, the official blew his whistle again and pointed to the spot. The three-step run up from the Forest striker suggested supreme confidence but clearly belied some nerves as the ball was placed a yard wide of the left-hand post, Milln have gone the wrong way.

It was to be the closest either side came to scoring before half-time, with Forest mustering several long-range efforts but little else and Harrow content to scrap for everything in a bid to preserve their lead.

No changes were made at the break with even linesman Woolley keen to continue in his role, his moment of glory giving a glimpse of what the future may hold once his playing days are over. He excitedly trotted over to the far side, flag in hand, ready to pounce on the next incident the referee failed to spot.

The opening spell of the second half was a frantic one with the game far more open than in the first forty-five minutes. Forest threw everything at their opponents and came agonisingly close levelling when a flowing move ended with a shot being drilled low to Milln’s left, the big man getting down well to block. Minutes later it looked as if he was beaten when another Forest attack saw the Harrow ‘keeper stranded on the ground and an apparently open goal for the Forest striker to fire into. From nowhere, right-back Geoff Taunton-Collins threw himself across the goalmouth with a desperate lunge, blocking the shot and diverting it wide of goal.

Harrow were clinging on but there was nothing they could to prevent the Forest equaliser with half an hour to go. Another superb run down the right from their winger saw him speed past Macintyre, possibly with the aid of a slight nudge, and chip the ball towards the penalty spot. One of the Forest midfielders timed his run to perfection, meeting the ball on the run and heading it firmly past Milln into the bottom corner.

At this stage it would have been easy for Harrow to collapse given the nature of some of their performances this season, but the Blues remained resolute, Poulter, Breeden and Scarborough charging all over the field, perhaps not always in synch with each other.

With a quarter of the game remaining, both sides made changes: Forest, thankfully, withdrawing both their winger, who appeared injured, and their main striker, Harrow switching Lederman on for Alhadeff with the veteran moving into his favoured right wing role and Jesse Duah switching to the left. Duah was an energetic presence all day, consistently driving forwards with the ball without quite finding the telling final pass or shot.

With time running out, both sides knew a second goal would be vital and it was the hosts who created the next chance, Macintyre storming down the left wing and delivering a sumptuous low cross that bisected the Forest defenders and goalkeeper. Lederman arrived late at the back post but as the ball bobbled he mistimed his finish, scuffing the ball into the side netting from a tight angle.

Fortunately the miss didn’t prove costly. Shortly afterwards Harrow earned a throw on their right in the attacking third and Alex Gilbert, who had run his socks off in his lone role up front, refused to let the ball run out of play, outmuscling the Forest centre half and shrugging him aside before pulling it back to Nick Scarborough to thump first-time into the far corner. A superb strike.

Forest reacted in desperation, throwing everyone forwards in the final ten minutes. At one stage a cry of ‘Come on, we’re not going to lose to this lot are we?’ was bellowed out by a Forester, clearly unhappy at the prospect of another unexpected defeat – the side from north-east London had lost to fellow strugglers Brentwoods just a fortnight earlier.

But Harrow held on well, every player running themselves into the ground in order to hold onto the precious lead, and the final whistle was greeted with cries of joy and relief in equal measure. The side had performed with a determination and a defensive solidity seen all too rarely this season, the back four all playing outstandingly well. Going forwards there is still work to be done, but once again the effort from all twelve players was beyond reproach.

Whilst they remain bottom of the table, the win now gives Harrow some hope in their bid to stay up. The next two games will surely determine their fate, with both third-bottom Marlborough (next week) and second-bottom Brentwoods (the week after) due on the Hill. Harrow’s final game is away to champions-elect Charterhouse, never an enticing prospect at the best of times, so two wins in the next two weeks are a must.