The OHAFC 2nd XI recorded an opening day victory for the first time in five seasons, a strong performance on the Hill seeing them beat the Old Carthusians 2s 3-1 in Division Three of the Arthurian League on Saturday morning.

The Blues, under new leadership this season, with Miles Kellock and Tristan David taking over the reins from long-time skipper Geoff Taunton-Collins, got off to the perfect start when their former captain rose to glance home Kellock’s corner at the near post inside five minutes. And a quarter of an hour later it was the other veteran in the side, 50 year old David Lederman, who doubled the advantage, collecting a pass inside from the returning Andres Hutchinson and firing an effort over the keeper from 25 yards out.

The visitors enjoyed a strong spell prior to the break and pulled a goal back just before the interval, a well-worked effort that ended with a shot clipped past keeper Rory Craig. A tense second half saw the visitors press early but the men in blue regrouped and grew stronger as the game wore on. Nevertheless, it was a remarkable own goal that eventually confirmed the destination of the points, the Charterhouse right-back collecting a throw-in and, under no pressure whatsoever, firing a backpass beyond his own startled keeper and into an unguarded net.

Following nine fantastic seasons under Taunton-Collins’ assured captaincy, the twelve players who arrived on a sunlit Hill early on Saturday morning could have been forgiven for anticipating a much-changed build up to the opening game of the new season. In reality, however, joint-skippers Kellock and David, assisted by new vice-captain Ludo Palazzo, kept much the same, including the starting XI. The most notable addition was the return of flying winger Andres Hutchinson, back after a two-year break in Madrid and eager to pick up where he left off. He would start up front with the usual 4-2-3-1 formation retained, Lederman and Palazoo joined in midfield by James Cleverly, who had made only a handful of appearances for the club previously. The back four was full of experience with Taunton-Collins back in the ranks and doubtless about to enjoy a season of football without the additional burden of the captaincy.

There was also a familiar face in the middle, with newly appointed Referee Secretary Kacper Ignatiuk taking charge – the spread bet price on the number of yellow cards shown by Kacper to OHAFC players this season currently stands at 38-40, which would represent a modest increase on last season’s fine effort.

Both Phil pitches are in fine fettle with the poor summer weather ensuring the grass could be cut slightly shorter than would normally be the case at this stage of the year. And the home side took full advantage in a highly encouraging first half an hour that saw them on the front foot for most of it. Indeed, straight from kick-off the Blues ventured into opposition territory down the left, recycled possession and then worked the ball down the opposite flank. Only four minutes had elapsed when a corner was won on the left, Kellock whipped the ball into the near post and Taunton-Collins rose superbly to flick home a header inside the far post. His teammates’ reactions were joy mixed with mild surprise at the manner of the finish, the wide man so often the one delivering the crosses for others to benefit from.

The goal understandably saw confidence grow inside the home ranks, memories of last season’s 4-2 win over the same opponent on the Harrow astroturf still fresh in the memory. The hosts continued to press forwards, at times playing some excellent football, with Tristan David spurning a glorious chance to double the lead when he fired inches wide of the far post with just the keeper to beat. It didn’t matter however, as further excellent play quickly led to the second arriving after twenty minutes. A quick break down the left saw the ball worked out wide to Andres Hutchinson. As Carthusians funnelled back behind the ball he played a square pass into the middle of the opposition half and Lederman collected, ignored shouts from players to the right and instead took aim, firing a shot from twenty-five yards out over the keeper, who was a yard or two further forwards than he should have been, and just under the crossbar.

The goalscorer was then forced off with a rather unfortunate injury, taking the ball square in his ‘midriff’ from barely a couple of yards away. Doubled up in pain on the ground as several players tried to stifle their giggles, the Charterhouse left winger rather cruelly suggested play could continue as it wasn’t a head injury. Spencer Crawley was brought on, Lederman gingerly walking off to the touchline, resisting the temptation to lick his wounds.

The visitors only really began to come into the game in the closing fifteen minutes of the half, although keeper Rory Craig was well protected with Taunton-Collins using his pace to cover whenever centre halves Grasso and Butler were beaten by a ball over the top. The visitors began to dominate possession however and it was far from against the run of play when they pulled a goal back five minutes before the break. A well worked move in the middle of the pitch concluded with a finely weighted through-ball that allowed the striker to run through and clip a neat finish past the onrushing Craig.

Half-time produced an interesting debate among the Harrow ranks with some suggestions to play more directly in the second half – a view not shared by all. But regardless of the tactical nuances, the hosts continued to struggle once play resumed. Butler and Cleverly became the first two OHAFC recipients of yellow cards this season, the latter for a rather cynical, but very necessary hauling down of an opponent to prevent a quick break through the middle. Rory Craig in the Harrow goal was one of the busiest men on the pitch, rushing out of his area on several occasions to sweep up Carthusian through-balls. Indeed, that particular aspect of the game proved a recurring theme with the left winger in particular attempting to find his front men on several occasions only to badly overhit the pass. The closest the visitors came to forcing the equaliser actually arrived from a set-piece, a superb corner was whipped in from the right just beyond the far post but the header failed to match the quality of the delivery and the effort flew high and wide from five yards out.

With an hour played, the Blues began to reassert themselves and Tristan David kept the midfield fresh, rotating all three players along with striker Hutchinson. Crawley was asked to take over up top and he put in an excellent shift, harrying and closing down the opposition defenders. The Blues began to threaten on a regular basis, with Taunton-Collins embarking on several of his trademark charges down the wing, one such run taking out three opponents before a dangerous cross was eventually cleared.

Despite the increasing pressure, there was still all to play for with just the one goal separating the sides going into the final quarter of an hour. But then an extraordinary own goal gifted the OHAFC a third and pretty much sealed the visitors’ fate. A throw-in midway inside the Charterhouse half on the right was taken to the right-back. With no Harrow player closing him down, the defender turned and fired an overhit pass in the vague direction of the keeper, who realised too late the impending problem and could only watch as the ball sped beyond him before rolling into an empty net.

This should have allowed the home side to see out the remainder of the game in some comfort, but five minutes later Giacomo Grasso incurred the referee’s wrath by complaining about a decision and he was sent to the sin bin. With fewer than ten minutes remaining, this meant the home side having to play out the game with ten men. Crawley dropped back into midfield, but urged forwards by the indefatigable Calum Butler at the back, the home side refused to be cowed, continuing to press and make life far from easy for their opponents. The team’s efforts were sufficient to keep their opponents to just a solitary corner as the sum total of their attacks in the final stages, a 3-1 victory a fine way to start the new season.

This performance and result proved in stark contrast to the rather dispiriting 6-1 loss away to Brentwoods on the opening day of last season but there is unlikely to be any complacency in the home ranks ahead of next weekend’s fixture at home to bottom side the Old Alleynians 3s. Last season’s attempts at promotion were undone by an infuriating level of inconsistency that saw the side regularly follow a strong, victorious performance with a timid defeat. Saturday’s second fixture of the fledgling season provides an early opportunity to ensure that particular issue is no longer a problem.