The OHAFC 1st XI and the Old Wykehamists provided the very definition of the term ‘a game of two halves’ on Saturday morning on the Hill as the two sides shared ten goals between themselves – six scored in the first half by the home side, the remaining four scored after the break by the visitors. Following on from last weekend’s 4-4 draw on the same pitch between the OHAFC and the Old Kimboltonians, it’s doubtful there has been better value for money for those watching on anywhere else in the football pyramid over the past fortnight.

With the Wykehamists having lost all six of their League games played so far this season, scoring a measly six goals in the process, the luxury afforded to skipper Dan Firoozan of naming a strong squad of fourteen for the second weekend running should have meant a relatively comfortable encounter for the men in blue. And that appeared very much the case halfway through proceedings, with the home side dominating in a manner not seen for many years. The hosts found themselves three goals to the good within twenty minutes: George Taylor opened the scoring early following a well-worked move, John Koutalides added a second, cutting in from the left after lovely ball through from centre-back Ed Nicholson, and Taylor then grabbed his second, poking in from close range after a Jasper Gray corner caused chaos inside the area.

The visitors offered nothing in response, literally failing to muster an attempt on goal in the entirety of the first half, by which time Harrow’s three-goal lead had become six. Skipper Dan Firoozan came off the bench to score number four, another close-range effort from a corner after the keeper had spilt a flick-on from Arthur Leney. Five minutes later Taylor completed his hat-trick, latching onto an awful clearance from one of the centre-backs to go on and beat the keeper. And three minutes before the break the striker nearly grabbed a fourth, heading against the bar only for Cam Mahal to follow up and add his name to the scoresheet.

At this stage a record OHAFC victory in the Arthurian League seemed very much on the cards, the 1s having not won a game by a six-goal margin since thrashing the Aldenhamians 7-1 back in December 2018, the two Breeden brothers accounting for six of the seven goals on that occasion. But in true OHAFC fashion, complacency took hold and turned the second half into an unedifying spectacle of the previously dominant home side scrambling around trying to see out what should have been the most comfortable victory of the season.

The Wykehamists’ revival took hold a minute into the second half with some slack Harrow defending allowing a simple enough finish. When a second Winchester goal was conceded ten minutes later, it was clear that the Blues were going to have to regain their focus or else suffer the embarrassment of letting slip a seemingly impregnable position. Fortunately, the hosts just about did enough to prevent disaster, although the visitors did score twice more in the final ten minutes, a breakaway goal ending with a lovely chip over stranded keeper Tom Mitchell and a free-kick which saw a poor initial effort break kindly for the striker off the Harrow wall.

Whilst the three points are more than welcome – this is just the side’s second League win of the season – the manner of the second half collapse should sting and hopefully act as a reminder that even in Division One, nothing can be taken for granted.