Match Report 11/10/2003: Old Cholmelians 3 Old Harrovians 3

A beautiful autumnal day in Barnet and by far the best playing surface the Old Harrovians had seen all season greeted two teams who had enjoyed very different early season form. Highgate, promoted from Division One last season, dispatched another promoted side Bradfield 3-1 in their first game, whilst the Harrow side came into the match despondent: two games played, two defeats, both by solitary goals. Rather more worryingly for the free-scorers from the Hill, the goals ‘for’ column was displaying merely a single strike – not enough for a team that concedes goals with consummate skill...

Harrow was missing Nick Warner (not his hair however, which is now becoming what can only be termed ‘ridiculous’) so Jamie Waugh switched from centre-forward to right-back and Rupert Hoffen rejoined his brother in attack.

The game started at a high tempo and Harrow were the immediate benefactors: barely five minutes had elapsed when Lederman crossed from the right with his first touch and Rupert Hoffen arrived from deep to head firmly into the bottom corner from 15 yards out. The goal served to inspire the Harrovians and helped by the excellent pitch, the passes began to flow and for twenty minutes the team played with a certainty not so far displayed this season.

Two unfortunate incidents in the space of a few minutes then turned the game on its head. In quick succession, the goalscorer had to leave the field with a nasty-looking cut above his right eye after jumping for an aerial challenge with Millward, the Highgate center-half. Shortly afterwards a long ball then saw the Harrow defence statuesque in its disposition, allowing a free run on goal for a Highgate forward, only terminated by a desperate challenge from Tweddle. The penalty was nonchalantly dispatched, although thankfully (?) Tweddle remained on the pitch when many referees would have produced a red card.

The confidence quickly sapped from the Blues and Highgate sensed it. The Cholmelians upped the tempo and for the remainder of the half they were the better side. They scored their second after Harrow had initially cleared a corner, but then failed to re-organise as a second cross came in from the Highgate left and Benson found himself unmarked in the six yard box to plant a firm header past James Harper.

Harrow would have gone in at the break a goal down had it not been for a moment of individual inspiration from David Lederman. A quick Harrow break was unfairly ended on the edge of the penalty area when Molloy was fouled just as he was pulling the trigger (albeit on his rather small and ineffective gun) and from the resulting free-kick Lederman curled the ball over the wall and into the top corner, the Highgate keeper a bemused spectator.

The second half was more free-flowing with neither side able to dominate for long periods. Highgate decided to overload their right-hand side, which forced Piers Bourke and Charles Tweddle into more defensive roles, this in turn forcing the two Hoffen brothers to search for ball deeper than they would have liked. However the Blues continued to look dangerous on the break and on 70 minutes a chance arrived.

A sweeping Harrow move saw Harry Hoffen crash the ball against the bar, the rebound just evading his, by-now, patched-up brother with the Highgate goal gaping. The missed chance proved costly. Highgate sprayed the ball out to their right wing, again outnumbering the Harrovians on that side of the pitch. A second switch in the play found the Highate left winger one-on-one with Jamie Waugh, and having skipped past the Harrow defender, he crashed the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle.

The Harrovians responded by redoubling their efforts, the prospect of a third defeat in a row spurring the team to desperately search for the equalizer. With less than ten minutes remaining it arrived. A neat ball out of defence from Jamie Waugh found Lederman, who advanced inside the Highgate half before calmly slipping the ball through for Harry Hoffen to chase. Initially, the referee appeared to be ready to blow for offside, but after some sound advice from Molloy, who pointed out that the Highgate right-back was playing everyone onside, play was allowed to continue.

Hofffen unselfishly tried to square the ball to Piers Bourke, but the pass rebounded off the last defender back into the strikers path and this second opportunity was not to be squandered – HH drilled the ball home from point blank range. 3-3 but still the Harrovians wanted more.

Two minutes remained and sensing their opponents were ripe for the picking, Harrow once again broke at pace. Lederman surged deep into the Highgate half before finding Quentin Baker on the right hand side of the penalty area. The Harrow captain beat the last defender but his shot at the near post was palmed round the post by the opposition keeper and the drama was over.

Although a draw was undoubtedly the fair result, Harrow emotions were decidedly mixed. The satisfaction of a late comeback and the first point of the season gained were tempered by the knowledge that Highgate were a poor side and once again, the team had conceded goals which could have been avoided. However there were some positive signs. The first game the team had played on a decent surface this season brought a return to the high-tempo, counter-attacking football the team is capable of and both strikers opened their accounts with well-taken efforts. If any kind of defensive solidity can be found, the team may yet surprise itself with the heights it can achieve.

Harrow (4-4-2)

James Harper; Jamie Waugh, Tim Dalton, Obi Umenliyora, Charlie Tweddle; David Lederman, Paul Molloy, Quentin Baker, Piers Bourke; Harry Hoffen, Rupert Hoffen