The OHAFC 1st XI held off the determined challenge of the Old Berkhamstedians on Saturday afternoon to record their sixth League win in seven games and tighten their grip on second place in Division One of the Arthurian League. With the two sides below them, Lancing and Repton, both dropping points, the OHAFC now know that two wins and a draw from their final three games would be enough to secure second spot and promotion into the Premier Division.

As has been the case for several of the 1st XI games this season, the build-up was less than ideal, with Jonny Lalude a late withdrawal from the squad due to a niggling knee injury and Oliver Acar, not for the first time, failing to show. This meant that only a bare eleven would be changing – although even that was delayed as the changing rooms were only unlocked half an hour prior to kick-off, meaning a warm-up that lasted barely fifteen minutes.

Conditions on the Hill were tricky, with some freshly created drainage holes covering a rather dry Phil pitch 1 and a strong breeze blowing across the ground. The late absentees from the squad meant a reshuffle to the starting formation with Fred Richardson, making just his third appearance of the season, dropping in alongside returning skipper Yunus Sert at the back, Alex Breeden starting on the right of the midfield quartet, with Chester Robinson and Jack Hill in the middle and Dan Firoozan on the left. In fact, just seven of the eleven players featured in the fourteen who had beaten the Berkhamstedians 4-2 on the astroturf in Chiswick back in November in the first meeting between the teams.

It was the visitors who began the game brightly, although in truth the conditions meant little football of quality was played. Neither side was able to get the ball down and maintain possession for any length of time, the vaunted OHAFC attack of James Breeden and Mike Okoigun forced to feed off scraps.

Berkhamsteds managed to force a string of corners from which they looked dangerous, Fraser McGuinness doing well to tip a header over the bar. But from another delivery into the box, Mike Okoigun got himself in a tangle at the near post, jumping with his hand raised and referee Alan Greenberg was well-positioned to spot the unintentional contact, immediately pointing to the spot. McGuinness had no chance with the strike and twenty minutes in the hosts found themselves a goal down.

The game continued to meander with the quality of football hampered by both the pitch and atmospheric conditions, so it was with some relief that within a quarter of an hour the Blues were back on level terms courtesy of their best move of the game: Hamish MacIntyre and Dan Firoozan combined down the left, the ball was squared to Jack Hill inside and he in turn fed Alex Breeden on the right who drilled a low cross towards the near post. There is was met by a combination of Alex’s younger brother James and a Berkhamsted defender, the latter getting the decisive touch on the ball to send it flying into the back of the net.

The goal lifted Harrow spirits and they gradually began to take control as the half neared its conclusion. The attack was still being kept at arms' ’length with a few long shots and corners the sum total of the improvement in play, but just a few minutes before the break another corner brought a welcome second for the hosts: Chester Robinson delivered the ball to the back post, Yunus Sert met it with a well-directed header back across goal and James Breeden was in the right place at the right time to poke the ball over the line from barely a yard out for his twentieth League goal of the season.

With no changes possible, the Blues changed ends for the second half determined to preserve their lead at all costs against one of the four sides below them in the table with a credible chance of challenging for promotion.

And they were handed a golden opportunity to help their cause when Dan Firoozan was tripped inside the box just five minutes after the restart. Remarkably for a man who has proved so lethal in front of goal over the past season and a half, James Breeden tamely struck his effort from the spot to the keeper’s left and he blocked the shot with his knees. The miss seemed to cause the striker’s confidence to drop and for much of the remainder of the game he posed minimal threat to the opposition.

Fortunately, the second half became mired in some stodgy football from both sides with the main protagonists the Berkhamsted centre-half and Harrow striker Mike Okoigun who began waging their own personal battle throughout, both players venting their opinions at regular intervals. The escalating tension came to a head shortly before the end when the Berkhamsted player committed a crude challenge on Okoigun, fortunately no lasting damage was suffered.

And it was only in the final minute on an increasingly ill-tempered contest that the visitors glimpsed sight of a chance to earn a point, a header back across goal from the Berkhamstedians number seven was tipped onto the bar by McGuinness and an almighty goalmouth scramble ensued before the ball was eventually cleared and the win confirmed.

It was very much a case of job done for the Blues, who fell short of the excellent levels of performance shown in recent weeks but still emerged victorious thanks to a disciplined, tenacious effort. There is clear momentum behind the side now and the finish line is in sight with just two fixtures against the struggling Old Cholmeleians and the trip to Lancing to come. But the team will have a wait before resuming hostilities – the next 1st XI fixture, at home to the Old Cholmeleians, is not until March 16th. By then, the points requirements from the final trio of games to ensure promotion should be much clearer.

*Thanks to Fraser McGuinness for his assistance with this report