OHAFC II 4 Old Sennockians 3

OHAFC IIs secured a vital win on Saturday in a game that caused considerably more nail biting than their performance deserved. The three points gives the team a real boost in their battle against relegation, and puts them two places and five points above the drop zone, albeit having played more games than their nearest rivals.

A squad of 14 brimming with talent assembled at the Sports Hall, including four season debutants: the Breeden brothers variously returning from extended loans in China and Edinburgh, John Portal deciding on Friday evening he did fancy a game after all, and Lederman reluctantly passing up the opportunity to spend the afternoon playing Subbuteo.

The side descended on the heavily crumbed astro in plenty of time for a full warm up. Goalkeeper Pitallis, unaccustomed to having to actually save any shots in pre game shooting practices, suffered a shock as on this occasion player after player hit the target, all except Pratt who was busy waging a furious personal vendetta against the tree behind the goal.

Harrow began the game in scintillating form, playing some of the best football the side has seen this season. This bore immediate fruit two minutes in with the Breedens combining skilfully and James being cleared out in the opposition box. Lederman stepped up, and slotted the ensuing penalty into the bottom right hand corner. A goal preserved for all eternity by the in house cameraman Harry ‘weirdo’ Woolley.

Countless chances were created over the next 20 minutes with the side penning Sevenoaks into their own half, and being guilty at times of overplaying and seemingly trying to pass the ball in. The home side soon got their second however, through Alhadeff. Alex Breeden played it into his brother, who flicked the ball inside the full back into Lederman’s path. The veteran produced a tidy lob over the keeper, and the ball was bundled over the line by Alhadeff in the company of a Sennockian defender. The dubious goals’ panel strained its woolly head for much of Sunday deciding whether to chalk up to Lederman or Alhadeff. It concluded that Alhadeff did indeed poke it over in time, because he said he did, and he’s an honest sort of chap.

The third came through James Breeden. Starting up front, the young forward toyed with Sevenoaks all afternoon seemingly struggling only to choose which of the tricks in his considerable armoury to beat his opposite number with which, at times, frustrated his team mates. Nevertheless he produced the goods thirty minutes in with an excellent solo effort. Cutting inside his man his curling shot hit the post with a satisfying twang before nestling into the Sevenoaks’ net. Half an hour later he was unlucky to hit the post again - this time with the ball twanging frustratingly away from the goal.

Rather against the run of play the Old Sennockians pulled one back. A mix up at the back in dealing with a ball hoofed over the top saw it come loose in the Harrow box giving the away side a comfortable tap in.

The score at half time was 3-1. Harrow agreed to redouble their efforts and reassert the dominance they had shown in the first half an hour, and to not overcomplicate their football.

Gordon, who had come on at the break had his best game of the season at full back feeding Alhadeff and Khan well, and even pulling off an Iniestaesque piece of footwork to gasps from the spectators - only to then bizarrely reward his new admirers on the side-lines by passing the ball straight to their feet and off for a throw in. Portal also entertained the substitutes by failing to lose a single header all afternoon regardless of whether he was up against a taller opponent/outnumbered/lying on the floor.

Following another spell of Harrow ascendany, epitomised by Alex Breeden who looked fit and sharp, and was at the heart of Harrow’s flowing football, Sevenoaks scored against the run of play again. This time the home side taking too long to clear a ball bobbling around the box. As the ensuing poked lob sailed goalwards Pitallis greeted it with his now customary cry of ‘Oh no!’. When Mike Okoigun used his strength well to turn his man and slot home having received the ball from Khan, there was a collective sigh of relief.

Sevenoaks scored a looping shot to make the last two minutes much more tense than Harrow would have liked, but the three points were earned and - in spite of some unnecessary carelessness at the back – were deserved.

Five league games now remain for the 2s; they will go into them with increased confidence after an entertaining victory.

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