The OHAFC 1st XI chose the perfect time to deliver their strongest performance of the season, inflicting just a second League defeat of the season on Division One champions-elect the Old Brentwoods on the Harrow School astroturf on Saturday morning to earn a 2-1 win and lift the Blues out of the bottom two with two games left to play. Survival is, once more, back in Harrovian hands: one more win will ensure the Blues can finish no lower than eighth.

With minds sharpened by the looming threat of a first ever relegation into Division Two for the OHAFC, the Blues started strongly from the first whistle, taking an early lead when skipper Dan Firoozan won the ball in midfield before feeding striker George Taylor and he poked the ball through the keeper’s legs from close range. Further chances followed for the home side before the visitors were gifted an equaliser midway through the half when a corner was scrambled in from close range. Brentwoods improved in the latter stages of the half but it was the hosts who retook the lead five minutes before the interval, Jack Dolbey firing in a long range effort that took a slight deflection on its way past the keeper. The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with the hosts enjoying the better of things early on before the visitors pressed late on. Despite some late pressure, the Blues held on for victory and although scenes of celebration followed, the squad is well aware that the job is only half done.

Skipper Dan Firoozan named a strong initial squad of fourteen for Saturday’s first meeting of the season with a Brentwoods side who, despite defeat, have now confirmed an immediate return to the Premier Division following relegation at the end of last season. But a couple of late pull outs meant only twelves players travelled, Ali Buckley starting on the bench, Andres Hutchinson making the step up from the 2s to play on the left wing.

Conditions on the Hill were set fair, a cloudy but mild spring morning and little breeze. The Blues have had to endure a three-week gap since their last fixture, a slightly unfortunate 3-0 defeat away to the Old Chigwellians and, given the strength of opposition, could have been expected to make a rather sluggish start. But in fact it was the home side who started on the front foot, snapping into challenges and keeping the ball well against a tall, physically strong Brentwoods side. Centre-back Ed Beecham had the first shot of the game, his long-range effort thudding into the keeper’s midriff, before an excellent move down the right saw Stan d’Angelin find Hutchinson inside and his one-two with Firoozan allowed him to shoot, the effort deflected wide.

But with just seven minutes played the Blues did make the breakthrough, the skipper winning the ball superbly midway inside the Brentwoods half before cleverly poking the ball through the square centre-backs for Taylor to run onto. Appeals for offside were waved away and the youngster kept his composure to prod the ball through the keeper’s legs on the stretch. Ciaran Jordan was then presented with a decent chance to double the lead, the Brentwoods’ keeper rushing out of his box to clear only to slice the ball straight up into the air. Unfortunately Jordan’s shot on the turn was perfectly placed only to be cleared off the line by a hastily retreating defender.

Brentwoods were still struggling to find their feet, the hosts still looking the more likely to score. Payne’s cross from the left skimmed off the top of Taylor’s head, the striker then found himself one-on-one with the keeper after a long clearance from Ed Nicholson fell perfectly into his path. The attempted half-volley lob with the outside of his right foot from just outside the box carried a high tariff of difficulty and the execution was a little off, the underhit shot dropping harmlessly into the keeper’s hands.

But having barely threatened, Brentwoods suddenly found themselves level with twenty-five minutes played. A corner from their right was whipped into the six yard box and with no Harrovian taking decisive action to clear, the ball was backheeled in from barely a yard out, the visitors unable to believe their luck. As so often is the case, goals change games and the momentum swung to the away team now, Brentwoods camped inside the Harrow half. Mitchell atoned for his reticence at the corner with a superb diving save to his right to palm away a fiercely struck long-range effort after the ball had been carelessly given away in midfield.

Having weathered this brief Brentwoods pressure, the home side ended the half strongly, Andres Hutchinson embarking on a powerful run through the middle before feeding Ciaran Jordan on the right. He fed Taylor but his shot on the angle was crowded out at the near post. But five minutes before the interval, the hosts did re-take the lead. A throw-in deep on the right found Will Payne and his cut back to the edge of the box fell perfectly for Jack Dolbey to strike. Using his weaker right foot without hesitation, the strike was a clean one but flicked off a closing defender to wrong foot the keeper and fly in almost in the middle of the goal. If that effort owed a little to good fortune, the Blues were kicking themselves right on half-time when George Taylor spurned an excellent chance to make it 3-1. In an almost identical situation to his first goal, the striker found himself the beneficiary of a tight offside call when he was allowed to latch onto a flick from Ciaran Jordan. His first shot was parried into the air by the keeper but Taylor reacted quickest only to send his looping header wide of the far post.

Skipper Dan Firoozan led an earnest half-time discussion on what was required after the break, lone substitute Ali Buckley was held back for the first fifteen minutes and had to be content with running errands for Will Payne, who kept everyone waiting to restart the game with a bizarrely timed visit to the woods as the referee was poised to blow his whistle.

The second half started rather slowly with neither side able to carve out any clear chances. The hosts looked the more comfortable in possession, especially down the right, with a couple of crosses delivered and a couple of corners won. The best chance in this period fell the way of the home side, Payne drove down the wing before cutting the ball back to Hutchinson, who in turn played in Ciaran Jordan. The winger stumbled at the critical time, however, and although the ball dropped to the edge of the box for Firoozan to strike, the skipper’s aim was off and the ball flew high over the bar.

It was only with just over twenty minutes remaining that the visitors finally began to muster a head of steam. The Blues now struggled to keep the ball for any length of time but although Brentwoods were on top, chances still proved frustratingly tricky to create. That was until a driven pass down the left wing was missed by both Stan d’Angelin and the covering Nicholson. The ball fell to the visitors’ biggest threat, the left winger, who cut the ball back to the penalty spot and when the first shot was blocked, Mitchell fell bravely on the loose ball at the feet of an attacker.

Both sides then broke at pace to create half chances, Payne slipping in Taylor down the left and his cut back to Firoozan on the edge saw the skipper again fire over the bar via a slight deflection. With five minutes remaining the visitors’ final hopes of securing a point, and spoiling the home side’s day, slipped away when an excellent flowing move ended with the right winger’s cross from close range rolling inches beyond the far post. A second effort, from the left this time, was struck with more purpose but flashed a yard wide of the target. Beecham was then forced to head clear from off the line when a final corner was curled in. It was the last act of defiance required, the final whistle signalling a significant victory for the Blues that could go a long way to preserving their Division One status once the final games of the season are played out.