Despite two goals from returning star James Breeden, and a second consecutive week sticking four goals past the opposition, the OHAFC 1st XI were ultimately forced to settle for just a point in a hugely entertaining game away to the Old Berkhamstedians, played on an awful pitch at the Goals centre in Tolworth. The two sides traded goals throughout, the visitors recovering from a 2-0 deficit to lead 3-2 at the break, James Breeden scoring two of the three including a superb 30 yard free-kick. But a sloppy start to the second half saw the hosts score twice to regain the lead before Breeden squandered a chance to level from the spot – only for Charlie Bick to safely convert a second penalty later on. Despite pressing hard for the win in the closing stages, the Blues came up short and were forced to settle for just a point – their first of the season.

Following on from last weekend’s 5-4 defeat at home to the Old Rugbeians on the Harrow School astroturf, the Blues travelled down the A3 for their first away fixture of the season against a Berkhamstedians side they had beaten home and away the last time the two sides crossed swords in Division One in the 2018/19 season. Striker James Breeden scored in both those games and he returned to action here, having now fully recovered from a serious knee injury that ruled him out for over a year. It is unlikely to herald a run of appearances in OHAFC colours for one of Harrow’s leading players over the past five years, nevertheless it was highly satisfying to see James once more strutting his stuff in the Arthurian League. Indeed, the OHAFC side was a strong one with far more experience than the one fielded last weekend. Ed Nicholson and Ed Beecham formed a formidable centre-half partnership, with Jordache and Owen Edmunds the wing-backs. Going forwards, the Blues possessed plenty of pace and quality, with Breeden joined by Doug Morrison, Will Payne, Arthur Leney and midfielders Charlie Bick and skipper Dan Firoozan. George Reid, who scored against the Rugbeians last weekend, and Cassius Kidston, who made his debut in that fixture, were both on the bench.

It was unsurprising when the opening twenty minutes failed to produce a single chance of note, both sides struggling to produce anything resembling coherent football on a cabbage patch of a pitch, bare pitches and drainage channels littering the ground, with what appeared to be the remnants of a prickly bush left growing midway inside one of the halves.

Astronishingly, however, the Berkhamstedians opener midway through the half heralded an extraordinary passage of play that saw five goals scored, tempers raised and Doug Morrison forced off the field having been punched in the face – all before the half-time whistle was blown. Fraser McGuinness had been a mere spectator for the most part, but was suddenly picking the ball out of his net twice in the space of five minutes: the hosts curled a free-kick into the box from the right and a tall centre-back sent a looping header back across goal and into the far corner; another set-piece caused further problems soon afterwards, Ed Beecham penalised by referee Elijah Marrs for holding after a long throw had been hurled into the box, the penalty safely despatched to make it 2-0.

A rather shaken Harrow side responded almost immediately however, halving the deficit just three minutes later. A spell of pressure down the left saw the visitors camped inside the Berkhamstedians half. The ball broke free ten yards outside the box, Breeden collected, took a couple of touches inside before smashing a low shot into the bottom corner past a bemused, stationary goalkeeper. Three minutes later, an even more impressive strike from the same player dragged the visitors level: a free-kick thirty yards out on the same side of the pitch saw Breeden clearly lining up a shot and he duly delivered, curling the ball in a perfect arc over the stranded keeper and into the top corner. It was a feat he had previously matched against the same opposition and, amusingly, the same keeper, who after the game ruefully mused that ‘he’s done that to me before.’

Harrow were now full of confidence and began to dominate proceedings, driven on by some strong running in midfield from Bick and Firoozan. It was the former who helped create Harrow’s third five minutes before the break, Bick carrying the ball across the uneven turf before slipping the ball down the inside left channel for Breeden to run onto. The striker’s shot was low and on target but this time the keeper managed to get a touch to it, sending it running across goal. Fortunately, Will Payne was on hand to finish from barely a yard out and in the space of a quarter an hour, the vistors had turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.

There was still plenty of time for further drama before the half ended however, as a scuffle broke out following an initially fair challenge on a Berkhamsted midfielder. Doug Morrison fell to ground and the Berkhamstedian reacted furiously, simultaneously grabbing the Harrow man by the neck and swinging his arm into Morrison’s face. The referee claimed not to have seen the impact, but the immediate red mark and swelling around the Harrow player’s eye offered evidence of clear foul play. So much so, in fact, that it was the official himself who ordered Morrison to leave the field so the injury could be looked at. George Reid came on to play at left wing, Morrison, unfortunately, would take no further part in the game.

No further changes were made at the break and once the action restarted the frantic catalogue of goals and incidents resumed almost immediately. Barely five minutes had elapsed when the hosts made it 3-3, once more the visitors undone by a set-piece. A free-kick from the right was curled into the box and wasn’t properly cleared, the ball dropping to the ground and, following a couple of ricochets, was somehow arrowed into the bottom corner by a Berkhamstedian falling to the ground but catching the ball perfectly on the half-volley at full stretch.

Now it was the visitors who were rocking, the home side on top and dominating possession and territory. The Blues could not get out of their own half and a couple of minutes later conceded again, this time a long throw the cause of the problems. It was initially cleared outside the box but the tall central midfielder collected, took a couple of touches before finding the bottom corner with a clean strike. 4-3 to the hosts with just under forty minutes remaining and at this stage any score looked possible.

The visitors woke from their slumbers to press once more, Leney forcing a good save from the Berkhamsteds keeper when he shot from the left, the ball rebounding to Charlie Bick at an awkward height and he was unable to convert. Up the other end, Ed Nicholson then totally missed an attempted clearance allowing what appeared a straightforward run on goal. But the opposition striker panicked unnecessarily and his ambitious chip sailed high and wide. Will Payne was replaced by Cassius Kidston with half an hour remaining, the tall, blonde-haired youngster taking Payne’s place on the right wing and immediately getting stuck in. And, for the first time since the opening twenty minutes, the game entered a slight lull, both sides almost taking stock before launching their final assaults.

The final twenty minutes produced plenty of incident however. Nicholson headed just wide from an excellent Owen Edmunds cross before Charlie Bick then won a rather soft penalty, falling to the ground under a challenge from behind just inside the box. The hosts protested forlornly, but James Breeden somehow spurned the chance to claim his hat-trick and level the scores when his effort rebounded off the underside of the bar, hit the keeper, rebounded back off the post and into the grateful arms of the Berkhamstedian.

Determined to make up for his error from the spot, the striker took to wreaking his revenge with a slaloming run past four opponents on the right hand side of the box. Twisting, turning and pirouetting, it appeared as though the Harrow man was on the brink of another wonder goal, but with just one man to beat he stumbled slightly, lost his momentum and the chance was lost. But the visitors were now on top and the final quarter of an hour saw play camped almost entirely in the Berkhamstedians half. Long throws and corners were launched into the box without success, but the Blues were then gifted a second chance to draw level from the spot courtesy of another generous decision from Mr Marrs. The ball was pumped long into the Berkhamstedians box but a defender misjudged the bounce, the ball cannoning back up onto the underside of his arm. Although there was no Harrow player nearby ready to take advantage, the referee considered it sufficient to point to the spot and this time Charlie Bick pulled rank, taking the responsibility to send the keeper the wrong way and fire his penalty into the bottom corner.

Just over ten minutes remained and the visitors pressed on searching for the winner. The Berkhamstedians defended well however, limiting service to the front three and clearing their lines effectively when under pressure from set-pieces. The result was that despite plenty of promising situations, there was actually little by way of genuine excitement in front of goal and the Blues had to be content with just a point for all their efforts.

So a second high-scoring affair ultimately ends in disappointment for the OHAFC, although this was an encouraging performance. Eight goals scored, nine conceded in their first two games back in Division One: it’s not hard to see where the side needs to improve when they face the Old Marlburians on the Hill next weekend.