Continuing our look back at OHAFC fixtures played on the corresponding weekend over the previous five seasons – and a very successful weekend this has proved to be in the past: five wins and two draws from the 1st and 2nd XI’s…

Last Season: March 22nd 2014

Old Brentwoods 0 OHAFC 1st XI 2

A surprisingly comfortable win in Essex for the 1st XI and one that secured their Premier Division status for the following campaign coming a week after an impressive victory over Lancing.

Johan Harder, who had been in excellent form in previous weeks, proved to be the difference between the teams with a goal in each half. The makeshift back four of Woolley, Poulter, Robinson and Berry were rarely troubled and, with a little help from one excellent second-half save from 'keeper Charlie Walsh, earned the side's second clean sheet of the season to guarantee the win.

The first goal came on the half hour with Harrow slowly building some momentum and a well-worked goal it was: Richardson and Verhagen combined to feed Lederman on the right and his cross to the back post was superbly headed in by Harder, who had to twist in mid-air to direct the ball into the top corner.

A few minutes after the break and the same player doubled the lead with a simple run through on goal, the ball having been well won in midfield and then lumped forward by centre-back Jack Robinson.

The expected fightback by the hosts never materialised and Harrow saw the game out comfortably. They were well rewarded for their efforts with jacket potatoes, beans and molten cheese afterwards.

OHAFC 2nd XI 5 Old Kings Wimbledon 2’s 2:

The Harrow second string enjoyed an equally enjoyable afternoon with a thumping win over their Kings Wimbledon counterparts on John Lyon’s pitches.

Harry Turner was the star of the show with a superb hat-trick from midfield – despite the fact that he had been told to play a holding role by skipper Jack Orr-Ewing. Disregarding this instruction almost immediately, he strode forward after five minutes to collect a Jaguar Bajwa through-ball and slot home to open the scoring. Five minutes later and the same two players combined, this time Turner finding the bottom corner from the right-hand side of the box.

The hosts held on comfortably enough for the remainder of the half, although they were fortunate to escape a close penalty call when Orr-Ewing missed a header and saw the ball ricochet off his arm.

The result was put beyond doubt within minutes of the second half starting when Jorel Bajwa and Khan combined to tee up lone striker Dave Stead to score his seventh of the season. The skipper notched the fourth just after the hour mark with a thumping header from a Turner corner and the icing on the cake was provided by Turner himself when he scored his hat-trick goal shortly afterwards, carrying the ball forwards from the halfway line unchallenged before cracking in a powerful drive.

The final quarter of an hour saw Harrow legs tire and the visitors scored twice themselves. But there was never a question of the lead being lost and the win kept the Blues in contention near the top of Division Three.

Two Seasons Ago: March 23rd 2013:

Old Etonians 1 OHAFC 1st XI 4:

Despite this being an away game, the fixture was actually played on the astroturf at Harrow School with heavy snow showers rendering all grass pitches unfit for purpose.

The nature of the conditions, with the lines having to be swept prior to kick-off just so they were visible, meant that the outcome of the game was something of a lottery. But as it turned out it was Harrow who coped much the better and they turned in a solid performance to claim the win.

In spells in both halves Harrow produced some enterprising football, spurred on by the return to form and fitness of two of the veteran members of the side: Quentin Baker, who must have been used to the conditions having only arrived back from a skiing holiday an hour before kick-off, produced his best display since recovering from his ankle operation at the start of the season in central midfield and up front Harry Hoffen continued his progression towards full sharpness with two well taken first-half goals to put Harrow firmly in control.

The first, after twenty-five minutes, came from a simple through-ball from Ed Poulter, who split the Eton centre-halves perfectly to tee up Hoffen. He calmly rounded the 'keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net.

Harrow continued on the front foot and doubled their lead in almost identical circumstances ten minutes later, this time it was Lederman's turn to pick a pass through a square back four for the front man to run onto and tuck past the advancing 'keeper.

Both sides had chances to score and with twenty minutes remaining it was the Etonians who struck first, a counter-attack that allowed a through-ball to split the retreating back four.

But there was no sign of panic in the Harrow ranks and they made sure of the points with two further goals in the final quarter of the game: Poulter and Lederman combined for the latter to feed Baker down the right and he finished calmly past the ‘keeper; schoolboy Ogyen Verhagen then made an instant impact, coming off the bench on his debut to collect a pass from Poulter and outstrip the defence before beating the ‘keeper at his near post.

The only sour note came in the final few minutes when a late tackle left Fred Milln with a bruised ankle, forcing him off the field in some pain. He was later absolutely fine, as usual.

Three Seasons Ago: March 17th 2012

OHAFC 2nd XI 7 Old Westminsters 2’s 0:

Two sides near the foot of Division Three met on the Phil pitches in a crucial relegation encounter, but within half an hour Harrow had scored four and from then on the destination of the points was never in doubt.

Phil Berry opened the scoring after five minutes, an own goal doubled the lead and Soyinka then got in on the act, scoring twice before the break to give the Blues an unassailable lead.

Hugo Trower came off the bench to add a fifth after an hour, Soyinka completed his hat-trick five minutes later and completed the rout ten minutes from time to give Arjun Chopra’s men their biggest win of the 2011/12 season.

Four Seasons Ago: March 19th 2011

OHAFC 1st XI 1 Old Cholmeleians 0:

The OHAFC 1st XI secured their third win in four games with a narrow 1-0 win at home to the Old Cholmeleians.

With no recognised goalkeeper available, Paul Molloy donned the bright orange top and 'keeper’s gloves, his knee on the mend and allowing him sufficient mobility to play in goal, but not outfield.

Despite this obvious handicap, Harrow managed to protect him fairly well - Molloy was forced into one tip over in the second half, but apart from a number of corners and free-kicks into the box he was left with little to do.

At the other end, Harrow's play lacked any real fluency and they were grateful to skipper Quentin Baker for securing the points with a fine goal on the hour.

Old Eastbournians 2 OHAFC 2nd XI 2:

An entertaining draw for the 2nd XI at Barn Elms Playing Fields as they shared four goals with the Old Eastbournians. Joe Bone scored first for the visitors but with Bobby Tindall in goal a clean sheet was always a tough ask and the hosts scored twice to take the lead. Fortunately Harry Turner was on hand to score Harrow’s second just after the hour mark and ensure the points were shared.

Five Seasons Ago: March 20th 2010

Old Carthusians 1 OHAFC 1st XI 3:

A vital win in Godalming for the 1st XI and one that kept the title race alive.

Having trailed Charterhouse at the top of the table for most of the season, Quentin Baker’s men had to beat them twice in the final five games of the season to have a chance of claiming the title and the visitors made a perfect start when they took the lead on the half hour, Lederman producing a perfect cross, de Rougemont supplying a perfect volleyed finish.

The hosts were back on level terms shortly after the break however when a mis-directed header from Ed Poulter allowed a simple chance for one of the hosts’ strikers.

Two substitutions from Baker late on turned the game though, with strikers Harry Hoffen and Olly Hadden-Paton causing panic in the Charterhouse defence. Without really playing any football of note the visitors scored twice in the final ten minutes to earn the vital win, Hoffen scrambling in first from a long throw and then Baker bundling in from close range to silence the boisterous home supporters and send the Harrow fans wild.

At the end of the game Luke de Rougemont was approached by an enraged home fan asking him if he was number eleven. De Rougemont had not the slightest idea. It mattered not one jot.

On this Weekend...Premier League and Top of the Pops:

5 Years Ago: March 21st 2010

UK Singles Chart No.1: Tinie Tempah “Pass Out”

Premier League top three: 1st Man Utd 69pts from 31 games, 2nd Arsenal 67 (31), 3rd Chelsea 65 (30)

Premier League bottom three: 18th Burnley 24 (31), 19th Hull City 24 (30), 20th Portsmouth 22 (30)

10 Years Ago: March 20th 2005

UK Singles Chart No.1: McFly “All About You/You’ve Got a Friend”

Premier League top three: 1st Chelsea 77 (30), 2nd Manchester United 66 (30), 3rd Arsenal 64 (30)

Premier League bottom three: 18th Crystal Palace 26 (30), 19th West Brom 24 (30), 20th Norwich City 20 (30)

20 years Ago: March 22nd 1995

UK Singles Chart No.1: Celine Dion “Think twice”

Premier League top three: 1st Blackburn Rovers 76 (34), 2nd Manchester Utd 73 (35), 3rd Newcastle 63 (34)

Premier League bottom three: 20th Crystal Palace 34 (32), 21st Ipswich Town 23 (33), 22nd Leicester City 21 (34)