The OHAFC 3rd XI clung on to secure what could prove to be a valuable point at home to the Old Wellingtonians on Saturday morning on the Phil, debutant Will Bonnet scoring the Blues’ only goal of the game ten minutes before half-time before the visitors grabbed a deserved equaliser seven minutes from time, a powerful long-range effort flying past keeper Hassan Hammad into the far corner. The draw ensures both sides remain in mid-table in Division Five, separated by just goal difference.

Despite a strong unbeaten record against the Wellingtonians that has seen the OHAFC 3s win four and draw three of the seven previous meetings, this hard-earned point on the Hill proved one of the stiffest tests for a variety of reasons. A relatively calm build-up saw all three Harrow sides name strong squads for the weekend’s fixtures, but a few late withdrawals ensured a chaotic half-hour in the lead up to kick-off. Eventually, the only solution was to second both Everett and Lederman from the 2s to start for the 3s, ensuring that both sides started their respective fixtures with eleven players apiece. The plan was to evaluate at half-time the best use of resources depending on the state of play in both games.

As it transpired, the 3s required every shred of help they could muster. The first half saw the home side compete well enough with a Wellington team that personified so many 1st XI teams that play in the lower reaches of the Arthurian League: a few excellent players, a few alright players, many others there just to make up the numbers. In Wellington’s case, their best players appeared on the wings, with tall, rangy threats on either side causing the Harrow full-backs Mikey Watford and Henry Bamford plenty of headaches. Several times the former was caught too wide, allowing balls to be played inside him and dangerous crosses to be delivered. Fortunately, skipper Henry Collins and his makeshift centre-back partner Khalil Baoku were rock solid inside them and several important interceptions prevented the visitors from troubling Hammad too frequently in the Harrow goal.

Going forwards proved slightly easier for the home side, with debutant Will Bonnet providing some lovely touches in the middle of the pitch and Tobi Adebayo a constant threat out wide. Several promising moves foundered on the final ball, with the Wellington keeper, who looked rather suspect from early on, not really tested. Midway through the half the Blues were grateful for the arrival of defender Alex Neville, fresh from the airport, as he took over from the struggling Bamford, hampered by a calf strain.

The visitors remained the more threatening side in the run up to half-time, but it was the hosts who snatched the lead with a well-worked goal. A free-kick into the box from Adebayo was initially cleared out to the edge of the box but Lederman anticipated sharply and poked the ball back out to the winger. This time Adebayo drove towards the goal line before drilling a fine cross low beyond the far post where Bonnet timed his arrival perfectly, sliding in to turn the ball in from a narrowish angle.

The hosts held on to the break with the lead intact, but were dealt a couple of cruel, and painful, blows that hampered their second half efforts considerably. Striker Daniel Adebayo, another debutant, who had used his physical presence to good effect, fell to the ground under a strong challenge and landed heavily on his right shoulder. To compound matters, Baoku was then struck fiercely in the face by a ball, dislodging his contact lens and causing him considerable discomfort. He was forced off, the eye quickly swelling up and blocking his sight completely. With Bamford now back on and the game still in the balance, it was clear that Lederman and Everett would have to play the full ninety minutes for the 3s – the fact the 2s were 2-0 up at half-time against a struggling KCS Wimbledon side made the decision a straightforward one.

Unsurprisingly, the second half became a titanic struggle for the men in blue, the sole aim as the half wore on becoming simply holding onto their lead however they could. Hammad was forced into a couple of fine saves, the defending at times desperate. One almighty scramble on the goal line saw the ball pass within inches of the Harrow goal, only to be somehow cleared, the Wellingtonians disbelieving. But worse was to follow for the home side. With twenty minutes remaining, Adebayo was again hit hard on his injured shoulder and collapsed to the ground in obvious discomfort. This time there was no possibility of him continuing and so the 3s were now down to ten – nine and a half given the limitations of Bamford’s calf.

The hosts battled manfully to hold on and, as the clock ticked towards the 83rd minute, came close to pulling off a remarkable heist, only for a moment of magic to ensure the points were shared. Having failed to beat Hammad from conventional range, a Wellington midfielder took aim from fully thirty-five yards out and lashed an unstoppable shot into the far corner, the ball sailing on the wind beyond the keeper’s dive. It was no more than the visitors deserved, but was still a bitter pill to swallow for the devastated home team.

The Blues just about held on for the final five minutes to ensure their efforts weren’t entirely in vain, although it can only be hoped that the injuries suffered by Bamford, Adebayo and Baoku clear up quickly enough to prevent availability issues in the weeks ahead.