Old Merchant's Taylor 1 OHAFC II 6

The 2s cruised into the 2nd round of the Junior League Cup with an accomplished performance that will restore confidence as the season ticks into the business end.

With Giles Newton pulling out in the morning, Orr-Ewing took a light squad of 12 to the Merchant Taylors School grounds.

Pittalis – Massey – Orr-Ewing – Bajwa – Berry – Kerry – Pratt – Khan – Taunton-Collins – O Curry – Richardson Sub: Beeley

Harrow made a commitment in the warm up to right the wrongs of the previous week, keeping their passing short and working hard off the ball to keep the play moving. The opening 15 minutes of the game allowed Harrow to execute this strategy well, working the ball wide to the flanks and back into the middle to create chances.

Most of Harrow’s chances came courtesy of Duracell Bunny Taunton-Collins, who was a constant threat throughout the afternoon down the right hand side. Sizing up his opposite man early on and deeming him an unworthy adversary, Super Geoff had one of his most impressive games for OHAFC. The winger completed more than 20 successful dribbles and over 30 crosses throughout the game, causing the MTs striker to agree that “he’s getting a lot of change out of the left back”. He was ably supported by Massey, whose smoke ‘n’ mirrors runs on the overlap created more space for the winger, and whose positioning was always superb to keep the momentum of the attack if the ball came loose.

On the other flank, Harry Richardson, back in the squad after many months somewhere else, worked well to keep the pressure on the opposition defenders. Unfortunately his best opportunities to create a goal were squandered by awkward kicking of the ball, mostly off his left foot either out for a throw in or well wide.

However, after Orr-Ewing had substituted Khan for taking a 40 yard long shot that dribbled tamely at the diminutive MTs stopper, Harrow conceded the first goal of the game against the run of play. The ball was unceremoniously lumped forwards to the Willian-haired MTs striker, who nipped in between the retreating Bajwa and onrushing Pittalis to make it 1-0. It was encouraging that Harrow reacted by keeping the ball and maintaining the short passing possession football that they were dominating with even after going in at half time 1-0 down.

When Harrow went out for the second half, they turned their dominance into results, quickly leveling the scores after a series of chances, most notable of which saw a Ben Kerry shot cleared off the line when he looked odds on the score. However, moments later, after being fouled on the right flank, Geoff TC took a free kick. Despite being perhaps his worst cross of the afternoon, the ball skimmed off an MTs defender and squirmed into the path of Kerry, who made no mistake from a few yards out.

Harrow continued to press but were lucky not to concede after some sloppy defending allowed MTs another chance, only for the shot to be too tame. Bajwa, Berry and Orr-Ewing were all guilty at times of giving the ball away in dangerous areas, but the chances conceded were a necessary outcome of the high risk, high reward strategy of the tactical philosophy deployed in the game.

Soon enough, Harrow got the goal to take them into the lead, courtesy of a delightful through pass from Pom Beeley. The midfielder is quickly earning himself a reputation as the most flair player in the 2s, and on this occasion scooped a perfectly weighted ball over the defence to find Olly Curry with just the keeper to beat. The striker, hot on the heals of his brother Max in the 2014/15 goal tallies, slotted home to make it 2-1.

The relief of taking the lead bred more confidence, and with Pratt’s passing range greatly aided by the skipper’s embossed red boots and the new Nike match ball, Harrow turned the screw. Pratt marshalled the centre of the park for 90 minutes, making space for him team mates by holding the ball with good technique and strength, and frequently pinging long balls to the right hand side to set off the next attack.

From one of these passes, Geoff again beat his man and pinged in a low hard cross along the six yard box to find Azhar Khan in the perfect spot – the number 10 met the ball cleanly and guided the ball into the far post with aplomb. 3-1.

And moments later, Geoff again found space to drive down the right flank and fire in another cross, this time finding a hapless MTs defender who shinned the ball into his own net under pressure from Curry.

At this point Khan, who had won many headers from corners without much luck, was asked to fill in on the left flank as Richardson did a stint at right back – suddenly dismayed that most of the fun football was on the far side of the pitch, he started a 20 minute whine, demanding the ball be shared evenly to his flank so he could have a go. Phil Berry, supporting, seemed less worried about the lop sided nature of the game.

Khan, in a rare piece of possession, then found time to lay the ball inside to Ben Kerry. The midfielder, whose scoring form this season has belied his role as “a sitter”, unleashed a wondrous 30 yard strike that curled with picturesque beauty beyond the outstretched dive of the MTs keeper and into the postage stamp of the top-right corner, kissing both post and cross-bar as it went in. He immediately asserted that the goal “sh*ts on Khans long shot” and put his name in the hat for goal of the season.

With points in the PLT up for grabs, Harrow pushed on for more, and won a series of corners and opportunities through the closing minutes. Just before the final whistle, a corner was floated into the danger zone, encouraging Kerry to leap with a confident shout of “Ben’s up”, middling the header and earning himself a hat-trick. The goal takes him top of the OHAFC golden boot table.

A thoroughly enjoyable game and one that sets up a tie against Old Wykhamists in the second round.