Israel Sevillano 4 Old Harrovians 4 - Harrow won 2-1 on Penalties

A 5pm kick off in 26 degrees was the setting for the exhausted Easter tourists following a late night and an hour's bubble football. The opposition was a mix of ten local individuals who had been gathered together in the preceding days as opposed to representing a particular club. The teams lined up (nine vs nine on a proportionately sized pitch) - the visitors choosing to go with a 4-3-1 formation. Ilogu, recovering from the Paris Marathon the weekend before, kindly offered to referee the game as the hosts had failed to provide one - a point Woolley immediately picked up on, "They shall be reported to the appropriate league body" he shouted.

Harrow started brightly with some good possession but it was the hosts who struck first after ten minutes with a pile driver from their skipper into the bottom right hand corner. Despite complaints of 'vodka and shisha sweats', the tourists responded well - Lederman, Smith and Gordon linking neatly down the right hand side on a number of occasions but were unable to capitalise.

1-0 down in the heat after half an hour and it was time to ring the changes - the injured / half naked Gibson orchestrating matters from the sideline. All four substitutes got into the game straight away - Khan, Walker, Taunton-Collins and Callander seeing lots of the ball as the team created chances but could not grab the elusive equaliser. Elsewhere, Fogarty worked tirelessly up and down the left flank and Orr-Ewing and Kapoor stood firm at the back with Walsh rarely being tested. In fact the only real threat came from the opposition skipper's left foot. "Show him on his right!" Woolley screamed, his voice now noticeably huskier.

The second half was played at a good tempo but it was the visitors who took first blood, stretching the Harrow defence and pulling the ball back to tap in giving Walsh no chance. 2-0.

Harrow fought back, Taunton-Collins, Lederman and Smith grew into the game and the tourists were able to get on the score sheet - firstly through Smith on the hour mark and a few minutes later were able to level after a misunderstanding saw the hosts dribble one into their own net.

Alas it was time for another rocket-strike from the Madrid skipper, this one twice as impressive as the last. The ball hitting the postage stamp in the top right at great speed, Woolley barely managing to open his mouth prior to the net rippling. 3-2.

Harrow were tiring now and were becoming more reliant on their fitter players to drive the team forward. Fogarty and Taunton-Collins were pressing enthusiastically in the wide areas and Smith benefited from an early cross which he bundled in from close range. 3-3. With two minutes to go, after having spent some time rolling around on the ground after a light 'kick' to the shin guard, it was 2s captain Taunton-Collins who popped up with a fine strike low into the bottom right corner to seal what the tourists deemed a fine comeback. Jubilation on the touchline as substitutes Walker, Robson, Gibson and Kapoor (now with considerably fewer clothes on that would be deemed acceptable on an Arthurian League bench) jumped for joy. However, the celebrations proved to be premature. In the final few seconds, Taunton-Collins's throw in to Khan was miss-controlled and allowed the opposition skipper to dribble through and slot home. Full-time 4-4.

The penalty shoot-out out was dominated by the Harrow goalkeeper, Walsh, who pulled off three brilliant saves to ensure the tourists clinched victory in an exciting, hard fought game.

Team lineup and stats can be viewed here.