Old Malvernians II 1 OHAFC III 1

The OHAFC 3rd XI took on Old Malvernians 2nd XI in the midday kick-off at the University of Brunel Sports Park in Uxbridge. The team needing to get a result after a forgetful outing last weekend. Significant absentees - including both Captain Ollie Feather and Vice-Captain Nick Kapoor - made for more of a challenge.

There were some new and returning faces for the game that saw a slight shuffle to the formation. Charlie Robson coming in for his first game for the club at Left-Back, Connor Barrett marshalling the troops from Centre-Back and John Sharples returning to the squad at Right-Back. There was also debut for Romin Mukhadam in the number 10 role behind the ever active Ollie Walker, while Kojo Frimpong returned for his first game of the season on the Right-Wing.

The opening exchanges were fairly evenly balanced with few chances created by both teams on what was a particularly big pitch and in very windy conditions. After the 10 minute mark, both sides began to settle and there was some neat stuff once the ball was on the deck. The Old Malvernians cut through the Harrow back-four but were halted by the resilient Michael Nugent between the sticks, while Connor Barrett proved a much valued asset at Centre-Back, thwarting a couple of dangerous looking counter-attacks from the opposition.

As the game began to settle, midway through the first half, Pom Beeley and Charlie Bick began to stamp their authority in the middle of the park, with some tidy possession football creating half-chances for Frimpong and Walker but to no avail, but Harrow were growing in confidence.

Then, on the half an hour mark, some confusion following a free-kick decision from the referee with everyone on the pitch convinced he had awarded it to Harrow, while a Malvernian player aimlessly booted the ball upfield and their striker put it into the Harrow net with the whole pitch standing still only for the ref to allow the goal to stand. Then a tremendous act of sportsmanship from the opposition, recognising the dubious nature of the goal, allowed Harrow a free-run at goal to equalise as Pom Beeley did so - his first goal for 3 years. It was a fantastic act of sportsmanship from the old Malvernians, deserving significant recognition. Both sides kept it very tight after that with few chances before half-time.

The second half started just as the first-half ended with both teams keeping very tight as Harrow were playing into the wind as chances were at a minimum. Then a neat interchange between Robson, Beeley and Frimpong saw Walker put through on goal, one-on-one with the keeper 5 minutes after half-time, only for him to fluff his shot wide. A gilt edge opportunity that Walker knew he should have converted. On the 55 minute mark a set back for Harrow as stand-in captain Chuka Ilogu went off injured with a torn hamstring. This led to a reshuffle to the Harrow formation and the team had to ride a storm from the opposition and there was some terrifically resilient defending from the makeshift back-four of Barrett, Sharples, Frimpong and Brightman, ahead of Nugent, who was proving impossible for the opposition to beat in the sticks as they hit the woodwork on two occasions.

There was no doubt the Old Malvernians were beginning to dominate stages of the second half, but there was some tremendous rallying from the likes of Bick and Beeley in the middle and Barrett at the back not allowing Harrow to drop their guard. The team responded to this and began to take back control of the game as another tidy exchange between Bick and Beeley saw Robson receive the ball and he looked up and played a piercing through ball for Walker, again one-on-one with the keeper, but this time did everything right looking to place his left-footed low drive across the keeper but his shot was blocked by a fantastic save.

The closing stages saw Bick really take control of the game playing like a man possessed and was everywhere on the field driving the team forward. He won a free-kick, only for Barrett's neatly curled effort to be saved by the Malvernian goalkeeper. Harrow were really pressing as the team found another gear from somewhere as Robson went very close from 20 yards, again thwarted by their keeper. Then with the very last kick of the game Harrow were awarded a free kick from 35 yards out. Bick stood over the ball and his cross-come-shot looped its way over the bar by a matter of inches with everyone convinced he had scored the winner. Manic Harrow celebrations cut short as the team realised the ball did not actually go in the net.

The full-time whistle blew with the score at 1-1. Harrow showed great character and team spirit also along with some crucial individual performances and the team may have been unlucky not to get more from the game towards the end. On the whole, a draw was a fair result and the team can look to build on this in their home fixture next weekend against Old Amplefordians.

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