Despite a horrific pre-match build up that saw the OHAFC 2nd XI forced to don an Old Carthusian Veterans kit turned inside out just so the game could kick-off on time, Geoff Taunton-Collins’ men put their troubles behind them to earn a second consecutive 2-2 draw in Godalming. Although the hosts enjoyed the bulk of possession in both halves and looked the sharper of the two teams on the ball, the Blues twice led, scoring superb goals either side of the break, before being pegged back to earn a hugely creditable result.

Saturday was a historic day for the OHAFC with the first ever visit of both the 1st and 2nd XIs to play the Old Carthusians on the same day. But the occasion was initially marked by those who weren’t present than those who were: two 1st XI players and one 2nd XI player were missing, along with the 2nd XI kit. Following a series of negotiations with match officials, opposition captains and internally, the decision was taken to keep the kick-off times the same, Carthusians kindly lending the 2s a spare kit to wear inside out. The delay meant that the Blues were afforded just a quarter of an hour to warm up and would be without a substitute – hardly ideal to face a side still unbeaten this season.

Pre-game instructions highlighted the need to weather the inevitable Charterhouse storm from kick-off and the visitors managed this capably. The hosts did indeed storm forwards from the first whistle, the pace and aggressiveness of their play taking an under-prepared Harrow side by surprise as striped shirts poured forwards from all sides. But once the initial ten-minute maelstrom had been survived, the Blues gradually began to grow in self-belief, and the game settled into an even contest. Carthusians’ switched the play superbly but the visitors’ back four, including a rather stiff-backed Jack Orr-Ewing playing his first game of the season, held firm and, once again, the pace and direct running of Taunton-Collins and Owen-Edmunds began to cause problems for a hesitant Charterhouse rearguard.

Several times Will Monroe, who enjoyed a stellar game at left-back, combined with the two forwards ahead of him to work openings down the left wing and it was little surprise that two such attacks saw the first goalmouth action of the game. Midway through the half Taunton-Collins was scythed down as he stormed up the wing. Lederman curled the ball into the near post from out wide and Max Curry’s stooping header was superbly tipped round the post by the diving Charterhouse keeper. Shortly afterwards he was powerless to prevent the visitors taking the lead from another free-kick, again earned by the skipper charging towards the penalty area and drawing a foul. This time the offence was just outside the box and in prime position for Lederman to unleash a trademark curler, the ball arcing over the wall and inside the near post, sparking jubilant celebrations.

As expected, the hosts deemed the goal almost an affront to their superiority and were soon firing fifty yard balls nonchalantly out to their two wide men, the right winger looking particularly dangerous on several occasions. The visitors continued to battle hard, with some last-ditch flying challenges from Woolley, Ward and Orr-Ewing on the edge of the box leaving Pittalis relatively untroubled in the Harrow goal, Dolbey and the Curry brothers flying around in midfield to keep track of their runners.

It was, disappointingly, from a Harrow attack that the hosts levelled ten minutes from the break. A well-worked move, again down the left, fizzled out when Lederman’s attempted cross to Ollie Curry at the far post was headed clear. There appeared little apparent danger as the ball was pumped forwards into the Harrow half, but a slightly heavy touch from Jack Orr-Ewing saw the magenta shirts pounce, quickly exchanging passes across the pitch in a precision move that carved out a shooting opportunity from just inside the box. The low finish into the corner left Pittalis with no chance and the sides went into the break level at 1-1.

Spirits were high in the Harrow camp at half-time with the game still in the balance and the appalling preparation prior to kick-off now forgotten. Instead, the eleven men knew that a tough 45 minutes lay ahead, with every ounce of effort required to earn something from the game. It was also pointed out, quite rightly by Jack Dolbey, another young player who enjoyed a fine game, that the side needed to be confident on the ball – the first half had shown that the Blues were more than capable of hurting their opponents and should continue to believe in themselves.

Disappointingly, through a combination of relentless Charterhouse play and rising fatigue levels, the Blues struggled to heed Dolbey’s advice, with play concentrated almost exclusively for the next twenty minutes inside the Harrow half. Taunton-Collins and Owen-Edmunds, the double-barrelled assassination squad up front, continued to offer an outlet of sorts, but their teammates found it almost impossible to aid them in their efforts and so time and again the Charterhouse back four cleaned up before surging forwards in attack. Monroe looked rock-solid at left-back, his winger earning little change out of him, but on the other side of the pitch the opposition proved harder to contain, Harry Woolley adopting the persona of Danny Mills in a frantic but successful bid to prevent his winger making any progress. One scissor challenge on the edge of the box looked worse than it actually was, thankfully the resulting free-kick was well defended. A second challenge on the touchline right in front of his parents (who saw little wrong with it) left his opposite man in a heap on the ground, wailing in agony. Referee Hugh Wylie resisted brandishing a card, much to the hosts’ dismay.

Despite the almost unceasing pressure, the visitors remained resolute at the back and worked tirelessly in midfield so that efforts on goal proved elusive for the Carthusians. Indeed, the closest they came to taking the lead was from a bizarre ricochet when Jack Orr-Ewing’s clearance struck an attacker and rebounded at speed towards Pittalis. The Harrow man was up to the task, flinging himself acrobatically into the air to turn the ball over the bar.

With twenty minutes remaining, and with little warning, Harrow took the lead, totally against the run of play. Several long balls forward had caused the Carthusian defence problems, indeed Owen-Edmunds had already threatened to score when he stole in down the left and beat two men before striking the near post and sending the rebound flashing high and wide. This time he made no mistake, again pouncing on some hesitant defending to nip in ahead of the centre-halves, carry the ball across the edge of the box to the right of goal before turning and unleashing a magnificent chip back over the keeper into the far corner with his left foot – a stunning strike to match Lederman’s effort in the first half.

Harrow couldn’t hold on however. Barely five minutes later, and following a succession of Charterhouse crosses into the box, the Harrow defence finally cracked, Lederman scuffing a simple clearance and the ball falling perfectly for a striker to take a touch before burying past Pittalis.

Both sides went in search of a winner and tempers flared late on, Dolbey and his man involved in a minor coming together that saw a yellow card produced for the Carthusian. A couple of Charterhouse crosses flashed across goal leading to one of the hosts querying just how they weren’t winning a game ‘against the worst side we’ve played all season.’ Organisation, commitment, desire and no little quality in attack could be the response.

It was a tremendous effort from the eleven Harrovians on the day, who put behind them the pre-match problems to deliver a hugely effective performance in both defence and attack. The two superb goals were expertly taken and could, on another day, have secured an unlikely win, were it not for one tired mistake in defence. Nevertheless, the side can take great confidence going forwards with a fortnight’s break now until the next League game against a struggling Merchant Taylors team on November 10th.

*Match photos courtesy of Fred & Jackie Woolley