On this weekend...
Continuing our look back through the OHAFC archives at games played on this weekend last season, three seasons ago and five seasons ago...
Last Season: April 27th 2013
OHAFC 1st XI: Beat KCS Wimbledon 3-2 in their final game of the 2012/13 season. The game was switched from Harrow to Wimbledon due to a lack of pitches and the sides found themselves playing on a small, sloping pitch with a poor surface but it didn’t stop the Blues, led by Ed Martins, taking a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Fred Coleridge-Cole and Luke de Rougemont.
The hosts hit back in the second half to draw the scores level and looked the more likely side to go on and win it but ten minutes from time Harrow won it thanks to a superb third, Lederman and Baker combining to tee up Defty for a well-executed finish.
The win and scoreline meant that the 1st XI finished the season with a perfectly symmetrical record of played 18, won 9, lost 9, scored 47, conceded 47 – sufficient for a 4th placed finish.
2nd XI: Also completed their League programme for the season with a 3-1 defeat away to Old Marlburians, despite opening the scoring on the half-hour thanks to a 30-yard screamer from Dave Stead.
Another hard, bobbly surface made life tricky for both teams but the hosts coped much better and made their superior fitness tell as the game wore on, scoring twice in five minutes with just over a quarter of an hour remaining. Harrow had an excellent shout for a penalty turned down by referee Ron Large when Max Curry was clearly tugged inside the box, but it was the Marlburians who grabbed the vital fourth goal five minutes from time to seal the win.
Despite the defeat, Arjun Chopra’s side had amassed sufficient points to remain in Division Three for the following season.
3rd XI: No fixture
Three Seasons Ago: April 28th 2012
No OHAFC fixtures
Five Seasons Ago: April 24th 2010
1st XI: Produced a magnificent performance to defeat long-time League leaders Charterhouse 3-1 at Raynes Park FC and ensure that a win in their final match at home to Old Westminsters would see them crowned League champions for the first time since 2004.
In a titanic struggle in front of a vocal crowd, Harrow went into the break two goals to the good thanks to two fine goals and some excellent defending. Lederman chose the perfect moment to score his first free-kick of the season, curling one over the wall and into the bottom corner on the half-hour mark.
He then combined well with Fred Richardson down the right-hand side to deliver a perfect cross to the far post where Piers Bourke arrived to arrow the ball into the far corner with a superb strike.
Harrow had to be wary at the back however, with the visitors showing their quality on several occasions. Nevertheless, with forty-five minutes to go, Harrow were in the box seat.
To Charterhouse's credit, they came out in the second half and played magnificently, pinning the home side back in their half and creating numerous openings. The fact the lead remained two goals was in a large part thanks to the displays of goalkeeper Luke Raffety and centre-halves Fred Milln and Ed Poulter, who rose to the challenge and withheld everything thrown at them until five minutes from time when Charterhouse eventually scored from a corner.
Despite the referee playing an extraordinary amount of injury time - some estimated the second half lasted a minute short of an hour - the points were made safe thanks to a breakaway goal scored by Harry Hoffen, who calmly rounded the 'keeper to spark wild celebrations from the team and their supporters.
Harrow would go on to beat Westminster 3-0 the following week to win the League title.
2nd & 3rd XI’s: No fixture
Other notable world events – April 26th:
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116th day of the Gregorian calendar
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342 days until Easter Tour 2015!
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1564 Playwright William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
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1914 Charlie Chester, English radio and television host, was born
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1926 Legend of sports broadcasting David Coleman was born – ONE-NIL!
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1933 The Gestapo, the official secret police force of Nazi Germany, is established
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1949 Boca Juniors and Argentina manager Carlos Bianchi was born
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1956 Koo Stark, actress and former girlfriend of Prince Andrew, was born
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1965 A Rolling Stones concert in London, Ontario is shut down by police after 15 minutes due to rioting
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1973 Oscar Garcia, current manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, was born
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1976 Carry On actor Sid James, real name Solomon Joel Cohen, died
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1986 A nuclear reactor accident occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Soviet Union (now Ukraine), creating the world's worst nuclear disaster
Items to diarise immediately and action appropriately - April 26th:
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The latest day on which Easter Monday can fall
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Union Day in Tanzania
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World Intellectual Property Day
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Vallenato Legend Festival usually begins (Colombia)
Any leftover chocolate Easter Eggs should be donated to the tireless ohafc.com staff c/o the Club...