The third and final part of the 2024/25 Harrovians v Ardinians trilogy saw honours even on the Hill, ensuring that both sides ended a first season in opposition with one win, one defeat and a draw apiece. Goals from George Taylor and Alfie Hayes either side of the break twice earned the hosts the lead, but twice the Ardinians fought back to level and despite the home side looking the more threatening throughout, and hitting the crossbar in the final minute, the game ended in an honourable 2-2 draw that leaves both sides still with plenty of work to do at either end of the table.

Having been soundly beaten 7-3 in the first League meeting in Gunnersbury Park at the end of September, the OHAFC gained a measure of revenge with an excellent 3-1 victory in the first round of the Arthur Dunn Cup on the Hill a month later. This latest meeting then, on the Harrow astroturf, was to prove the decider, with both sides desperate for the points for very different reasons. Having made all the running at the top of Division One prior to Christmas, the Ardinians have since dropped to third, one place outside the promotion spots, albeit just a solitary point behind both the Old Brentwoods and Old Wykehamsits. In contrast, the OHAFC sit just two points and a solitary spot above the drop zone, and with four of their final seven League fixtures against sides in the top four spots in the table, the Blues cannot waste a single opportunity to climb higher up the table.

The Blues were boosted ahead of Saturday by the welcome return to action of skipper Dan Firoozan, who missed the only 1st XI game since Christmas a fortnight ago as he welcomed the arrival of his first child. Despite some late and unexpected withdrawals, a squad of fourteen still travelled up to the Hill, with Charlie Bick another player to return to much fanfare following a lengthy layoff with a knee injury. Younger brother Harry lined up on the left of the front three in a potent attacking trident alongside George Taylor and Will Payne. Ciaran Jordan and Stan d’Angelin joined Charlie on the bench.

Conditions on the Hill were seasonably wintery, a cold, grey shroud hanging over the treetops, temperatures in low single figures. The visitors started the game sharply, a 3-0 win over the Old Wykehamists in their previous outing suggesting that they have now rediscovered their top form. As a consequence, the Blues were rather rushed in their approach, the early Ardinians pressure forcing some rather hurried clearances and aimless long balls forwards. But the back four of Hayes, Ed Nicholson, Beecham and Owen Edmunds provided a solid line of defiance and keeper Fraser McGuinness was well protected in the Harrow goal, to the extent that the opening twenty minutes saw very little goalmouth incident of note. The Blues did counter once, Firoozan feeding Payne on the break but the referee’s whistle cut short the attack for a tight offside.

But moments later it was the same two players who created the first goal of the game, slightly against the run of play, Firoozan again feeding Payne on the left and he picked out George Taylor inside the box, the striker turning and finding the bottom corner with a lovely shot – his fifth league goal from five appearances so far this season. Buoyed by this, the home side then pressed forwards in search of a second, Firoozan and Payne linking up yet again but the Ardinians keeper timing his sprint off his line to perfection to smother Payne’s effort as he arrived into the box. The opposition keeper was quickly becoming the busiest man on the pitch as he was then called upon to save an effort from the goalscorer, who slightly miscued his shot from Harry Bick’s free-kick.

By this stage The Ardinians were being forced to play on the counter, although they did threaten a couple of times, Fraser McGuinness forced into one save from the dangerous right winger, who latched onto a ball over the top, the resulting corner to the near post was well cleared. A few half-hearted efforts from range proved far easier to deal with and the half-time whistle blew with the home side a goal to the good and growing in confidence following a relatively tricky opening.

The skipper rang the changes at the break, introducing both Stan d’Angelin and Ciaran Jordan, and this required a reshuffle with Alfie Hayes pushing up to right wing and George Taylor dropping back into the ten role, the skipper removing himself temporarily from the fray. The message at the break was clear, keep the intensity levels high, keep pushing, but try to play with a little more composure: the occasions when the side had played out from the back had proven highly profitable and with a one-goal lead, the confidence to do this more often should grow.

As it transpired, those words had barely stopped ringing in Harrovian ears when the visitors levelled the match at 1-1. Five minutes of fairly frantic, scrappy play had swept by when the Ardinians quickly played a short corner on their left, the ball was delivered into the box, flicked off a header at the near post and fell perfectly for an attacker to fire home first time from close range.

The home side were now back to square one but didn’t panic and gradually began to rediscover their rhythm as the half wore on. Wide men Payne and Hayes enjoyed plenty of the ball and the hosts began to threaten with increasing menace, albeit still unable to find the incisive pass to unlock a resolute Ardinians rearguard. It took a moment of magic from vice-captain Ed Beecham with just over twenty minutes remaining to seize the initiative. Spying the Ardinians left-back was out of position, Beech launched a superb long ball forwards from the edge of his own box, his pass sailing over the head of the full-back and allowing winger Hayes to run through on goal. Pursued by his marker, Hayes showed great strength and determination to shrug off the defender, sending him crashing to the turf, before smashing the bouncing ball into the far top corner on the half-volley.

It was to prove Hayes’ final contribution to the game, with the skipper making another trio of changes, George Taylor also forced off with a slight knock. Twenty minutes remained for the home side to hold on for a famous victory, but once more they failed to hold onto their advantage for very long. Within five minutes the visitors were level for the second time, the Harrow midfield unable to press their opponents and a diagonal ball over the right side of the hosts’ back four allowed a cross to be cut back to the edge of the box, the resulting first-time effort was well saved by McGuinness but the rebound was snaffled by the alert striker and once more the outcome was back in the balance.

To the hosts’ great credit they dominated the closing stages and did more than enough to score the vital fifth goal of the game without quite managing to do so. Ciaran Jordan dinked a shot over the keeper only for it to roll agonisingly wide of the far post, Ed Nicholson flashed a header just wide of the same upright before, in the final moments, the nearest miss of all – Ciaran Jordan crossing from the left, Firoozan timing his run into the box perfectly only to see his low, stooping header loop over the Ardinians keeper but bounce back off the crossbar, Beecham unable to convert the rebound. Moments later the final whistle blew, bringing to an end a highly entertaining ninety minutes that showcased Arthurian League football at its best.

Although the result itself could perhaps be considered slightly disappointing given the level of performance, this game once more provided proof that a fit, firing, fully available OHAFC side are more than capable of competing with the best sides in the division – the missing ingredient is clearly consistency, both in availability and application. The Blues now enjoy a week off before a crunch fixture away to the Old Rugbeians down in Whitton. The Rugbeians sit in the bottom two and an OHAFC victory would send them deeper into the mire as the season reaches the vital closing stages.