The OHAFC 2nd XI, buoyed by a recent upturn in form that has seen them win three of their last four League games and climb to the heady heights of sixth in the Arthurian League Division Two, travelled across London for a first meeting of the season with the Old Westminsters. The sides had met just once before, in the Junior League Cup quarter-finals last season, and it was the hosts who ran out comfortable winners on that occasion, beating an under-strength Harrow side 4-0.

More was expected from the squad on Saturday however, with a strong group of fourteen making the trip to the Bacon Community Sports Centre in Rotherhithe, a nondescript community sports centre nestled in a residential area across the river from Canary Wharf. For the fifth time this season, the team was to play a League game on astroturf, equalling a club record endured by the 1st XI in the 2015/16 season. On that occasion, the plastic had proved of little distraction, the team winning three and drawing one of the five matches, with the only defeat arriving in the penultimate fixture of the season, a meaningless game with the Radleians. In contrast, the 2s have historically endured an unproductive relationship with artificial surfaces and this season has continued in the same vein: played four, lost four, all away from home, with thirteen goals conceded and just five scored.

The slightly late arrival of referee Hugh McDonagh meant the Harrow players endured a fairly lengthy warm-up – bad news for the rebellious leggings-wearers who chose to once again flagrantly breach team rules by wearing lycra with the temperature well above freezing, their superfluous extra material itching as the warming sun began melting away the cloud cover. To prevent boredom from setting in, several members of the squad chose to practise their set-piece delivery with comical results, balls either flying over the netting behind the goal or rolling tamely wide of the target. It was a portentous omen…

The visitors actually began the game well, with the back three of Woolley, Orr-Ewing and Barrett enjoying plenty of time on the ball and, in the main, using it to good extent. In midfield, Morrison, Lederman and Barwick appeared to have the upper hand with the result that main striker Mike Okoigun was fed down the channels on a regular basis. Unfortunately, and he was not alone in this regard, Okoigun was guilty of holding onto the ball too long on several occasions and attacks broke down when the visitors appeared capable of causing some serious problems.

Westminsters had barely registered a threat but after a quarter of an hour they were gifted a goal thanks to a horrible defensive misunderstanding between left-back Hovey and ‘keeper Kyri Pittalis. A long ball over the top should have been dealt with but Hovey’s touch back was underhit and Pittalis dithered momentarily. The initial effort was saved and Hovey got round to clear the danger but his weak punt forwards fell straight to a Westminster attacker who took aim and drilled the ball into the far corner. It was the first poor bit of defending from the side for a number of weeks.

Harrow heads remained high and they should have levelled minutes later when skipper Geoff Taunton-Collins, who was seeing plenty of the ball down the right, combined with Okoigun to deliver a low cross to the near post. Alhadeff timed his run to meet it perfectly, but his aim was fractionally off, the ball arrowing inches wide of the near post.

It proved to be a costly miss as within moments Westminster had doubled their advantage. A Harrow move forwards broke down midway inside the Westminster half and the pink shirts countered at speed. As Woolley pushed forwards to confront the man in possession, the ball was slipped between the two other centre-backs who had held their ground. Harrow appealed in vain for offside but the striker ran on to coolly finish past Pittalis.

With half an hour gone and a two-goal deficit to overcome, Taunton-Collins threw his three substitutes on in an effort to generate a recovery. Hutchinson and Payne moved into midfield with Dalzell joining Morrison in attack. The change appeared to make little difference however, with the visitors still clearly more than a match for the resolute, precise play of Westminsters, but unable to regularly carve out clear-cut chances and claw their way back into the game.

The deadlock continued either side of half-time, with Morrison looking fairly isolated up front, at times waging a one-man war on the Westminsters back four. Dalzell flashed glimpses of his skill on the left, but he too was often crowded out by two or three pink shirts. His best effort saw him beat two men at close quarters but the hosts’ ‘keeper, a vocal presence throughout, read the situation well and sprang from his line to block the attempted shot.

With half an hour remaining, Taunton-Collins shuffled his pack once more, gradually re-introducing Alhadeff, Okoigun and Lederman back into the fray. Almost immediately however, a third was conceded, the ball being well-worked through the Harrow midfield before another clinical finish was fired past Pittalis. Harrow increasingly pushed forwards in desperation and, as the clocked ticked down, two further goals were conceded, one from a breakaway, the second from a poorly-defended corner. The only respite from the struggle was a brief moment of amusement when Alhadeff was rightly given a stern talking to from the referee for diving to try and win a free-kick. Despite the player maintaining his innocence after the game, there were several in the Harrow ranks who admitted their disappointment that stricter disciplinary measures had not been enforced.

The final scoreline of 5-0 was undoubtedly harsh on the visitors, who had on the whole competed well for the majority of the game. Credit must go to Westminsters who defended well for the entire ninety minutes, limiting a talented Harrow attack to fewer chances than they could have expected to create. At the back, some old problems resurfaced leading to a scoreline that barely reflected the real difference between the teams.

Disappointingly, the taste of defeat lingered longer than usual, with a frustrating wait for a post-match tea that never arrived. The visitors were left merely guessing at the warm, gooey, possibly breadcrumbed treats their hosts had in store for them…

One very bright spot shone throughout the cold, dark journey back across London town: the knowledge that, apocalyptic weather notwithstanding, this was to be the side’s final League game on astroturf this season. Trips to Charterhouse, twice, Eton and Forest remain, all of whom play on natural grass. With the record this season now reading played five, lost five, scored five, conceded eighteen, that can only be good news… be gone, not so fantastic plastic – and take your bootfuls of hazardous rubber crumsion with you!