The OHAFC 2nd XI celebrated avoiding relegation back into Division Three on Saturday evening, despite losing their penultimate fixture of the season 5-3 to a powerful Old Radleians side. The Blues went into the game, played at Charterhouse School due to the Harrow School pitches already having been turned over for cricketing purposes, knowing that regardless of their result, failure by Lancing 2s to defeat KCS Wimbledon 2s in Kingston would ensure survival – in the end, KCS ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.

The feat of staying in Division Two following promotion last season is not to be underestimated: the OHAFC 1st XI failed to last more than a season in the Premier Division following promotion back up in 2016/17 and the same fate befell the 3rd XI following their brief ascent into Division Four for 2012/13. Survival is all the more impressive given the atrocious start the team made to life in Division Two prior to Christmas: seven of the first eight games were lost and 24 goals were conceded in the process. However, a run of four wins and two draws from the nine fixtures since has seen Division Two football safeguarded for next season with a game to spare.

In the end, Saturday’s fixture was almost a throwback to early life in the division, with some poor defensive errors early in the game consigning the Blues to an uphill struggle in the second half. And against a powerful Radley side, themselves fighting to confirm promotion back into Division One following their relegation last season, the task proved too great.

The nominal hosts were hugely fortunate to escape serious punishment in only the third minute when Alexi Pittalis lost possession midway inside his own half and a ball into the Harrow box saw ‘keeper Emre Sert collide with the striker. It looked a clear penalty but referee Hugh Wylie ignored Radley protests and waved play on.

Ten minutes later an almost identical mistake led to the Radleians taking the lead: Sert’s goal-kick was hooked straight back over the top of the Harrow defence and as Woolley chased in vain, the Radley striker nipped in front of the onrushing ‘keeper to poke the ball into the empty net.

By this stage Harrow had barely managed to string three successive passes together, but within two minutes of conceding, their first spell of sustained football brought the equaliser. Exeter University student George Gould, making his first OHAFC appearance of the season, exchanged passes and fed Geoff Taunton-Collins down the right wing. The skipper’s driven ball to the back post landed at the feet of Will Payne and he showed excellent composure to take a touch before planting the ball past the Radley ‘keeper at his near post.

The goal lifted Harrow’s confidence and the side began to compete on a far more even footing against one of the biggest, most powerful sides faced in recent seasons. Indeed, the Blues had an excellent chance to take the lead when further good work from Payne, who was a constant menace down the left flank, saw Max Curry freed through the middle with just the ‘keeper to beat. The striker’s first effort was well blocked by a sprawling save, disappointingly the rebound was screwed wide of the far post with defenders scurrying back to block.

But two minutes later it was the visitors who did take the lead again with almost a carbon copy of their first goal: a ball played through their inside right channel and some momentary hesitation from Sert that again allowed the striker to just win the race and calmly pass the ball into the far corner.

Soon afterwards and it was 3-1, with the goal, disappointingly, coming from a Harrow attack. A foul on Doug Morrison was penalised and George Gould whipped in the ball from wide on the left. Radley scrambled clear at the far post and then broke, the ball landing at the feet of their pacy striker who didn’t stand on ceremony, driving past the two covering Harrow defenders before curling the ball into the far corner.

Both sides had chances late in the half to add to the scoring: Max Curry headed just over from a Gould free-kick at one end, Radley’s tricky midfielder nearly scored a magical goal at the other, weaving past three blue shirts only to see his effort well saved by Sert. The rebound was blasted high and wide.

The second half began well enough for Harrow, barely two minutes had elapsed when Payne fed Morrison and he fired just wide of the far post. But from then on chances became hard to come by, with the bobbly, uneven surface far more suited to the rough and ready approach adopted by the visitors. The Radleians launched numerous balls forward from the back whilst Harrow continued to try to build through midfield.

With neither side looking capable of adding to the score, Harrow once more found a way to concede from almost nothing. A Radley attack down their left looked to have petered out with numerous Harrow bodies crowding the edge of the box. The ball was won back but never cleared and after a couple of ricochets it fell to a Radleian who spotted that Sert’s positioning was awry and curled the ball almost into the dead centre of the goal.

To Harrow’s credit they continued to push and as the game entered its closing stages the Blues enjoyed their best spell of the game. A fine move down the left saw one goal pulled back. Lederman, on as a substitute, fed Payne down the left channel and he exchanged passes with Morrison inside the box before confidently finishing.

An almost identical move could, and probably should, have led to a Radleian receiving his marching orders when Lederman again fed Payne down the left but this time as he sped towards the box with just the ‘keeper to beat he was hacked down from behind. Again referee Hugh Wylie remained unmoved and merely issued a few stern words.

Harrow’s hopes of an unlikely comeback were finally dashed ten minutes from time when a swift Radley counter saw the ball crossed from the right and turned in first time. There was still time for the Blues to score a third, George Gould delivering an excellent free-kick that was flicked on by Morrison for Alexi Pittalis to head home from close range.

But the closing minutes were forgettable as tempers flared in the warm spring sunshine, the referee bringing proceedings to an abrupt halt with both sides contesting a free-kick decision inside the centre circle.

A disappointing performance from the OHAFC, certainly in defence, but frustration turned to elation on the sidelines as skipper Geoff Taunton-Collins announced the result from the Lancing v KCS Wimbledon game and that, as a consequence, survival had been ensured.

The Blues have one game remaining, the trip to Forest 2s in a fortnight’s time, following which a long summer break can be enjoyed by all.