The OHAFC bowed out of the Arthur Dunn Cup in the first round for the fifth time in the last six seasons following a narrow 1-0 defeat away to fellow Division One side the Old Rugbeians on Saturday afternoon. It proved a game of two halves as the Blues had the better of things before the interval, missing a couple of golden opportunities to break the deadlock, before the home side took control after half-time. The only goal was scored just before the hour-mark: a long ball over the top allowed a Rugby forward to run through, cut inside centre-back Ed Nicholson and coolly round keeper Tom Mitchell before tapping into an empty net. Despite throwing men forwards in the latter stages, the Blues were unable to forge a clear-cut chance to force extra-time.

Despite knowing about the date of this first round tie for several months, there was a disappointing response from the OHAFC 1st XI squad, with several regulars unavailable, including skipper Dan Firoozan and vice-captain Ed Beecham – the latter yet to feature this season due to a calf injury. The result was that the thirteen-man squad that met at Euston at 10am for the hour-long train journey north included several players making their first and, very likely, only 1st XI appearances of the season. Both full-backs fell into that category, the 3s Charlie Dunn starting on the left, former 2s skipper Geoff Taunton-Collins on the right. Tom Ward joined Ed Nicholson in the middle, Ward and Dunn both making their Dunn Cup debuts. The front six had a far more familiar feel to it, with Jamie Jordache skipper for the day and partnered by Ali Buckley and James Walduck in the middle, George Taylor spearheading the attack with Nikita Levine and Ciaran Jordan the wide men. The two substitutes were polar opposites in terms of their OHAFC careers, Gabriel Rogers having only made his debut a fortnight ago in the defeat to the Old Foresters, 51 year-old David Lederman required to don his boots once more to swell the numbers.

Conditions in the Midlands were close to perfect with bright sunshine, a gentle breeze and the single football pitch among a sea of rugby fields in good condition. The only slight anomaly was the lines being painted red instead of white – something colour blind keeper Tom Mitchell was not particularly enthused about. Nevertheless, the Harrow number one was quickly called upon to make a smart early save with his right boot, the Rugbeians sliding a ball down the inside right channel and the low shot that followed was destined for the bottom corner until Mitchell’s crucial intervention. The visitors then broke upfield and had the ball in the net only for the referee to rule out George Taylor’s strike for what appeared a fairly clear offside. Barring these two isolated chances, the opening fifteen minutes proved fairly scrappy, the spectacle enlivened slightly for those watching on from the side by the presence of ITV Sport front man Mark Pougatch – in attendance to cheer on son Sam, the Rugby skipper.

But father and son would have grown increasingly concerned with the flow of the game as the first half wore on, the Blues growing in confidence and knitting together some excellent passages of play. A flowing move down the right saw Ciaran Jordan feed Taylor inside, he turned to play in Levine on the left but the shot flew inches wide of the far post. The visitors then endured a worrying moment as Jordan fell to the turf clutching his left knee, his studs sticking in the turf in the preceding attack. Uncertain whether or not he could continue, the Blues played the next five minutes with ten men, Jordache sensibly switching to a 4-4-1 formation to limit Rugbeian chances. But the away side remained in the ascendency and, with Jordan back on the field and seemingly able to continue playing, the visitors created two glorious opportunities to open the scoring. The first stemmed from some excellent work from Ali Buckley in the middle, winning the ball with a robust challenge before sending Taylor away down the left. The striker cut inside the last defender but fired his effort wide of the near post. He then turned creator minutes later when, from a similar position, he provided a perfect pass between the centre-halves allowing Jordan to run through from the right. Fifteen yards out with just the keeper to beat, a goal seemed almost inevitable, only for the winger to produce a wayward first-time finish, the ball drifting a yard wide of the far post.

The Blues pressed on although there was already a sense of dread that they would pay for their profligacy in front of goal. Neither keeper was tested again until a minute before the break, the Rugbeians spurning a glorious chance of their own to score when a cross from the left wing found the striker in an acre of space six yards out but he too saw his first-time effort fly wide of the post and, somewhat remarkably, the half ended with the game still goalless.

With a strong first half showing behind them, it was natural for skipper Jordache to retain the same personnel for the start of the second half – especially given the absence of rolling substitutes in Dunn Cup ties. But it soon became apparent that the Rugbeians had taken a similar shine to attacking the goal furthest away from the school and it was now the visitors forced to defend for long spells. The change in momentum was pronounced, the Harrow keeper forced to pull off a superb save barely five minutes into the half when he flung himself to his right to palm over a headed effort bound for the top corner.

It was to prove a temporary reprieve. With just under an hour played, a long ball from the back saw the Harrow back four caught on the halfway line. Ed Nicholson was the closest man to the Rugby striker and it became a foot race, the centre-half doing well to track the forward initially, but having reached the penalty area, the striker turned inside adroitly, drew Mitchell off his line before carrying the ball around him and rolling it into an empty net.

Half an hour remained for the visitors to find the equaliser but it never seemed likely. The Rugby back four dropped off to deny the opportunity of any balls in behind and the front three were left to feed off scraps. Buckley and Levine made way for Rogers and Lederman, the latter creating possibly the clearest chance of the closing stages when he prodded the ball through for Taylor to run onto down the inside left but the covering defender did well to hold the striker up and force him away from goal.

It proved a rather tame ending to the game, especially disappointing given the quality of the first half display. Conditions may have played a part, but the game was simply decided by one side taking a chance, the other missing theirs. The Rugbeians’ reward is a lengthy trip of their own in round two, this time the team will head south of London to Ardingly College for another all-Division One clash against the Old Ardinians.

The OHAFC are left to concentrate on League matters going forwards beginning, coincidentally, with their own away game against the Ardinians – the journey will be a far simpler one, however, with that fixture taking place in Chiswick on November 8th.