Two second half goals from Dan Abu either side of a Freddie Everett strike earned the OHAFC 3rd XI a vital 3-1 win away to the Old Shirburnians on Saturday afternoon and temporarily, at least, ease relegation worries. A tight first half saw both sides spurn chances on the astroturf in Hampton, the game remaining goalless to the break. The visitors had to weather a Shirburnian storm early in the second half but made the breakthrough just before the hour mark when Dan Abu headed in a Lederman free-kick. The goalscorer then turned provider with a powerful run down the right before crossing for Freddie Everett to volley in from twelve yards out. And when Abu added a third ten minutes from time, scrambling the ball in from close range following another set-piece, the points were secured. A lone Shirburnian effort five minutes from time proved no more than a consolation.

Both the OHAFC 1st and 3rd XIs went into this weekend facing crunch fixtures in their respective bids to beat the drop, the 3s sitting one place and three points above the bottom two in Division Four with four fixtures left to play – including two against bottom side the Old King’s Scholars. The 3s had already faced the Shirburnians twice this season, with the two teams winning once each – the Blues earning a 5-3 win in the League on the Phil in early November, the Shirburnians easing to a 3-0 win on the astroturf in the Junior League Cup a month ago. Skipper Joss Awdry was determined to ensure that particular performance was not repeated, but was forced to travel south with a rather patched up squad. Fortunately, Dan Abu and Mikey Watford were both available, the former making his first appearance of the season, the latter only his second. Watford was joined on the bench by Lederman and the skipper, who was unlikely to feature given a recently diagnosed issue with his knee – hopefully not a long term problem. Rory Craig donned the gloves in goal, Ludo Palazzo adding some steel in midfield in a side that had plenty of youthful energy throughout and the towering presence of Si Nicholson and Felix Tritton at centre-back.

Conditions in southwest London were ideal with little wind and a decent enough 4G surface, perhaps with excessive amounts of rubber crumb for the ball to always roll entirely true. This didn’t seem to hinder the hosts, however, who nearly took the lead inside five minutes when a thumping effort from fifteen yards out crashed against the underside of the Harrow bar before being hacked clear. The Blues were then dealt a serious blow when midfielder Alex Kenderdine-Davies limped off having rolled his ankle – an image of the injury the following day showed a badly swollen joint that will almost certainly rule him out of the next couple of games. Mikey Watford came on at left-back with the versatile Will Brounger moving into central midfield.

After the early scare, the visitors began to get to grips with the task in hand and competed well enough for the remainder of the half, both sides looking threatening on the break without testing either keeper. But with twenty minutes played the hosts could have been forgiven for thinking this was not to be their day when they struck the woodwork for the second time – a superb twenty-five yard half-volley crashed into the angle of post and bar after a headed clearance fell invitingly on the edge of the box. A better chance for the hosts arrived five minutes later as a forward was slipped in down the inside left channel but the finish was wild, the shot flying high and wide of its target.

It took twenty-five minutes for the visitors to seriously threaten the Shirburnian goal but Everett then produced two moments of magic that left him feeling aggrieved neither had broken the deadlock. A long goal-kick from Craig was flicked on by Harry Maxwell and Everett ran onto to fire a shot against the bar from twenty yards out. Five minutes later he produced an even better attempt, an impromptu left-foot volley from fully thirty yards out that seemed destined for the top corner only for the Shirburnian to keeper to palm over the bar rather unconvincingly.

But these forays into Shirburnian territory provided only temporary respite as the hosts dominated the closing stages of the half, denied what appeared a certain goal when the striker found himself unmarked fifteen yards out only for Rory Craig to produce a superb reaction save, flinging out his right leg to block the shot and send it wide of goal. Further desperate defending was required to ensure the game remained goalless at the break, the visitors perhaps guilty of taking too many risks inside their own box when a more agricultural attitude would have better served them.

Skipper Awdry made a second change at half-time, Lederman coming on in central midfield in a bid to try to wrestle some control of the game into Harrovian hands, Brounger returning to left-back. But the opening quarter of an hour provided more of the same as the hosts carried more of a threat, the visitors’ back four dealing resolutely with a number of menacing advances. A couple of shots flew wide of the Harrow goal, a couple of crosses evaded their intended targets inside the box.

The Blues had barely ventured into the Shirburnians’ final third at this stage, but with almost their first attack of the half they conjured the lead. The ball was worked out to the right and Dan Abu showed great persistence to smuggle the ball the wrong side of his full-back. The defender had a choice to make and tried to haul the forward back, Abu tumbling to the ground just inside the box. Although the grappling began outside the penalty area, it certainly continued into to box but referee Neil Martin was adamant it had been two separate offences and decided to blow for the first one, a free-kick right on the edge. Fortunately it made no difference, Lederman curled the ball to the far post and Abu timed his run to perfection, attacking the ball with power to thump a header into the roof of the net from five yards out.

The goal lifted the visitors and gave them a lead to hold onto. When that lead was doubled, ten minutes later, there was a game to be won. This time Abu was the provider with some superb tenacity down the wing, just keeping a loose ball in play before surging past his man and delivering a perfect cross into the box which Everett ran onto to fire into the bottom corner with a first-time volley.

The visitors now had it all to play for and some superb defensive work followed in a bid to prevent the Shirburnians finding a way back into the game. Numerous clearances were effected, Craig on the whole protected from making many saves but reacting well whenever called upon. Despite the two-goal lead, as time ticked into the final ten minutes there was still enough of a threat from the hosts to suggest the end result may not be completely secure. But another set-piece provided the killer third goal to end any hopes of a comeback. A free-kick from the left ten yards inside the Shirburnian half allowed Lederman to again deliver the ball beyond the far post, Everett volleyed back across goal and although Maxwell made a hash of scoring from a yard out – the ball ricocheting off his boot into his face – Abu was fortunately on hand to bundle the loose ball in past the keeper.

The hosts, to their credit, continued to push until the very end and they were rewarded for their efforts with a consolation goal five minutes from time, a well-worked move down their left saw the ball crossed low into the box and finished at the far post after several defenders just failed to make the clearance. But there was never any danger of the lead being lost and the Blues held on to record only their third League win of the season.

The 3s now hold a six-point lead over the Old Johnians 2s below them having played two games more. With two fixtures to end the season with against the doomed Old King’s Scholars, who sit rock bottom, hopes must be high that the drop can be averted without too much drama. But Division Four leaders the Old Tonbridgians 2s are likely to prolong the wait for a little while yet, as they host the Blues this Saturday still needing a few wins of their own to ensure they claim the League title.