Harrow IIs suffered a heart-breaking defeat to the division leaders in a game that will be largely remembered by those in blue for the second half’s agonisingly long injury time. Having been thumped 8-1 at home in the previous fixture against Millfield the result will go down as a commendable effort without the result to match it.

With regular skipper Jack Orr-Ewing set to take a year’s leave of absence Geoff Taunton-Collins took charge of his second game as ‘trial Captain’. His decision to plump for a fruity 3421 formation was met both with tolerant enthusiasm and bewilderment by his teammates. The more astute observers recognised this as Liverpool’s current favoured formation. The even more astute observers pointed out that this was not a great source of encouragement.

The game began on the rubber crumptious pitch with Millfield having the majority of possession. However the back five of Taunton-Collins, Orr-Ewing, Maydon, Woolley and Richardson and the energetic shield of Beeley and Pratt proved effective at cutting out and blocking any serious threats.

After the initial onslaught Harrow started to grow into the game with some composed build up play; and on the 23rd minute Oli curry earned his side a freekick on the edge of the box. In the absence of regular free kick taker Dalzell George Pratt confidently stepped up. His confidence was thoroughly justified as he hit a peach that curled over the wall and into the top left hand corner – 1-0 Harrow.

Just after the half hour mark, however, Millfield hit back. A substitution that upset the midfield balance gave Millfield a rare free run at the back three. A ball was played in behind, and the subsequent cross gave the hosts’ striker an easy finish.

At half time Harrow determined to draw encouragement from the frustration the OH system was causing Millfield, and to redouble efforts in the second half.

A fairly even but uneventful period ensued, but this was brought abruptly to an end 28 minutes in by another excellent Harrow goal. Good work down the right gave Pratt the opportunity to delver a deep cross which was met with typical determination by striker David Stead. Such was the quality of the delivery Woolley was heard to remark ‘well that’s a f*g ball’ well before it had reached Stead’s head. This crowned what was another stellar performance by Pratt whose assurances after the game that he would be more frequently available next season were noted down with glee by his skipper.

From this point on with Harrow tiring Millfield took control of the game. The defence dropped deeper and deeper with breaks from M Curry, Kerry and Khan providing only occasional relief. In the first minute of injury time Millfield scored following a scrap in the box which ended with the ball being thumped into the roof of the net. At this juncture calls for the final whistle were growing in volume and consistency, to the extent that Harry Woolley had to self-censor before he got himself into trouble with an increasingly irritating referee. Millfield got the winner in what was subsequently calculated to have been approaching the 101st minute. An upsetting finish to a game in which Harrow had given it all and had come tantalisingly close to winning.

That evening the 2s joined the 1s and 3s for the club’s end of season drinks at the jam tree. This lifted everyone’s spirits, in spite of the results that afternoon, and festivities were enjoyed well into the night. Suffice to say alarm bells will not be ringing about the state of the club’s off field enthusiasm, even if Saturday proved ultimately to be disappointing on-field.