The OHAFC 2nd XI got their season back on track on Saturday morning with a vital win away to their struggling Tonbridgian counterparts that lifts the Blues back up to third in Division Three. Despite the 4-0 scoreline, the three points were hard-earned and only confirmed late in the second half courtesy of Andy Hutchinson’s perfect hat-trick. An excellent first-half display saw Tristan David fire the visitors in front, but the hosts responded strongly and must be left wondering how they failed to score in a dominant spell after the break.

Following consecutive defeats to the two unbeaten sides atop the table, the Blues regarded this final fixture before a three-week break as must-win if momentum towards a promotion push was to be restored. A strong squad of thirteen made the trip south, Archie Nicholls returning at left-back and Tristan David joining Andy Hutchinson up front in the absence of Owain James. Ed Stewart, Miles Kellock and Ludo formed the midfield trio, with the 3-5-2 formation retained despite the concession of six goals in the two previous games. The squad were left in no uncertain terms prior to kick-off that defending set-pieces and executing more clinically in both penalty areas were critical to future results following some disappointing lapses in previous weeks.

Under cloudy skies but on a superb pitch close to the main sports centre the visitors started brightly against the newly-promoted Tonbridgians, a side who have struggled in their new surroundings having scored only twice in their first four fixtures. Seizing control of the ball, the Blues wasted little time in carving out opportunities to test the keeper. A long ball over the top freed David but his effort was comfortably saved. A flowing move then saw the ball switched to Nicholls on the left, he fed Kellock on the outside and the midfielder cut inside before smashing a shot at goal from thirty yards out. The keeper flung himself to his right to tip the ball onto the angle of post and bar, a covering defender finally clearing the danger. It was almost one-way traffic: David’s free-kick curled just over, a corner from Kellock somehow flashed across the goalmouth with the vital touch evading several men in blue, a swift counter down the left allowed the same two players to combine, David’s cross just had too much on it and his joint-skipper could only prod the ball wide on the stretch.

It wasn’t until midway through the half that the home side mustered their first real threat, the winger cutting in from the right and flashing a left-foot shot just wide of the near post. The game settled down for a short while as the men in red competed on more even terms, but just as though it appeared that they had weathered the storm, the visitors struck: Hutchinson’s ball across from the right was intercepted by the full-back but Kellock battled back superbly to steal possession, wait for support, before slipping in David down the inside left channel and his first touch carried the ball wide of the keeper allowing a simple finish into an unguarded net. The unnecessary knee slide celebration won’t have endeared the scorer to the Tonbridge groundstaff but the joy was understandable.

Shortly before the break the visitors spurned another clear chance to double their lead, Kellock’s ball over the top allowed Hutchinson to race through on goal but he produced a disappointingly weak shot with his right foot and the danger was averted.

Given the Blues’ dominance for most of the half, it must have been tempting for the skippers to have continued with the starting eleven in place, but both substitutes were introduced at the start of the second half, Henry Bamford replacing Nicholls on the left, Lederman replacing Palazzo in midfield.

The hosts had clearly been given a talking to during the interval as they came out a different side. Pressing high up the pitch, the men in blue were almost immediately under intense pressure and for twenty minutes the Harrow goal led a charmed life. Only a combination of alert keeping from Rory Craig and desperate defensive work from the back five ensured the much-desired clean sheet remained in tact. Several times Craig saved goalbound efforts only for the ball to run loose inside the six yard box causing frantic blue shirted players to fling themselves in the way. Each time, however, a Harrovian boot had the final word and it became abundantly clear why the hosts have only scored twice so far this season.

With twenty minutes remaining, and having barely threatened all half, the Blues earned themselves some badly needed breathing space when David crossed from the left allowing Hutchinson a simple tap-in from five yards out. Five minutes later and the result was put beyond doubt in slightly curious fashion, Nicholls’ cross from the right hung up in the air and Hutchinson produced a prodigious leap to somehow beat the Tonbridge keeper to the ball, heading it into an empty net. The forward completed his hat-trick late on, rubbing unnecessary salt into Tonbridgian wounds, when he ran onto David’s through-ball to coolly finish into the far corner with his trusty left foot. Right foot, header, left foot: perfection indeed.

At the final whistle it was hard not to sympathise with the home side who deserved far more than a 4-0 defeat for their second half efforts, but this result offered conclusive proof for the OHAFC that if they can continue to defend with the same tenacity as they displayed here, further victories are bound to follow. The side now enjoy two weekends without a game before returning to action with a couple of enticing home fixtures.