The OHAFC 2nd XI dusted off the Christmas excess and returned to action for the first time in just under a month with a decent performance at home to Old Brentwoods 3s on the frosty Harrow School astroturf on Saturday morning. Although the result, a hard-fought 1-1 draw earned courtesy of Will Payne’s second half strike, was slightly disappointing, there was little to fault in the effort, with some excellent football over long spells in either half. With five League games remaining, promotion into Division Two remains a long shot, with the Blues now five points behind the Old Albanians having played two games more.

Having not played for four weeks, it was unsurprising that most players were keen to return to action and availability against the struggling Brentwoods was strong, the full squad of fourteen bolstered by the return of Max Curry to the midfield and first appearances of the season for Alex Ellis and Harry Bick. Will Payne, still working his way back to full fitness following a long spell on the sidelines, was given a run out, whilst Alexi Pittalis was finally back in action from his long-standing back injury. Joint-skipper Miles Kellock and centre-back Giacomo Grasso were the two regulars absent.

With many games across the country in peril due to the arctic conditions, it was pleasing that minimal fuss was made by both sets of players and referee Kacper Ignatiuk, who declared the artificial surface fit to play despite much of the southern end of the ground still covered in a layer of frost as kick-off approached. As it transpired, the strong, low sun eventually burnt through and conditions continued to improve as the game progressed.

The two sides shared a remarkable ten goals in the first fixture between the teams up in Essex in early October, with the Blues scoring inside three minutes, and a similar pattern almost repeated itself here, this time Brentwoods coming within inches of taking the lead with just four minutes on the clock when Alexi Pittalis misjudged a routine clearance to allow a free run on goal only for keeper Rory Craig to spare his blushes with a superb save, sticking out his left leg to divert the striker’s shot just over the bar. Two minutes later, Max Curry forced the Brentwoods keeper into an equally smart save when his low drive appeared destined for the bottom corner until it was palmed just round the post at full stretch.

Indeed, the chances continued to arrive with regularity in an absorbing first half that saw the home side in the ascendency for much of it but unable to convert their superiority into goals. The visitors enjoyed the next chance, a superb volley on the turn crashed into the underside of the crossbar before bouncing into Craig’s head and rolling just wide of the post. Two minutes later and the Blues came even closer to scoring when Calum Butler fed Owain James down the left and his slightly miscued cross arced over the keeper, bounced off the inside of the far post before being hauled back by the custodian. Loud Harrow appeals that the ball had crossed the line fell on deaf ears and play was waved on, the Brentwoods keeper looking rather sheepish as he launched the ball downfield.

Finally, after a frantic opening quarter of an hour, the game began to settle down and the men in navy began to take control, dominating possession and spending much of the half camped inside the Brentwoods half. The visitors defended well however and the hosts were forced to try their luck from range, Tristan David, Max Curry and Owain James all seeing their efforts blocked or sail over the bar. Will Payne then broke free for the first time in the match, sent on his way by a deft flick from Harry Bick, but the keeper narrowed the angle well and blocked the attempted lob.

With ten minutes remaining in the half a Harrow goal appeared likely but, frustratingly, a second, almost identical, error from Alexi Pittalis gifted the visitors the lead instead. A long ball forwards should have been dealt with on the halfway line by the centre-back but the first kick was missed, the second only sent the ball into the midriff of the striker who had quickly closed down sensing danger. The ball fell perfectly and the forward kept his composure to run on and coolly lob Craig from just outside the box.

The hosts were momentarily rocked but continued to press right up until the half-time whistle, Owain James’ stinging shot from the edge of the box drawing yet another fine save from the Brentwoods keeper, who had probably been the busiest man on the pitch. With a full bench to choose from, skipper Tristan David continued to ring the changes, Ellis and Bick having already entered the fray and now Lederman was introduced for Max Curry in midfield. The Blues had dominated the second half in the previous meeting between the teams, the task now was to repeat that but add goals to the equation.

In truth, the opening quarter of an hour proved rather lacklustre with the hosts still in the ascendency but the game rather lacking flow and chances again proving hard to come by. The Blues still enjoyed plenty of possession, and Brentwoods still possessed a threat on the counter, a couple of stray Harrow passes causing nightmares for Craig, who at one point late on was forced into another superb save to deny Brentwoods a vital second.

But in the main the chances fell almost exclusively for the hosts and they were almost too numerous to list: James, Stewart, Payne, Lederman and David all saw efforts either saved, hit the woodwork or fly narrowly wide. The Brentwoods keeper, despite some rather inconsistent kicking, proved an almost impenetrable barrier, somehow flinging himself across goal to block Ed Stewart’s effort from point blank range after a fine cross from Tristan David. Another flowing move saw Bick and Payne combine to tee up Lederman on the penalty spot, but his turn and shot was blocked by the head of a defender as it flew towards the top corner. Will Payne then hit the bar with a looping effort that beat the keeper but land on the frame of the goal. With all the near misses, it was fortunate that the hosts at least took one of their many chances to secure a point, a lovely ball slipped down the inside left channel by Harry Bick was collected by Payne on the edge of the box and he cut inside before curling a shot inside the far post.

Late pressure failed to provide the winner however and both sides had to be content with a point apiece at the close, a yellow card for some Brentwoods complaints after the final whistle the final action of a game played in good spirits throughout. Although the draw does little to help both teams in their respective quests – Brentwoods are now in serious relegation trouble with several points deductions – the Blues still have much to play for and begin their Junior League Cup quest with a tricky first round tie away to the Old Merchant Taylors on Saturday.