Despite scoring five goals in a League fixture for the first time since November 2019, the OHAFC 2nd XI still found themselves on the wrong side of the result following an extraordinary match against Division Two leaders the Old Johnians on the Harrow School astroturf on Saturday morning. Under cold, leaden skies, the home side produced a much improved performance following a meek surrender to Brentwoods 2s in the quarter-finals of the Junior League Cup a fortnight ago, but they were still undone, thanks in the main to an outstanding performance from the Johnians centre-forward, who scored six goals of the highest quality.

With Cup ambitions over for another season, the Blues arrived on the Hill knowing that at least one more win was required from their four remaining League fixtures in order to ensure survival in Division Two. A lack of action in recent weeks had seen the 2s slip to eighth in the table, with only Carthusians 2s and Merchant Taylors below them. But the task at hand was an ominous one: Johnians arrived in north London top of the table, with twelve wins and two draws from their fifteen League matches played. Interestingly, the OHAFC are one of the three teams not to have succumbed to defeat, the visitors denied a famous win right at the death on a boggy Imber Court pitch back in November when the two teams fought out a tense 3-3 draw. This game featured twice as many goals and a quite extraordinary incident prior to the break involving the referee, Steve Bodell, but was actually played in a much friendlier spirit than the first meeting – something of a blessing given the 2s previous run-out at home to Brentwoods.

Despite the incredible number of goals scored, the game actually began in fairly sedate fashion, with neither side able to threaten for the opening twenty minutes. What soon became apparent was that this was not as strong a Johnians side as the one faced in the away game – the tall, powerful centre-forward still made a nuisance of himself, but the fast-paced intricate football that had rocked the Blues early on in that game was nowhere to be seen. With Doug Pratt and Felix Orchard looking comfortable at the back, the home side gradually began to enjoy themselves, switching play nicely across the pitch and bringing wide men Kellock and Firoozan into the game. It was this pair who combined to produce a deserved opening goal after twenty-five minutes: Lederman collected the ball just inside the Johnians half and fired a superb crossfield ball out to the left for Kellock, his first touch killing the ball dead and allowing him to beat his man on the outside and cross towards the near post. Firoozan tried to collect, the ball bobbled up off a defender and the Harrow man cleverly dinked it over his marker and the keeper into the roof of the net.

Johnians came back to force several corners, all of which were whipped in with pace towards the far post, the Harrow defence and keeper Kyri Pittalis coping manfully. But the Blues continued to look threatening, with the midfield competing well and Kellock and Firoozan working hard to create openings. The big frustration was the constant shrill of the referee’s whistle for offside, with Tristan David almost the exclusive culprit.

But as half-time approached, and with still just the solitary Firoozan goal separating the sides, a quite bizarre incident sparked a flashpoint involving both sides and the referee. A spell of Johnians possession just inside the Harrow half looked to have petered out as an overhit pass ran towards the touchline. In fact, it was so overhit that it struck the referee, who was standing just inside the pitch, on the shins and rebounded into play. The whistle immediately blew, with common sense dictating that the sensible thing would be to just award a throw-in to the Blues. But referee Steve Bodell chose to play strictly by the laws of the game and, because they were the last side to touch the ball, the Johnians received an uncontested drop-ball. The eleven Harrovians waited for the ball to be kicked back to them, the Johnians striker hesitated, clearly unsure what he should do. Bizarrely, with nobody moving, and with Harrow keeper Kyri Pittalis loitering innocently on the edge of his penalty area, the striker chose to shoot from fully fifty yards out, sending the ball flying on the wind over the keeper and into the net. Understandably, the home side were incensed and launched into a furious protest, several players coming close to incurring the wrath of the referee. Fortunately, the Johnians, led by their skipper, saw sense and once the dust settled, agreed to allow their opponents to score straight from the restart, Tristan David the lucky recipient of this excellent display of sportsmanship.

Disappointingly, with only a few minutes remaining to the break, the Blues couldn’t hold onto their lead. Another corner from the left was whipped towards the back post, Doug Pratt challenged the giant striker as well as he could, but the ball deflected out towards the penalty spot where a waiting midfielder gleefully thumped it home. On the balance of play, a 2-2 draw was probably the least the home side deserved after an excellent opening forty-five minutes, with the mood one of optimism that an important win was well within the team’s grasp. Striker Pedro Azagra replaced the frustrated Tristan David up front, with his first task to try to stay onside more than his predecessor had done.

As it was, the substitute made an immediate impact, holding the ball up well and using his pace to hassle and harry the Johnians rearguard. But after a quiet opening ten minutes, the second half quickly became a frenzied blur of goals as both sides laid siege to their opponents’ defences. At no stage did either side appear in any control whatsoever and, such was the quality of the goals, it was hard to reproach either back four over the events unfolding before them.

Johnians took the lead for the first time in the game when a needless free-kick on the Harrow left (one of many that were conceded as the game progressed) was curled perfectly towards the penalty spot for the striker to shrug off two challenges and power a header into the roof of the net. Back came the Blues, a spell of pressure outside the Johnians area saw the ball flicked on towards Azagra inside the box. He did brilliantly to manoeuvre himself into position, back to goal, before coolly lobbing the keeper on the half-turn, much to Johnians’ dismay.

Parity was once more broken barely five minutes later, the Johnians striker this time collecting the ball twenty –five yards out and smashing a low shot just inside the near post, Pittalis unsighted by one of the Harrow defenders. It was pandemonium. The hosts then thought they’d struck the telling blow by scoring twice in quick succession to take the lead for the third time in the match. Lovely build-up play down the right saw the ball worked to the edge of the box where Kellock twisted before dinking a ball between two defenders for Firoozan to run onto and beat the keeper inside his far post (pictured). When Jack Dolbey then produced a trademark left foot screamer that flew into the top corner from just outside the box, the home side sensed the points were there for the taking.

But to their credit, the Johnians then showed why they are the runaway Division Two leaders as they powered in three goals in the closing fifteen minutes to shatter the OHAFC. The striker, unsurprisingly, scored the fifth with an audacious long shot from thirty yards that flew over Pittalis’ head and just under the bar, the strike with his right foot almost nonchalant in its execution.

He then let someone else score the sixth as a quick break down the Johnians left saw a midfielder race into the box and just beat the Harrow keeper with a slightly scuffed shot that crept in off the far post. It was only when the seventh was scored, with five minutes remaining, that Harrow heads finally dropped – the nature of the goal hurting almost as much as the two-goal deficit that now faced the side. Pratt and Orchard dwelt on the ball on the edge of the box, neither quite sure what their next move should be. The Johnians striker took full advantage, stealing the ball before rounding the keeper and slotting in to spark scenes of jubilant celebration. Johnians knew that they had been in a game, but they had come through it in some style to snatch the points, almost certainly confirming the title is theirs.

It was hard on a Harrow side that had given their all and played well for much of the game. Despite the concession of seven goals (six of them, really) there was little wrong with the defending and much to praise. Nevertheless, the defeat still means the Blues are searching for a win that would practically guarantee their safety, with three away games left, starting with the trip to face the Alleynians 2s in Twickenham next weekend.