Skipper Ed Nicholson came to the rescue on Saturday afternoon, heading home a 92nd minute free-kick to earnt the OHAFC 3rd XI a vital point away to Lancing Old Boys 2nd XI down in Tolworth. A somewhat fractious encounter appeared to be heading Lancing’s way after they retook the lead with twenty minutes remaining following Adam Graham’s equaliser. But a bad foul in the final minute of added time allowed Harrow’s scorer to curl the ball into the box for the skipper to head home his first League goal of the season and secure a vital point in the 3s’ battle to stay up. The sides remain separated by six points in the table, although the Blues only have the home game against Saturday’s opponents remaining. They are likely to need a win to ensure survival.

Conditions for Saturday’s crunch encounter were hardly perfect down in southwest London, despite the excellent pitch at the Kingston University Sports Ground in Tolworth. A strong wind and low sun made life tricky throughout and the lack of referee proved awkward for both sides, in a game which grew in intensity throughout, leading to several unsavoury challenges. Thankfully, both sides escaped without serious injury, although Lancing were forced into a change just ten minutes into the game, meaning three OHs had to rotate officiating duties.

The hosts also failed to show up on time, meaning kick-off was delayed by ten minutes. Perhaps understandably, the visitors were rather slow out of the blocks, having warmed-up for far longer than they would have liked. This sloppy start was punished after twenty-five minutes when Lancing opened the scoring, a long ball over the top caught the Harrow defenders peering into the sun, the hesitation allowing a simple finish past stand-in keeper Henry Collins.

But the visitors responded almost immediately, coming within inches of an equaliser when Dan Graham was played through on goal and his chip over the keeper appeared to be heading in until it was cleared off the line by the Lancing skipper in the nick of time.

By this stage, the game had ratcheted up in intensity, with several tasty challenges flying in from both sides. The players tried to keep their goal, Charlie Lupton a shining light in the centre of midfield for the Blues. The half-time team talk was an urgent one, skipper Nicholson leaving his men in no doubt as to the importance of the forty-five minutes that lay ahead.

And the visitors made an excellent start to the second half, despite now playing into the strong wind. Shortly before the hour-mark, the sides were level at 1-1 when Michael Brooks fed Adam Graham through the middle and he squared across goal for older brother Dan to roll in.

But as the half progressed, so the conditions began to take their toll on the blue shirts, who found themselves increasingly penned in by a series of long Lancing balls forwards. Every time the visitors cleared their lines, the ball would come back. Some heroic interventions were made by the back five, Collins continuing to prove himself a more than adequate understudy between the posts, skipper Nicholson clearing off the line twice in quick succession.

But the pressure eventually told, disappointingly a mix-up at the back between Colehan and Collins allowing a Lancing forward to sneak in and nod the ball in to restore the home side’s advantage. Things then became heated as Lancing flew into a couple of unnecessary challenges in a bid to preserve the win. It appeared as though they had succeeded too, time all but up for the visitors. But one last poorly-timed challenge midway inside their half allowed the OHAFC to throw men forwards from the back. Adam Graham curled the ball in and Nicholson rose highest to head home, a desperate lunge on the line from a Lancing defender unable to prevent the ball crossing the line.

The point leaves the Blues desperately needing to win the return fixture in a fortnight’s time if they are to have a change of staying up. Another draw may be good enough, but the 3s would then be left sweating on Lancing’s remaining results, the team from the south coast still with five game left to play.