In similar fashion to the OHAFC 1st XI earlier in the day, the 3s had to survive a hard-fought first half against the Old Stoics before moving through the gears in the second and securing a comfortable 5-1 win that lifts the team top of Division Four for the first time since the side was re-established in 2012.

Star of Saturday’s win was Harry Bick, who followed up his brace against Alleynians 2s last weekend with a hat-trick, sending him clear at the top of the OHAFC goalscoring charts this season.

Despite the one-sided scoreline however, Saturday’s win required every ounce of effort and skill from the thirteen-man squad. On a beautiful autumnal day on Harrow Hill, visitors Stowe, whose only previous fixture against the OHAFC had resulted in a 3-2 extra-time defeat to the 2s in the Junior League Cup in 2014, produced a battling first half display, closing down all over the pitch and generally making life uncomfortable for Nick Kapoor and his men.

Harrow struggled to find their rhythm but were gifted the lead just before the half-hour mark when Kyle Barrett was fouled inside the box attempting to latch onto a long throw from younger brother Callum. Harry Bick stepped up and made no mistake, planting the ball beyond the keeper’s grasp into the bottom right corner.

But the lead lasted a little over five minutes, the visitors hitting back from a counter that ended with a cross from out wide being turned past Chuka Ilogu from close range. The 1-1 half-time scoreline wasn’t unfair.

Youngsters Alex Kenderdine-Davies and Felix Tritton were brought on and the second half began with the hosts enjoying more of the ball but still struggling to create many clear-cut chances. Indeed, the Blues had to wait until almost the final twenty minutes before re-taking the lead: Bick delivered a corner to the far post, Connor Barrett fed it back across goal and brother Kyle poked in from a few yards out.

With the points slipping away from them, Stowe pressed men forwards in search of an equaliser and this left them exposed at the back. Harrow took full advantage, scoring three times in the final quarter of an hour.

A quick break saw Charlie Bick feed his younger brother through the middle and despite seeing his first attempt parried by the keeper, Harry held his nerve to collect the rebound, dribble round the stranded custodian and finish from a narrow angle.

Harry completed his hat-trick seven minutes later from another break, feeding Ned Callander out wide. The fleet-footed front man took on the centre back, who managed to halt his progress, but the ball ran free on the edge of the box and Bick finished expertly into the bottom corner to make it 4-1 and put the game beyond Stowe’s reach.

At this stage, with the points safely in the bag, skipper Kapoor brought himself on up front and he scored his second goal in consecutive games, finishing superbly into the bottom corner from another Ned Callander assist to cap another excellent OHAFC performance.

Clearly the standard in Division Four is higher than that experienced last season, but the OHAFC 3s have already shown that they have little to fear in more exalted company. Seven points from three games sees the side top the table and they now have a week off before returning to action in a fortnight with a tricky looking fixture away to Brentwoods 2s.

*Many thanks to Harry Bick for his assistance with this match report