OHAFC III 4 Old Foresters III 3

This week the 3s were up against Old Foresters 3XI but with availability not being great there was some shuffling. The charismatic 2s Captain Jack Orr-Ewing was in goal for Chaz McHardy (recovering from a shoulder injury incurred during the Mill Hill victory the week before), Nick Bartlett from the 2s on the wing, Will Pridham made a come back into the midfield and with wing backs Ludo and Jor-el missing, Alex Smith and Azhar Khan had to play out of position to fill in.

The last time the two sides met was in early November where Harrow lost 4-3 in a very tight match and once more it was a thrilling duel. The first half began well for Harrow, the 3s kept possession and had time on the ball to move it around comfortably. 10 mins in, a bit of trickery from Dave Howells in the opposition’s box caused a handball and resulted in a penalty to the Old Harrovians. Dave smashed it top right leaving the keeper with no chance. Alex Smith scored the second goal: playing at right back he intercepted a pass and burst down the wing, beating is opponent for pace (which has never before been seen) and blasted it near post at the keeper who parried it into the goal. Forest were still a threat however and though the Harrow defense was solid, a tendency to lose concentration was their downfall and it was an unmarked Forest player who scored their first goal. Still, Harrow were clearly the dominant side creating streams of opportunities. Jaguar Bajwa as usual was commanding in his DMF role and organised the defense effectively. Centre mids Beeley and Pridham gave the team shape and were winning the midfield battle. The third Harrow goal came again from Smith: Forest had just cleared the ball from a corner but Captain Azhar Khan was able to find Dave on the left wing who the beat the defender to feed the ball to Smith. Smithy finished with his left foot firing the ball bottom right.

The forth Harrow goal emanated from a Benjy Sewell strike which was palmed away by the keeper only to fall to Dave Howells who at a tight angle was able to dispatch it with his left foot making it 4-2 to the Old Harrovians at half time.

The second half was set up perfectly for Harrow to further showcase their abilities and assert their dominance, however it proved to be a very different affair. Though only 2 goals ahead, Harrow resumed the game as if they were bored of scoring and felt bad for the opposition. For the Old Foresters charged ahead with little in the way to stop them except Khan, Gordon, Elwell and Smith who defended well. The captain who had been expecting more of his players to make the score sheet now became louder and angrier. Inevitably Harrow conceded and the game went to 4-3. The captain furious at his team berated his players.

Astonishingly, with just a one goal lead and 30 minutes left the nonchalance attitude continued. Orr-Ewing who had made some fantastic saves through out the match (and according to sources is reconsidering his position as an outfield player) gave the ball away from a rushed goal kick. As the striker burst into the box, he went down after the lightest of touches from the well positioned 'keeper, and a penalty was awarded. Unfazed by the incredibly harsh decision, the 'stopper guessed the right way for the penalty, making himself big and forcing the Forest big man to fluff his lines. Orr-Ewing rushed out, arms wide expecting to be mobbed by his adopted team-mates and held aloft on their shoulders as they chanted his name, instead found himself alone as the players embarrassingly resumed their positions on the field and recreated the energy seen in the first half to see the game off to a 4-3 win.

Alex Smith wins man of the match for his ability to attack and defend well throughout the game. His performance has left the captain wondering what a Smith-Howells partnership would look like up top.

The game highlights the mental fragility of the team but the captain is convinced that the players have learned their lesson, albeit the easy way. Two wins on the trot has moved the OHAFC 3XI into 5th place in division 5 and with two more league games left the team is determined to finish their first season together on a high.