The OHAC 2nd XI recorded their first win, remarkably, of 2025 on Saturday with a strong performance away to the Old Epsomians at King's House Sports Ground in Chiswick. Two superb second half goals from Owain James and Matt Ede crowned a 4-2 victory in the Blues’ penultimate fixture of the season to ensure the side will finish either fifth or sixth in Division Three and end a tricky run of three consecutive League defeats stretching back to early February.

With joint-skipper Tristan David suspended for the final two games of the season following the ridiculous scenes that followed the previous encounter at home to the Old Haberdashers a fortnight ago, the returning Miles Kellock took charge of the thirteen-man squad for the short trip west to the newly laid astroturf at King’s House. Availability was strong once more, both Pittalis brothers bolstering the starting XI, with Matt Ede and Henry Bamford the two substitutes. Conditions in southwest London were decent enough, the bright sunshine failing to raise temperatures into double digits owing to a strong breeze the visitors chose to play into in the first half.

The Blues had missed a host of chances in a disappointing 1-1 draw against the Epsomians back in November and they made a slow start here, initially taking far too many touches on the pristine artificial surface, attacks floundering in their infancy. The hosts created a few overlaps that ended with crosses coming into the box, but these were dealt with comfortably enough. It was only when the Blues began to move the ball quicker that the game began to settle down, the visitors now probing and looking dangerous, with both Stewart and James firing wildly off target from presentable chances.

The Epsomians then came close to breaking the deadlock on a rare counter when a header at the far post was acrobatically tipped onto the top of the bar by Craig at full stretch. But with twenty-five minutes played it was the visitors who found the clinical finish that had so far eluded both teams: a flowing move from left to right saw an overlap created out wide, Lederman feeding Taunton-Collins and his floated cross was fumbled by the keeper under minimal pressure from Alexi Pittalis, the ball dropping to Ed Stewart fifteen yards out, the midfielder keeping his composure to turn and fire past a couple of defenders on the line.

The Blues were now in the ascendency and missed another great chance to double their lead when Stewart headed just wide from a superb free-kick delivered from Andres Hutchinson. But the visitors earned the second goal their enterprising play deserved on the stroke of half-time when Owain James shrugged off one challenge to drive down the right, feeding Alexi Pittalis inside the box and his low cross was turned in at the far post by the unmarked Kellock.

Matt Ede and Henry Bamford had already been introduced off the bench ten minutes before the break, the visitors kicking off the second half with the wind behind them. And they made a fast start too, to put the game beyond the Epsomians’ reach. Kellock was fouled on the left, just inside the opposition half, and took the free-kick quickly, firing a crossfield pass over to Taunton-Collins who drove forwards into space before cutting the ball back to the edge of the box for Owain James to run onto. There was only one thought in the forward’s mind as he cut inside before lashing a venomous low shot just inside the near post from just over twenty yards out, the keeper barely able to attempt a dive before the net had begun to bulge.

The result was now beyond doubt, but hopes of only a second clean sheet of the season were dashed with twenty minutes remaining when, for the second game running, a routine clearance from a low cross from the right was botched, this time Ludo Palazzo missing the ball and allowing a simple finish at the far post past a stranded Craig. It took the visitors only a couple of minutes to snuff out any slim hopes of an Epsomian comeback, however, with a superb fourth goal, this time an individual effort from Matt Ede. The substitute collected the ball fifteen yards outside the penalty area on the right and began a slaloming run towards goal. Having cut inside past two defenders, options to shoot or pass presented themselves, the youngster choosing the former and curling a precise effort inside the far post with his left foot.

There was still time for a late second for the hosts, a rather fortunate piece of skill from the winger saw Kyri Pittalis nutmegged on the left and the ball ran through for a midfielder to crash a superb low finish just inside the far post from an increasingly narrow angle. The ball actually struck a small metal bar adjoining the back of the post and the lower frame of the goal and ricocheted back into play, fooling referee Sachin Patel into thinking it had just hit the post. But after play continued briefly, Lederman ensured justice was done and the goal was confirmed.

The Blues now have just a solitary fixture remaining, in a fortnight’s time away to the Old Chigwellians 2s – only a victory is likely to prove sufficient if the OHAFC are to cling onto a top-half finish once all the remaining games are played out.