The OHAFC 2nd XI slumped to a hugely disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to the Old Haberdashers on Saturday morning on the sodden Harrow School astroturf. A competitive first half saw no goals but plenty of action, including a strong penalty claim from the hosts a couple of minutes before the interval. But the second half proved a different story as the visitors raised their game and earn the points courtesy of two excellent finishes, the OHAFC producing arguably their poorest half of football so far this season. Defeat leaves the 2s still in fourth in Division Three, Habs now rapidly ascending the table following a poor start.

The previous meeting between the sides at Haberdashers School back in mid-October had proved a contentious one, the home side fielding three ‘ringers’ and snatching a last-minute win against a hugely depleted OHAFC side. That game will be replayed, Habs having been deducted three points for their indiscretion, but the OHAFC had nobody to blame but themselves for defeat on this occasion.

Skipper Geoff Taunton-Collins was able to name a strong thirteen-man squad for this encounter, although the centre-back pairing of Joss Awdry and Alexi Pittalis were appearing together for the first time. Ed Pagani offered a welcome return at left-back, as did Doug Pratt up front, who missed last weekend’s 1-1 draw against the leaders the Old Merchant Taylors following on from his hat-trick heroics the week before. Spencer Crawley and Ogyen Verhagen offered cover for the midfield and attack from the bench.

Despite heavy rain in the hours preceding the 10.30am kick-off, conditions on the Hill weren’t too bad, with the artificial turf draining well and the rain abating during the warm-up. There was also little wind to trouble the teams, the OHAFC lining up in their change strip of red shirts with navy trim. Habs had come into this game on the back of an excellent 2-1 win away to third-place Old Alleynians 3s last weekend and they made a fast start here, spurning an excellent chance to snatch the lead after just five minutes when keeper Rory Craig hared out of his goal only to be beaten to the ball, the resulting cross was slashed wide of the far post however.

It took ten minutes for the hosts to gradually find their feet, some long clearances from Craig allowing Doug Pratt the opportunity to hassle and harry the Habs back line – something he had done so effectively in that win over the Old Carthusians second string on this same pitch. But it was the visitors who created the best opportunities next: an attack down the left saw the ball played towards the edge of the box and the Harrow keeper again just beaten to the ball by the striker – fortunately, Joss Awdry, who enjoyed an accomplished game at the back, had scrambled back to clear the ball off the line; two minutes later the visitors exerted further pressure on the men in red, several corners whipped into the box but all dealt with just about convincingly, before the hosts themselves then broke downfield with an excellent move that saw Tristan David feed Owain James and he in turn played in Doug Pratt. The Habs keeper rushed out to foil the striker but the ball rolled free fifteen yards outside the box only for Pagani to place his first-time effort a few yards wide of the far post with defenders hurtling back in a bid to block.

The OHAFC began to slowly work the ball up the pitch with more conviction but they were undone in their play with the final delivery, especially from out wide with several poor crosses ending attacks prematurely. Miles Kellock then fired just over the bar with a decent effort after he had been slipped in through the midle. With seven minutes of the half remaining and the hosts still enjoying the better of things, the most contentious moment of the match occurred: the ball was slipped between Habs defenders to the right for Pratt to chase – the striker clearly got to the ball before the keeper and went down under the challenge but referee Will Hoyle was either unsighted or deemed the contact insufficient and vociferous Harrow appeals were ignored.

But it was then the hosts’ turn for a fortunate escape when the next Habs attack saw a cross to the far post headed back across goal and over keeper Rory Craig’s head. Fortunately, for the second time in the half, Awdry was in the right place at the right time, heading clear from off the line. Indeed, the visitors finished the half strongly, forcing Craig into a couple of routine saves from long range, Harrow’s passing losing its accuracy across the pitch.

Crawley and Verhagen were introduced from the bench, Miles Kellock and Kyri Pittalis the men to make way. But as the rain began to slowly fall once more, the visitors picked up where they had left off, moving the ball with speed and purpose across the pitch. Attacks mainly came down the left wing, forcing right-back Taunton-Collins into a busy period where he was front and centre of the defensive efforts. Ably assisted by Alexi Pittalis and Awdry in the middle, the hosts managed to hold on and gradually release the pressure. Spencer Crawley enjoyed a quietly effective half, managing to keep possession of the ball far better than many of his teammates, and he produced the next effort on goal, a header from close to the edge of the box that had the Habs keeper watching and praying as the ball looped just wide of the far post.

Both sides then forced corners and Harrow should have done better on the break, Owain James just failing to find Pratt racing down the inside left channel with Habs struggling to recover. At this stage the result was still very much in the balance, both sides looking capable of snatching the crucial first goal. But once the visitors did so, just before the hour-mark, the balance of play shifted convincingly and irrevocably in their favour. Some swift passing saw the ball played out to the Habs left winger, he beat Taunton-Collins to the byline and cut the ball back to near side of the penalty spot where a midfielder had timed his run to perfection, sidefooting into the roof of the net first-time, the ball just missing Awdry on the way.

The hosts briefly threatened a response, James firing a left-foot volley high and wide from Pratt’s knock down. But Taunton-Collins was then guilty of a poor late challenge and things deteriorated further when Tristan David, not for the first time this season, was sent to the sin bin for bemoaning another decision. Haberdashers pressure mounted, a header flew just over the bar. Although the advantage remained just a single goal, play was focussed very much towards the Harrow goal and there was little let-up. Numerous throws and corners were forced, Craig in the Harrow goal became the busiest man on the pitch. David returned from his ten minutes on the side, which he’d mainly spent moaning about how he’d got there, but little changed to the flow of the game. Harrow’s passing and composure on the ball evaporated almost completely, Crawley a lone beacon of light in actually managing to pass to a teammate.

The men in red did manage to force a corner from an enterprising move down the right, but Habs responded with a corner of their own which required yet another clearance off the line from a looping header. With eight minutes remaining the OHAFC were finally put out of their misery when another ball down the left caused problems, a forward just beating the offside trap to run on and fire an unstoppable shot into the far top corner from a narrow angle.

Post-match grumblings about decisions that failed to go their way belied a greater disappointment at the way the team had performed, especially in the second half – this was a game only one team deserved to win. The Blues need to pick themselves up for the final fixture of the year, the trip down the A3 to face KCS Wimbledon 2s at the Richardson Evans Memorial playing fields – a former home of the OHAFC many years ago.