OHAFC III 3 Old Millhillians 2

The 3s were facing second in the league Mill Hill 1st XI where the first encounter between the two sides resulted in a 4-4 draw.

Harrow started the game well and it was Mill Hill who were on the back foot but it didn’t take this strong side long to settle and 20 mins in the opposition scored from a free kick. It should have been a clean catch by goal keeper Charles McHardy but the strong winds had carried the ball through much quicker than anticipated. Harrow continued to play well but struggled to take any meaningful shots on target. The second half started at 1-0 to Mill Hill but 10 minutes later Harry Richardson making his seasonal debut for the 3XI in centre mid found himself in shooting range and slotted the ball in from a distance to make it 1-1. Another 10 minutes went by and in a similar manner Pom Beeley scored making it 2-1 to Harrow. Pom and Harry made a good pairing in the middle and were effective throughout the game. Pom’s ability to keep the team cool and calm as circumstances changed through out the game helped Harrow stay focused.

Mill Hill, shocked and enraged hit back hard. The gears shifted and Harrow were on the back foot just defending. With 30 minutes left this wasn’t going to be a viable strategy and soon enough Mill Hill had equalised. However it was once more from a set piece, a free kick which had nearly been cleared off the line. The game shifted again and again Harrow were back to putting the long balls through, troubling the Mill Hill defense who had been struggling with this all game. Referee Stuart Borman spotted an overzealous challenge in the penalty box against a Harrow player and awarded the home side a penalty. Captain Azhar Khan asked his striker Dave Howells to step up despite this being only his second game of the season with the 3s. With only 10 minutes left on the clock the pressure was on. Dave scored comfortably, sending the keeper the wrong way but the ref spotted dopy Pom who was not standing outside of the area and made Harrow retake the pen. Dave stepped up for a second time, the pressure now greater and Mill Hill taunts louder, he executed it perfectly in exactly the same place as the first. Harrow were 3-2 up and there were 10 minutes left on the clock. Mill Hill went all out but Harrow came together like a fist, resolute in making victory theirs.

Chas McHardy made crucial saves in goal and the team benefited greatly from his instructions on the counter attack. Jor-El Bajwa, Alex Elwell, Theo Gordon and Ludo Callendar were very well organised in defense and each had an excellent game. Playing in front of them in his natural DMF role was Jaguar Bajwa who was crucial to the team’s victory: always communicating, organising and passionate. This was certainly one of the best team performances of the season witnessed by the Captain.

A hard choice this week but man of the match goes to striker Dave Howells. Dave playing alone up top constantly put pressure on the Mill Hill defense and keeper. He was always available to chase the through balls and tracked back to help the midfield.

Team lineup can be viewed here