The OHAFC 3rd XI fell to their second defeat of the season when they suffered a second half collapse at home to the Old Stoics on Saturday morning, conceding four times after the break to record a 5-1 defeat. It was a disappointing conclusion following an encouraging first half performance that saw the hosts match their opponents stride for stride, levelling Stoics’ opening goal courtesy of a well-taken effort from Adam Graham at the start of the second half.

Following the cancellation of Festiphil last weekend, the Harrow 3s had been forced to wait a fortnight to try to put right their opening day defeat at home to the Old Kings Scholars on the Harrow School astroturf. With the Philathletic pitches now ready for action, a change of location and a change in surface awaited for the visit of the Stoics, a side the Blues have enjoyed some titanic tussles with over the past few seasons. An even record of three wins, three defeats and one draw apiece, with both sides having scored and conceded seventeen goals in the process, suggested another close encounter lay in prospect.

And that was the way the first half panned out. Both sides struggled to get going initially, the hosts failing to get to grips with the slower pace the grass pitch engendered in comparison to the astroturf they had played on against Kings Scholars, the Stoics, in contrast, taking a while to get going due to their late arrival on the Hill. But as the half progressed, it was the visitors who started to create the half-chances and it was not against the run of play when they opened the scoring twenty minutes in, a long throw into the box flicked on and finished into the bottom corner by an onrushing midfielder.

Harrow’s cause wasn’t helped by an injury suffered by Steve Dickson-Tetteh that saw him replaced by Toby Colehan. But to Harrow’s credit they continued to match their opponents in the run-up to the interval, creating several half-chances along the way. Skipper Tom Mitchell switched things round at the break, sending on Mikey Watford and Khalil Baoku for Jake Speed and debutant Orlando Tyrer.

The changes proved fruitful as the Blues enjoyed a strong start to the half, passing the ball nicely and forcing their opponents onto the back foot. The equaliser duly arrived on the hour mark, Adam Graham collecting the final pass of an excellent move, slicing between a pair of Stowe defenders before toe-poking his shot low to the keeper’s right. Harrow’s tails were up, a press for victory seemed possible.

But within a couple of minutes hope had tuned to despair as the Stoics regained the lead in double-quick time. A break down the right saw the ball delivered into the box, a couple of passes later a striker was teed up and he finished into the bottom corner, the blue shirts rueing their failure to clear their lines. Disappointingly, but perhaps somewhat understandably, Harrovian heads dropped at this reversal of fortune and the Stoics grew increasingly emboldened, to the extent that the closing twenty minutes saw the visitors run away with the game.

A third was added courtesy of another breakaway effort, this time down the Stowe left, resulting in a cross to the far post and a simple finish from close range. And two goals late on gave the scoreline a rather harsh look from a Harrow perspective, the hosts twice caught dwelling on the ball inside their own half. Although there were some encouraging performances from the men in blue, not least the trio of central midfielders, a lack of quality going forwards hindered the side in their bid to turn things around in the second half.

So the wait for a first win of the season goes on – for another week at least – with the side next facing their first away trip of the season: a trek across London to Rotherhithe to play the Old Amplefordians on the artificial surface at Bacon Community College.