Two James Breeden goals in five second-half minutes were sufficient to earn the OHAFC 1st XI the victory they craved on the final day of the season, sending them back up to Arthurian League Premier Division after a three-year absence.

Knowing only a win would do away to the Old Cholmeleians, the OHAFC fell behind shortly after half-time in a scrappy game of few chances. But the visitors were gifted a lifeline moments later when referee Stephen Tate awarded a penalty for an infringement inside the Cholms box at a free-kick and James Breeden sent the keeper the wrong way to level the scores. Three minutes later, another free-kick delivered into the Cholms box once more caused panic in the hosts’ defence and, as the ball broke to the far post, Breeden was on hand once more to smash the ball in with his left foot from a couple of yards out.

Cholms gradually cranked up the pressure as the game wore on knowing that they too would earn promotion with victory. The Harrow defence coped well enough, but there was one heart-stopping moment ten minutes from time when an almighty scramble ensued on the Harrow goal line – the ball pinged around inside the six yard box for what seemed an eternity, Harrow bodies strewn across the goal in desperation, before it was finally hacked clear.

The final whistle sparked jubilant scenes of celebration for the OHAFC 1s, with the main target of promotion ultimately secured following a topsy-turvy season that has seen the side occupy the top seven places in the division on various occasions. But despite passing up opportunities to defeat Lancing and Cholms, their two main rivals for the second promotion spot, in their two previous games, the Blues delivered here when it really mattered. The squad can now enjoy their summer break knowing that on the resumption of hostilities in early September, they will be rubbing shoulders with the elite of Arthurian League football.

With 1s skipper Yunus Sert away in Turkey, and regulars Fraser McGuinness and Hamish MacIntyre both absent, vice-captain Alex Breeden was nonetheless able to name a strong squad of fourteen for the trip to Barnet. Emre Sert donned the keeping gloves and winger Harry Bick reprised the left-back role he performed so creditably in when the 1s defeated the Alleynians back in February. Two 3rd XI regulars made the trip, with Kyle Barrett starting at centre-half alongside Jonny Lalude, Charlie Bick starting on the bench alongside both Doug Morrison and Cyprian Owen-Edmunds. Alex Gilbert was asked to play right-back, with a midfield of Alex Breeden, Firoozan, Robinson and Bamford supporting the front two, George Gould and James Breeden.

Conditions in north London, at least initially, were set fair with bright sunshine and the pitch in reasonable enough condition. There was, however, a strong breeze blowing the length of the pitch and having won the toss, skipper Breeden had no hesitation in asking his men to play into the wind in the first half.

From the kick-off, it was apparent that regardless of footballing ability, Cholmeleians were one of the physically most imposing sides the OHAFC had ever faced, with numerous players over six feet tall – a potentially significant advantage at set-pieces given the far smaller stature of several of the Harrovians.

Nonetheless, for long spells the opening forty-five minutes proved rather forgettable with both sides struggling to string together any moves of note, numerous passes going astray courtesy of the wind, the pitch, the intensity of the opposition press, or a combination of the four. There was plenty of honest endeavour, naturally given the importance of the fixture, but little to cheer the group of thirty or so spectators huddled against the wind at the foot of the slope running the length of the western side of the pitch.

Much of Harrow’s most threatening play came down their left with the midfield trio of Breeden, Robinson and Gould feeding Harry Bick and Dan Firoozan on a regular basis, but too often they found themselves out-numbered and over-powered whenever they reached the final third. Down the right, Will Bamford was starved of possession, rarely being given the opportunity to run at the Cholms left-back, although behind him Alex Gilbert enjoyed an excellent first half, snubbing out several threatening balls over the top and proving himself more than a match for any Cholmeleian who ventured into his territory.

In the middle, Kyle Barrett and Jonny Lalude proved absolute rocks, winning balls in the air and on the ground and keeping possession thanks to excellent composure. The latter was caught out a couple of times trying to step in front of his man on the halfway line, the strong Cholms centre forward one of the few players capable of out-muscling the physically imposing Harrovian.

But with defences on top and the Harrow creative hub struggling to work their magic, both goalkeepers remained almost entirely redundant – a pity given that the Cholms stopper appeared a potential weak link.

In fact, it took until the 38th minute for either defence to come under pressure, with both sides suddenly coming close in the space of just a few minutes. The visitors threatened first, Chester Robinson feeding James Breeden on the right, he dragged his effort across goal only to find Harry Bick advancing down the opposite flank - Harry pulled the trigger and fired the ball back across goal but it was desperately cleared off the line by a covering defender, the keeper already beaten.

At the other end, Cholms should have scored themselves when Lalude dwelt on the ball a fraction too long allowing the hosts to break at pace down their right. The ball was crossed into the box and the striker was left with just Emre Sert to beat but he somehow managed to poke the ball over the bar.

At half-time Alex Breeden gave the rallying cry to the troops, with Lancing sitting pretty at that stage in the second promotion place and praying for the game to remain goalless. Charlie Bick replaced Will Bamford as the only change, Breeden switching Dan Firoozan into the middle and playing himself on the right.

Following the slim pickings of the first half, it was fortunate for those watching that straight from the off the second half proved a far more entertaining and open affair that immediately provided goalmouth action at both ends of the pitch.

Harrow began brightly and nearly opened the scoring from an early corner, James Breeden’s outswinging delivery to the near post headed just wide of the post by his elder brother.

And then, from almost nowhere, Cholms took the lead. The Harrow back four appeared to have the attack covered, but the Cholms left winger somehow broke clear, sprinted past Jonny Lalude into the box and, as Emre Sert came out to narrow the angle, flicked the ball past him with the outside of his boot and into the far corner.

Harrow heads sank momentarily but the visitors were provided with an almost immediate lifeline courtesy of a contentious penalty decision from referee Stephen Tate. A free-kick from wide on the left was whipped into the box by George Gould, Firoozan challenged and was beaten in the air but the whistle blew and the official immediately pointed to the spot. It wasn’t at all clear what the offence was, possibly a push or a pull on one of the Harrovians. As expected, lengthy Cholmeleian protests ensued but to no avail. James Breeden held his nerve to send the keeper the wrong way and within a couple of minutes Harrow had levelled.

And moments later the tables were turned completely as from another free-kick in an almost identical location, the visitors took the lead. Again Gould curled the ball into the box, this time Cholms failed to deal with it and it travelled through to the far post where the unmarked Breeden swivelled before gleefully smashing the ball in left-footed from a couple of yards out. His second goal of the game took his overall tally to the season to 23 from just 15 League and Cup appearances.

It took a while for the hosts to rid themselves of the shock at the sudden concession of two quick goals and in the ten minutes that followed, the Blues could have put the game beyond reach. An excellent move down the right saw Alex Breeden feed the increasingly influential Charlie Bick, he fed George Gould on the goal line and he crossed to the near post for James Breeden. The striker still had work to do but he rolled the defender superbly before firing a low effort across goal, beating the keeper but agonisingly failing to find the far corner.

The forward was then presented with a much simpler chance a few minutes later when a Beckham-esque cross from the right from Alex Gilbert found him unmarked on the penalty spot but he could only direct his header straight at the Cholms keeper.

At this stage the visitors looked comfortable, with a third Harrow goal appearing far more likely than a Cholms equaliser. But to the hosts’ credit, the longer the half wore on, the stronger they appeared to become and the final quarter of an hour saw the visitors come under mounting pressure at the back. Doug Morrison replaced a tiring Alex Gilbert, who had run himself into the ground. Cyprian Owen-Edmunds then came on for Harry Bick, although he would re-enter the fray with both Dan Firoozan and George Gould struggling in the closing stages.

For all Cholms’ pressure, they continued to struggle to create any clear-cut chances with the Harrow rearguard remaining resolute. But the Blues also enjoyed a large slice of luck with ten minutes remaining when a Cholms free-kick from their left wing landed inside the Harrow box and an amazing scramble ensued inside the six yard box. For what seemed an eternity, but what was probably only ten seconds in reality, the ball pinged around a mass of bodies on the goalline, at various stages looking like it would be thumped into the Harrow net only for another body to get in the way. Finally, Chester Robinson hacked clear to immense sighs of relief from those of a dark blue persuasion.

It was to be the closest the hosts came to levelling the match, a few corners were won but Sert remained untroubled in the Harrow goal, the visitors rightly concentrating on playing the game in the opposition half as time wore on. Referee Stephen Tate kept a lid on the rising tempers on both sides with a flurry of yellow cards, four Harrovians and a couple of Cholmeleians having ten pounds wiped off their holiday spending money for a variety of infringements.

But his last act was the most important, the final whistle following a few minutes of additional time signalling the end of the season and the fulfilment of Harrovian ambition nine months in the making.

So the Blues end their 2018/19 campaign in second place in Division One, six points behind champions the Old Alleynians, with a record of ten wins, a draw and seven defeats from their eighteen games. The side scored 51 goals at an average of just under three per game, but the goals conceded tally of 38 (4th most in the division) hints at where the improvements need to be concentrated on prior to next season.

Many congratulations to skipper Yunus Sert, vice-captain Alex Breeden and all 36 players who represented the side in the 19 League and Cup matches.

See you next season…in the Premier Division!