Second half mediocrity costs 2s in Habs defeat

Old Harrovians 2nd XI
1 : 2
Old Haberdashers 1st XI
  • November 21st 2015, Philathletic Ground, 2pm
  • Division 3
  • Referee: Stephen Bodell
  • Weather: Sunny, windy
  • Pitch: Excellent
No. Starting XI Goals Yellow & Red Cards Subs On/Off
1 Kyri Pittalis
2 Geoff Taunton-Collins (c)
3 Will Orr-Ewing
4 Jack Robinson 75'
5 Phil Berry 65'
6 Jack Alhadeff 25'
7 Conti von Hirsch
8 Ollie Curry
9 Tristan David 75'
10 Azhar Yaqub-Khan 55'
11 Max Curry
Substitutes
12 Edmund Massey 45'
13 Theo Gordon 45'

The 2nd XI suffered another defeat on Saturday in a closely contested encounter with haberdashers.

Harrow dominated the encounter in the first period with Von Hirsch pulling the strings at the base of a five man midfield. A number of chances were created by the home side, but it was Jack Alhadeff who broke the deadlock mid-way through the half. The ball was played out to the left from where David picked out a diagonal ball over the Habs defence. Alhadeff latched onto it just outside the area, took a touch and then finished into the bottom right hand corner. Worthy reward for the right winger who had an excellent half beating this opposite number with regularity.

Alhadeff then almost gave Harrow an opportunity to get their second. Having dribbled into the box and got one on one with the keeper he knocked it round the stopper only to tumble to the floor dramatically. "Stonewall pen!" screamed Harrow, "Foot to hand!" screamed Haberdashers. "No penalty" said the ref.

Kyri Pitallis put a series of good saves together throughout the game, with the pick of the bunch an athletic tip over the bar from a direct free kick just before the half time whistle.

The second half saw Haberdashers in the ascendancy. This was made all the more annoying by the fact their serially irritating, unskilled, and yet weirdly effective rugby No. 8 had turned up to complain about anything and everything. Habs equalised first from a through ball that found their striker in a surprising amount of space in the Harrow box. He lifted it neatly over Pitallis to see it splat cruelly into the goal.

The away side then took the lead with ten minutes to go - a firm header from an excellent in-swinging cross played in by their left winger.

Harrow had a series of clear cut chances in the second half in spite of being on the back foot for most of it, and these continued into the last ten. Khan hit the bar, David saw a very well struck shot graze the post and Max Curry blazed over from inside the box with the goal at his mercy. It was not to be Harrow's day.

The league campaign will resume against second placed Kings Wimbledon after a weekend off. Having suffered a very close run 2-1 defeat away to them in the corresponding fixture the 2s will have a good opportunity to pick up some much needed points.