The OHAFC ended their disappointing season with another defeat, a very makeshift side falling 4-2 away to the Old Amplefordians on a hard pitch at King’s House Sports Ground in Chiswick on Saturday afternoon. The side end their campaign with the sorry record of one win from sixteen League games played and relegation back into Division Five for the first time since 2018.

Given that a last-place finish in Division Four had long since been confirmed and an astonishing six weeks had elapsed since the side’s last fixture, it was hardly surprising that enthusiasm for one final run out under the warm spring sunshine was almost non-existent. Only a few regulars made the trip, among them skipper Freddie Everett and the Wilson brothers, Ollie and Henry. With Hassan Hammad missing just his second game of the season, a goalkeeper had to be conjured from somewhere and with David Griffiths unwilling to reprise his former role, it was left to David Lederman to don the gloves for the second week running – not something he has ever done before in his seemingly never-ending OHAFC career. For once, however, he was not the oldest player on the pitch, with Nick Warner starting at right-back and Jack Orr-Ewing ensuring a healthy veterans presence in the side. Cyprian Owen Edmunds and James Walduck also heeded the call to arms, ensuring the eleven who took to the field contained a kaleidoscope of players from all four OHAFC teams.

With the Amplefordians also having little to play for, there was at least the prospect of the game being played in a decent spirit and this remained the case for the vast majority of the afternoon. Both sides struggled initially on the hard, bumpy pitch at the bottom end of the vast King’s House, but as the first half wore on the hosts began to threaten. Thankfully, the debut centre-back pairing of Orr-Ewing and Ollie Wilson worked well in tandem to snuff out many of the threats and Lederman remained well protected in the Harrow goal. A few shots flew high and wide of the target, one long-range effort was parried out for a corner. But with half an hour on the clock the pressure finally told, although Lederman will again be questioning his judgement as he was beaten for the second consecutive week by a shot from outside the box that flew in at his near post.

But the visitors battled hard and gave as good as they got in a far more eventful second half. Jack Orr-Ewing took over between the sticks and performed strongly, making a couple of strong saves and distributing confidently, despite being hampered by a hamstring strain. The hosts continued to enjoy the better of things, but were made to pay for their lack of a cutting edge when the Blues equalised with just under half an hour to go. Doug Pratt had only been on the periphery of the game to this point but he produced a superb driving run down the left that ended with a low cross into the box for Henry Bamford to turn in first time.

The game then exploded into life at both ends of the pitch. Within five minutes of drawing level the visitors found themselves behind again when a long goal kick was allowed to bounce over the top of the back four and the left winger ran on to volley powerfully into the roof of the net. The hosts were then gifted the softest of penalties when David Griffiths was penalised incredibly harshly for handball, a shot drilled at him from barely five yards away that clipped his elbow as he was trying to withdraw it. Initially it seemed as though justice had been served when Orr-Ewing guessed correctly and blocked the shot, only for the ball to drop perfectly for the penalty taker to slam in the rebound.

With time running out and a two-goal deficit to recover, the visitors were then gifted a soft penalty of their own, quite possibly a semi-conscious admission from the match official that the first call had been a wrong one. Doug Pratt stepped up and confidently sent the keeper the wrong way, the Blues now with eight minutes remaining to find an equaliser.

But to the Amplefordians’ credit they continued to push and made sure of the points with the very last kick of the season as tired Harrow bodies failed to clear, a low shot drilled past the helpless Orr-Ewing. It was perhaps a fitting end to the 3s’ season, although with so few of the regular squad present to witness it, the metaphor will barely have registered. The future of the team remains unclear, with a decision to be made at the AGM in a few weeks as to how best to progress.