Match report: 28/09/3003 Lancing Old Boys 1 Old Harrovians 0

Another season of Arthurian League Premier Division football began on Saturday for the Old Harrovians but in rather unfamiliar surroundings – an indirect consequence of Mr Abramovich’s arrival in South West London has been the purchase of Imperial College Sports grounds in Cobham for Chelsea’s new training ground, forcing many of the Premier Division teams, including Harrow and Saturday’s opponents Lancing, to relocate their home pitches elsewhere.

Our season-opener therefore took place not on a bowling green in leafy Surrey, but on a dust-bowl of a pitch in downtown Roehampton. The likeness of our surroundings to Copacabana beach in Rio was duly noted, but this was put down to several members of the team still being in an alcohol-induced haze from the previous evening…

In truth, there was significant disappointment from both teams at the state of the pitch. It became clear early on that it was going to be a scrappy affair with chances at a premium and that is how it proved. Both teams started nervously, Lancing having lost to Eton the week before in their first match were desperate to take something out of the game and fielding a weakened side, knew that a good start was crucial. Harrow, traditionally slow starters in the league, were just as keen to avoid the usual ‘null points’ received from their first game.

Although there was plenty of effort from both teams, good football was nigh on impossible. Basic skills such as controlling and passing a ball required maximum concentration and consequently players required more time on the ball than usual, allowing the defending team to close down much quicker. The result was long spells of fractured football in the middle of the pitch interspersed with a few hopeful long balls over the top. Not a great advertisement for Arthurian League football!

Harrow’s best chance of the opening half arrived very early on, a long ball from Molloy freed Lederman down the right and his cross was met first-time by Harry Hoffen. Under pressure however, Harry could only screw his shot wide of goal. Other than that, defences remained on top and it was a rather subdued half-time discussion: no-one really knew (and I suspect Lancing were no different) exactly how to change the course of the game for the better.

As it was, the second half followed the pattern of the first, with only a couple of moments of inspiration to brighten up a grey afternoon in South London. Neither keeper had been severely tested and a rare 0-0 draw beckoned for the OH’s with only 15 minutes remaining, when the Blues again somehow managed to gift the opposition a goal.

A neat diagonal ball from left-to right caught the Harrow back four static, but keeper James Harper looked to have the situation under control. He gathered the ball under pressure from the on-rushing Lancing striker….except that he didn’t. The collision with the opponent forced the ball free and left the striker to tap in the winner for the simplest finish of the season.

It was a shame for the Harrow keeper, who had been surefooted throughout the game and impressive with his anticipation of any danger. But try as they might, the Harrow team could not find a way back into the game and ended up empty-handed once more from the first game of the season.

Although the result and the manner of the defeat, in particular, was extremely disappointing, in truth it was an even contest with neither team possessing the ability in midfield to get the ball down and pass it accurately for sustained spells and thereby apply any real pressure. Plus points for the Harrovians all revolved around the back five, with the defending of the set-pieces, for so long our Achilles heel, looking much improved.

A very tough away trip to last year’s champions Forest awaits next week, it is only to be hoped that the pitch in Essex is of a better standard than the one played on last Saturday, otherwise we could all be in for another very long afternoon…

Harrow (4-4-2):

James Harper; Ed Thorne (Obi Umenliyora, 45), Tim Dalton, Nick Warner, Charles Tweddle; David Lederman, Quentin Baker, Paul Molloy, Piers Bourke; Harry Hoffen, Rupert Hoffen