Any lingering promotion hopes the OHAFC 2nd XI harboured going into Saturday morning’s fixture at home to Division Three leaders the Old Albanians were firmly extinguished come the final whistle, the hosts competing strongly and remaining in the game until two goals in three minutes late on confirmed the points would be heading back to Hertfordshire. Ben Harrison’s late effort proved nothing more than a consolation and there is now an almost insurmountable gap of ten points between the Blues in fifth and the Old Berkhamstedians 2s in second. Saturday’s hard-earned victory should help fire the Albanians – relegated from Division Two at the end of last season – to bounce straight back up at the first time of asking.

With joint-skipper Tristan David missing only his second fixture of the season, preparations fell to Miles Kellock, whose job proved harder than usual with several other regulars unavailable. Fortunately, the late addition of Charlie Bick at least ensured a spare man would be present, Ben Harrison and Tom Walduck forming a previously untested front three alongside Kellock. Otherwise the XI did have a very settled feel to it with seven of the eight players having started the reverse fixture away to the Albanians back in late October when a late goal for the hosts earned them a rather undeserved 3-2 victory.

On that occasion the home side, who had already established themselves as one of the teams to beat in Division Three, possessed a physically strong, combative side who thrived on direct play and crosses into the box. Wary of a similar threat being posed this time, the Blues were tasked with stopping any deliveries from out wide and urged to play the ball with confidence in a bid to utilise a perceived technical advantage.

Unfortunately, for the second game running, the Blues’ efforts were rather hamstrung by an early error that led to the opposition taking the lead. The first five minutes had, as usual, seen plenty of endeavour but little progressive football, but the visitors were presented with the first sight of goal when centre-back Alexi Pittalis was caught in possession on the edge of the box. The 38 year-old Albanians striker took the chance clinically, firing past keeper Rory Craig from a narrow angle with power and precision and for the third game running the Blues were left to come from behind.

But just as they had done away to Merchant Taylors in the Junior League Cup a fortnight ago, the 2s responded strongly and for the remainder of the half competed on equal terms with a strong, well organised Albanians side. Chances proved hard to come by at either end, Rory Craig producing one excellent save from close range midway through the half when an Albanian player found himself a yard of space inside the box. For the hosts, it became apparent that balls played in behind the back four may produce the greatest joy, but, frustratingly, first Lederman and then Bick, off the bench after half an hour, continually missed with their attempted targets. Harrison, Walduck and Kellock all saw plenty of the ball but, perhaps unsurprisingly, there was a slight lack of understanding and cohesion, too often a Harrovian in an advanced position left isolated.

The hosts were also frustrated by some marginal offside calls in their efforts to spring the ball forwards quickly, a frustration which grew exponentially in the second half as the referee’s whistle became the main obstacle to an equaliser.

Given the encouraging closing twenty minutes to the first half, the eleven remained the same for the restart, Lederman on the bench, Bick partnering Palazzo and Ed Stewart in midfield. The opening ten minutes of the second half proved rather stodgy with much of the play concentrated in the middle third and neither keeper troubled in any way. But as the half wore on, the hosts gradually began to crank up the pressure, enjoying more of the ball and forcing the Albanians to retreat into their own half. The visitors remained a threat on the counter, but with their main striker also now substituted, the back four of Taunton-Collins, Pittalis, Grasso and Nicholls appeared comfortable.

Unfortunately, it was a similar story at the other end of the pitch, with the Albanians strengths clearly their fitness and physical stature, allied to a grim determination to hold onto their narrow lead. For a quarter of an hour skipper Miles Kellock became the main focal point, tormenting the right side of the Albanian defence but unable to create the one clear chance needed. Ben Harrison and Tom Walduck also threw themselves into the contest but, again, the bit of quality required in the final third never quite arrived. A few crosses were delivered into the box, a couple of free-kicks were dealt with.

With twenty minutes left the sides remained separated by just the solitary early goal and a grandstand finish seemed likely. But fate would then deliver a cruel blow to the home side, skipper Kellock falling under a challenge on the goal line and, following a few minutes assessing the damage, he limped rather gingerly around to the halfway line. Momentum shifted almost instantly and as the Albanians ventured into the Harrow half for almost the first time in a quarter of an hour, some slack marking at a throw-in on the right side of the defence saw the ball worked to the edge of the box where a midfielder produced a superb strike, arrowing the ball into the far corner. Moments later the game was over as a contest as some rather sloppy play out from the back saw possession lost midway inside the Harrow half and a cross into the box saw the striker with the freedom of the penalty area, the referee ignoring pleas for offside – something of a surprise given the extraordinary number of marginal calls that seemed to go against the hosts any time they played a ball forwards.

The Blues did eventually find a way through with five minutes remaining, Charlie Bick clipping the ball through and Harrison running on to finish calmly past the keeper with a flick of his boot, but by this stage the destination of the points was set and there was only cursory celebration.

Defeat finally kills any lingering promotion hopes, but the Blues have shown in their previous two fixtures that they are firmly able to compete with sides from the division above (which the Albanians surely will be come the end of the season) – a little bit more quality in the final third and cutting out unnecessary errors at the back the small differences over the past two outings. The side now have four games left to play, beginning with another tough assignment away to the Old Alleynians 3s next weekend.