Fresh from exiting both Cup competitions in consecutive weeks, the OHAFC 3s finally returned to League action in 2025 and arguably the toughest trip on the fixture list, a long journey to Essex to face Old Brentwoods 4s. The two sides met on the Hill back in late September, the visitors running out comfortable 5-1 winners in a game in which Si Nicholson was red carded for arguing too strenuously with referee Kacper Ignatiuk. But here, four months later and in very different conditions, it was a straight red for a Brentwoods player that would prove crucial to the outcome of the game.

A hard sell at the best of times, this latest trip to Brentwood, in early February and with the Blues struggling near the foot of Division Four, proved even tougher than usual for beleaguered skipper Joss Awdry. Following some frantic efforts in the run up to the weekend, a bare eleven was finally cobbled together, with Si Nicholson forced to don the gloves in goal (for the first time in a decade) and an OHAFC debut at right-back for Alex Slater. Harry Maxwell returned for his first game since coming on as a substitute in the 3s’ opening fixture of the 2022/23 season, partnering Adam Graham up front. Will Brounger was asked to slot in alongside Felix Tritton in the heart of the back four, otherwise the side retained a relatively familiar feel to it.

Conditions at the Old Brentwoods Club were, as usual, far from ideal with the recent rain ensuring the playing surface was once again boggy and only likely to worsen as the game wore on. Nevertheless, the visitors made an encouraging start to proceedings, stitching together some decent passages of play and testing the Brentwoods rearguard with a couple of long balls over the top. The hosts offered little initially but took the lead after a quarter of an hour, firmly against the run of play, and in unfortunate circumstances, when a speculative shot from distance bounced awkwardly inside the penalty area and caught Nicholson off balance, the stand-in keeper slipping in his efforts to reach the ball and watching in horror as it rolled past him into the net.

The visitors responded well to this setback but the game really only sparked into life approaching the half-hour mark when the Brentwoods skipper was suddenly shown a straight red card for his incessant protestations to the referee. Mayhem followed as his teammates then continued the protests, egged on by several spectators from the side. It was several minutes before referee Bolo Lepe restored order, the dismissed player finally leaving the field of play.

The Blues pounced on their man advantage and immediately pressed forwards in search of an equaliser. Holmes and Hayes both posed a threat down the flanks, the former well supported down the left by wing-back Alex Kenderdine-Davies, the latter backed up by debutant Alex Slater, who had made an encouraging start to his OHAFC career with some strong play at the back. As the pressure mounted on the home side’s goal, it was unsurprising that an equaliser duly arrived, the simplest of goals as an unmarked Felix Tritton marched into the penalty area to thump home a header from a well delivered corner from Matthew Ede.

The Blues remained on top for the rest of the half, creating several half chances but unable to break the deadlock. When the half-time whistle blew, the referee was once again met with a series of complaints from those of a Brentwoods persuasion, still unhappy at the dismissal of their skipper.

With only a bare eleven having made the trip, there was little skipper Joss Awdry could do at the break other than encourage his team to redouble their efforts in the second half. The Blues did make a strong start but fell behind for the second time in the game early on, a needless free-kick conceded inside the Harrow half from which the ball was delivered into the box and headed into the bottom corner, the scorer under little pressure.

Once more the Blues had to come from behind, once more they attacked the challenge with gusto, plenty of strong challenges ensuring that referee Bolo Lepe was kept on his toes throughout. As the half wore on, the overriding impression, clearly equally interpreted by the Brentwoods players and supporters, was that the majority of decision were going the visitors’ way. Given the constant questioning of his authority from the very first whistle by the home side, this was perhaps understandable.

Nevertheless, the OHAFC had a game to win and poured forwards in search of the equaliser. Adam Graham and the returning Maxwell both provided a threat up front but the former had clearly left his shooting boots at home, spurning a couple of very presentable chances with efforts that flew wide of the target. But with twenty minutes remaining the visitors were literally handed a way back into the game when a cross into the box was clearly blocked by an outstretched arm. Despite further howls of protest, the spot-kick was eventually confirmed and Graham made up for his earlier misses with a confidently struck effort straight down the middle, the keeper diving early.

The visitors came within inches of snatching all three points in the final ten minutes when Graham was hugely unfortunate to see his volleyed effort on the turn crash against the crossbar and rebound back into play. It was to be the closest either side came to claiming the win, the visitors’ rearguard ensuring that there was little threat of a third for the hosts.

Although this was a typically combative, fractious affair in deepest, darkest Essex, the 3s can be well pleased with their efforts in fairly miserable conditions. Any time an OHAFC side returns from the Old Brentwoods having avoided defeat, the journey home is likely to be a happy one. The 3s remain in relegation danger at the bottom of Division Four but have four games remaining to ensure they keep their heads above water – including two against bottom side the Old King’s Scholars.