The OHAFC 2nd XI secured their first point of the season on Saturday morning with a battling display to earn a 1-1 draw against a Berkhamstedians 2s side that had arrived on the Hill with a perfect record of three wins from three. A tight first half saw chances few and far between. But the game opened up after the break, the hosts taking the lead when Andy Hutchinson brought down Henry Bamford’s cross to fire into the bottom corner just before the hour mark. The Division Three leaders responded quickly however, dominating the next twenty minutes and deservedly equalising when a ball down the right freed the right-back to run on and perfectly lob Harrow keeper Rory Craig. Both sides had chances to snatch a late victory but ultimately had to settle for a hard-earned point.

This performance was the perfect response to the rather slapdash display away to Brentwoods a fortnight ago. This time there were no lapses in defence, no lacklustre start, just plenty of grit and fulsome determination. The visitors enjoyed the bulk of possession in both halves, but found themselves kept at arm’s length in the first half and pushed to their limits in the second in their bid to score. Nobody epitomised the Blues’ resilience more than left-back Rory Miller, playing his first OHAFC game in virtually four years. Alert to every loose ball, tough in the tackle and strong in the air, the defender ensured the quick Berks forwards received little change out of him. One tackle in the second half could be felt by those watching on the sidelines, such was its ferocity.

Berkhamstedians possessed two central midfielders of genuine quality and this ensured their build-up play in the middle third was slick and varied. But in a first half of very few chances, it was the Blues who came closest to scoring: Andy Hutchinson won the ball inside the opposition half and fed Ed Stewart down the inside right. The midfielder just took too long to get his shot off, however, allowing a defender to make a desperate lunge and divert the ball away to safety.

But the second half proved a very different affair. On a firm, unforgiving surface, the hosts started brightly, Hutchinson screwing one golden chance beyond the far post but succeeding with a second, harder opportunity minutes later. A throw from the right was flicked on by both Stewart and the evergreen Max Curry and Henry Bamford lobbed the loose ball towards the far post. Hutchinson collected perfectly, took a touch to steady himself before planting a low shot into the far corner.

The same player then had a glorious opportunity to double the lead, storming through the middle of the pitch as the visitors waited in vain for a chance to spring the offside trap. Instead, Hutchinson collected his own pass through, Curry smartly moving out of the way, only for a heavy touch to allow the keeper to race forwards and smother the shot.

It proved a vital save. The visitors, no doubt stung at the very real prospect of losing to the side that had started the day propping up the table, cranked up the pressure as the half wore on, pinning the Blues back deep inside their own half. A couple of half chances were scrambled clear, a couple of shots flew wide of the target. The game became increasingly fractious as the visitors complained of time wasting by Harrow. The equaliser was eventually sourced in the midst of some rather petty squabbling. The Harrow back four, pretty much for the only time in the game, were slightly too stretched and a perfect ball was clipped over the top down the inside right channel. The right-back darted through and, with keeper Rory Craig on the penalty spot, produced a perfect lob that landed high in the back of the net.

Both sides went in search of a winner in the final ten minutes, although a lengthy stoppage to allow treatment to the visiting keeper following a collision somewhat disrupted the flow. Neither side was able to find the breakthrough, however, and the points were shared. On balance of play this was probably the fair result, although the OHAFC will doubtless be the happier of the two sides. A glance at the table shows that the three sides played to date have a combined record of six wins, two draws and two defeats from ten games played, with twenty-seven goals being scored in the process. A creditable 1-1 draw here is certainly something to build on ahead of the short trip to face the newly-promoted Canfordians next weekend.