A makeshift OHAFC 1st XI featuring three 2s regulars and a goalkeeper making his first appearance for the club in over five years produced an excellent performance to surprisingly hold the newly-crowned Arthurian League champions to a 2-2 draw down in Godalming on Saturday. With the Old Carthusians having once more confirmed themselves as the elite team in the League and the OHAFC’s fate settled a few weeks ago, there was little for either side to play for but pride. But in the beautiful spring sunshine, on an admittedly poor pitch on Broom and Lees, the two sides produced a fine, competitive game for those watching on the sidelines.

Ed Beecham opened the scoring for the visitors from a corner but the Carthusians hit back with a superb team goal before a poor goal-kick from keeper Harison Saunders gifted the hosts the lead prior to the break. The second half saw the home side pile on the pressure but the visitors held firm and were rewarded for their efforts when Ciaran Jordan collected a clearance and fired a low shot inside the near post from twenty-five yards out. Saunders then made a superb reflex save that drew gasps of appreciation from both sides, flinging himself back towards his near post to palm away a goalbound shot.

It was just reward for a disciplined Harrow effort throughout that left the Carthusians questioning how the Blues found themselves cut adrift at the foot of the Premier Division table. Perhaps performances such as this will prove to the squad just what they are capable of with decent availability and organisation: this draw broke a depressing run of thirteen straight League defeats against Charterhouse.

The visitors started brightly despite a rather rushed warm-up and the lineup not being announced until shortly before kick-off. But the Blues enjoyed plenty of possession and set about freeing wide men Will Payne and Ollie Atkinson. Payne, in particular, looked threatening down the left, collecting several raking passes and running at his full-back with gusto. The hosts had their own outlet down that side of the pitch however, a veritable speed merchant who kept left-back Cyprian Owen Edmunds on his toes in the early stages. The centre-back pairing of Ed Beecham and Ciaran Jordan showed excellent composure on the ball and strength in the tackle and from this solid base the midfield trio of Firoozan, Barr and Lederman thrived – the younger duo carrying the ball across the bobbly, uneven surface, Lederman playing more direct crossfield passes in search of willing runners.

The reward for this excellent start was the opening goal after a quarter of an hour. The Blues had already wasted a couple of corners with poor deliveries from both sides of the pitch. But another opportunity presented itself and this time the home side were caught off-guard. Lederman fed Owen Edmunds quickly and his low driven cross was collected by Beecham on the six yard line before the skipper turned to fire in with force, low into the middle of the goal.

The visitors had their tails up and continued to cause problems with several raids down both flanks seeing crosses cut back only for the final shot to fly wide of their intended target. Lederman then produced a delightful ball over the top for Payne to cut in on, but with just the keeper to beat, the ball got caught under his feet and a retreating defender scrambled clear.

As the half wore on, however, the hosts slowly began to find their rhythm and they forced several corners of their own, Harrow remaining firm in defence. But there was little the side could do about the equaliser on the half-hour, a flowing Carthusian move that started inside their own half and saw play switched out to the pacey right winger. He delivered an inviting cross to the near post and the powerful midfielder arrived on cue to send a header looping perfectly over Saunders and into the far corner.

At this stage, the visitors were giving as good as they were getting, with the midfield battling hard and the front three of Payne, Atkinson and Taunton-Collins looking dangerous in patches. There was one fortunate escape when, from another Charterhouse corner, the ball was scrambled clear only for the rebound to be fired back on goal, Lederman getting back to clear off the line. But a huge error, perhaps the visitors’ only one of the day, then saw them gift the lead to their opponents when Saunders’ hit an awful goal kick that landed straight at the feet of the striker just outside the box. He controlled and fired the ball back into an unguarded net, the Carthusians unable to believe their luck.

With no substitutes available, there was little for Beecham or Firoozan to do at the break other than urge the side to try to maintain the same intensity throughout the second half. But the visitors made a somewhat scrappy start and were pinned back inside their own half for a good twenty minutes. The Blues found it harder and harder to maintain possession up the pitch and the home side consequently grew in confidence, making headway down both flanks. Several times wingers squared balls across the box but the finishing was slightly off, one shot hitting the foot of the far post, a couple of others somehow curling just wide. Two fouls on the edge of the Harrow box then created further opportunities for a decisive third for the hosts, but the first effort was smashed over the bar into the trees behind and a more intricate move then produced an equally poor effort.

Ciaran Jordan was then moved into midfield, with Murray Barr dropping back alongside Beecham at centre-half, although this experiment didn’t last long, Jordan somewhat reluctantly reverting back to his original position where he was playing very well. And, having weathered the Charterhouse storm and kept themselves in the game, the visitors emerged from their slumbers for the latter stages to press forwards in search of an equaliser.

The game began to open up, with Barr and Firoozan continuing to weave pretty patterns across the pitch, but it was a far more prosaic effort that nearly produced an equaliser, Beecham somehow bundling his way through two challenges before firing just over with a powerful left-foot strike from twenty-five yards out. Ollie Atkinson then enjoyed a purple patch down the right, delivering several crosses into the box but failing to pick out a Harrow shirt. But it was from a corner on the other side of the pitch that the visitors found their elusive second goal: the original cross was cleared outside the box but Owen Edmunds collected, he fed Jordan inside and the centre-half delivered a fizzing low strike that flew just inside the near post through a crowd of players. The Carthusian keeper was so unsighted, he didn’t even bother to dive as the ball arrowed past him into the net.

There was still time for a winner and it was the hosts who came closest, another break down their left seeing a low cross delivered towards the penalty spot where it was met with a first-time shot back towards the near post. Saunders reacted superbly in the Harrow goal, arresting his momentum carrying him away from the ball, to dive low and parry the shot with a powerful right hand. It was a save that drew praise from players on both teams and referee Andy Webb, with the keeper’s outstanding moment sealing a superb point for the visitors.

The reward for the two sides was pizza and beer outside the Squirrel pub a mile from the ground, the warm spring sunshine a welcome accompaniment. It remains to be seen when the two sides will meet again in League action, with the Blues destined to spend a season at least regathering themselves in Division One. On this evidence, there should be plenty of optimism going forwards into next season.