A disastrous final five minutes cost the OHAFC 2nd XI the chance to go top of the table after the first two games of their season and register consecutive victories at the start of a campaign for the first time since the abandoned, Covid-hit season of 2019/20. Second half goals from Spencer Crawley and Tristan David appeared to have proved sufficient to see off an obstinate Old Alleynians 3s side on the Hill, but the visitors pulled a rather fortuitous goal back with four minutes remaining before snatching an unlikely point in the dying seconds when a misplaced backpass fell kindly for their striker who rounded keeper Rory Craig before rolling into an empty net. The dramatic concession of two late goals understandably left the Blues feeling very much as if they had just lost.

Following an excellent opening day 3-1 win over the Old Carthusians 2s on the lower Phil pitch, the 2s this week entertained the Alleynians on the main ground and were able to welcome back striker Owain James for his first appearance of the fledgling season. Youngster Archie Nicholls made his OHAFC debut at left-back and Galen Crawley was the lone substitute, older brother Spencer promoted to the starting XI alongside Lederman and the returning Max Curry in midfield.

The game kicked off ten minutes late with referee Sachin Patel arriving at the ground a few minutes late and then trying to assist contacting the 3s referee who hadn’t turned up. When it did get underway, it was the visitors who quickly took control, enjoying a strong opening quarter of an hour and pinning the hosts back inside their own half. The back four of Taunton-Collins, Grasso, Palazzo and debutant Nicholls remained steadfast defensively, but possession was consistently frittered away and the Blues were non-existent as an attacking threat in this opening phase.

But once the Alleynians’ initial burst had been weathered, the hosts began to come out of their shell and some excellent football followed down both sides of the pitch. Several corners were forced, although the delivery perhaps left a little to be desired, but the best chance of the entire half fell to joint-skipper Tristan David, who raced onto Lederman’s pass only to delay his finish and allow the keeper to block from close range as the angle narrowed from the right.

Galen Crawley replaced his brother in the Harrow midfield on the half-hour mark and immediately looked comfortable on the ball, but it was the visitors who finished the half stronger, the Blues once more struggling to maintain possession on the rather hard pitch. Although the half finished goalless, there was plenty to admire from both sides, the OHAFC fully aware that the Alleynians’ lowly League position was in no way reflective of their footballing ability.

Half-time saw Lederman replaced by Spencer Crawley and the first ten minutes proved fairly even with neither side able to dominate possession or territory. But it was the home side who gradually began to gain the upper hand, driven on by the excellent Galen Crawley in midfield and some strong wing play from Tristan David, who consistently cut inside from the right to play his favourite switch ball out to the other side. The Blues, playing in their red change strip, looked threatening and two goals inside ten minutes midway through the half saw their superiority now reflected on the scoreboard. The first came from a free-kick to the left of the penalty area, Miles Kellock having been tripped on one of his mazy dribbles. Initially, David’s ball to the edge of the box looked a poor one and Spencer Crawley’s volley on the half-turn appeared equally innocuous. But the aim was true, the Alleynians keeper rather flat-footed and the ball sailed through everyone before nestling inside the right-hand post.

The home side then took full control with a superb goal on the break, the ball won on the edge of the Harrow box and Galen Crawley feeding the sprinting David through the middle. The Alleynians keeper committed fully, racing out of his box to intercept but the forward beat him to it, carried the ball forwards for a few strides before slotting into the empty net just as a despairing lunge arrived from a covering defender.

Twenty-five minutes remained and the home side were well on top. Nicholls, who enjoyed a strong debut on the left was withdrawn and Galen Crawley asked to fill in, Lederman returning to the midfield. As time ticked down, the Blues became rather stretched defensively, but the back four continued to do the basics well and the visitors appeared to have pretty much run out of ideas. A few shots flew high and wide, keeper Rory Craig parried one effort from long range. A clean sheet seemed well within the hosts’ grasp, but with just under five minutes remaining a stroke of luck gave the visitors a lifeline. The Alleynians worked the ball well through the midfield and from right to left, the winger cutting back and curling a cross into the box. The onrushing striker lunged for the ball, just failing to get a touch, but Craig was deceived and could only watch in horror as the ball curled beyond him and just inside the far post.

Initial panic at suddenly being made to sweat for the three points soon gave way to some assured possession from the hosts and, as the game entered added time, it once again seemed as if the Alleynians’ threat had been snuffed out for good. The Blues had comfortable possession on the left but skipper Kellock was closed down and, facing towards his own goal, tried to pass back to Palazzo only to fire the ball beyond him and straight into the path of the loitering striker. Craig hesitated before coming to close but the Alleynians skipper did well to toe the ball past him and roll it in from close range, agonisingly waiting until the last moment to confirm the dramatic equaliser. Barely a minute remained and, understandably, Harrow heads remained bowed. The final whistle signalled only a lengthy period of silence on the sideline as the squad struggled to comprehend what had just occurred.

Back in the sanctuary of the dressing room however, the mood lifted somewhat and thoughts turned to next week’s first away game of the season, the lengthy trip down to Kent to face the Old Sennockians – another side who have made a strong start to the campaign.