A youthful OHAFC 1st XI including two debutants were consigned to their second consecutive defeat of the season in disappointing fashion, suffering a 3-1 reverse away to the Old Radleians on the astroturf in Whitton on Saturday afternoon. Frustratingly, the pattern of the game, for the first half at least, followed last week’s defeat at home to the Old Wykehamists, with the OHAFC on top and creating chances only to then fall behind against the run of play, infuriatingly conceding twice just before the interval. Despite outstanding debutant Charles Edu scoring a magnificent solo effort with a quarter of an hour remaining, the visitors failed to find the equaliser and the Radleians made sure of the win with a late set-piece effort.

The Blues came into this fixture with plenty of confidence despite last weekend’s frustrating 2-1 defeat at home to the Old Wykehamists, a game which the hosts dominated for long spells. The Old Radleians have become a regular fixture on the OHAFC circuit in recent years and games between the two teams have always been vigorously contested with the results impossible to predict. Last season the Blues won comfortably on the Hill in early December but were then beaten 2-0 in late January in the reverse fixture.

Despite the optimism, the visitors were rather hamstrung with poor availability - disappointingly so given the fine weather and freshness of the new season. Skipper Dan Firoozan – still injured – and vice-captain Ed Beecham remained unavailable and only five of the thirteen-man squad from the Winchester game made the trip down to Whittn. Jack Dolbey made his 1s debut in central midfield following promotion from the 2s and there were two first ever appearances in OHAFC colours for 18 year-old debutants Charles Edu, at centre-back, and Kitan Akindele, playing as the lone striker. It was also pleasing to see the return to action of wide man Ollie Atkinson following a lengthy injury lay-off.

Conditions in southwest London were perfect with only a slight breeze and the recently re-laid artificial surface still in excellent condition. The visitors made the brighter start, just as they had done against the Wykehamists last weekend, and were quickly zipping the ball around on the pristine surface. Although they enjoyed the lions’ share of possession, chances proved hard to come by and skipper Fraser McGuinness was moved to make a tactical switch midway through the half, asking Jack Dolbey to play at left-back, Stan d’Angelin at right-back and moving Alfie Hayes into midfield. The main protagonist throughout this promising spell was Chester Robinson who continued to show his class in the middle of the pitch, linking play and feeding the front men. Harrow’s best chance of the half fell to Oli Acar, whose first-time effort from Kitan Akindele’s cross was blocked on the line by a covering defender.

The Radleians, for the most part, offered little of a threat going forwards and although McGuinness had made a couple of decent saves from speculative shots, it appeared as though the sides would go into the break with the scores level at 0-0. But a calamitous five minutes just before the interval saw the hosts score twice to take a firm, albeit undeserved grip on the game. Both goals were eminently avoidable from a Harrovian perspective. The first saw the Radleians counter having defended a corner and although Charles Edu initially did well to claim the loose ball, he was then robbed of it trying to beat an attacker, the ball was played wide to the onrushing striker and he cut inside before curling a shot just inside the far post. If that was rather unfortunate, what happened next was downright sloppy. Almost straight from kick-off the visitors lost possession courtesy of an under-hit square pass across the edge of their own penalty area and the Radley striker pounced to run in on goal and finish comfortably. A tight 0-0 game with the OHAFC looking the more likely to score had suddenly become a 2-0 deficit – an almost carbon copy of what happened in the opening fixture of the season against the Wykehamists.

Despite the setback, the side remained optimistic going into the second half, fully aware that an early goal would immediately return the pressure back onto the home side. The Blues were now playing into the slight breeze and although they again enjoyed the bulk of possession, clear-cut chances continued to elude them, such that the Radley keeper was almost bereft of any meaningful work. It took a moment of sheer brilliance from the 18 year-old debutant Charles Edu to forge a way back into the game for the men in blue. The youngster, now deployed in midfield with the side switched to a more attacking 3-4-3 formation, collected a long throw from his skipper, beat his marker then drove between two more opponents, beat another defender, carried the ball into the box and curled a shot into the far top corner. As debut goals go, this has to be one of the greatest ever scored by an OHAFC player.

A quarter of an hour remained for the visitors to find an equaliser but the Radleians held firm and denied the visitors any clear sights of goal. Instead, with five minutes remaining, the men in red took advantage of a generous free-kick decision against Jack Dolbey to deliver a cross into the Harrow box where it was headed in from eight yards out and the destination of the points was decided.

This proved yet another frustrating afternoon for the Blues, who have now lost their opening two games in a Division One season for the first time since the turn of the century. The side must find a way of taking advantage of their periods of dominance whilst also ensuring maximum concentration as the first half draws to a close. The Blues now travel to the astroturf in Gunnersbury Park for tricky encounter against the newly-promoted Old Ardinians – the two sides will meet again in October in the first round of the Arthur Dunn Cup, so this first League meeting will hold extra significance.