A makeshift OHAFC 1st XI were forced to play with only ten men for nearly an hour against the Old Merchant Taylors on Saturday morning, eventually succumbing to a second-half goal and suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat – their fourth in the last five games. The Blues drop back into the bottom half of the Division One table as a result, much of the optimism following their heroic victory over the Old Etonians a fortnight ago now lost.

In truth, a fifth consecutive Saturday of fixtures for the 1st XI since early January has drained the resolve of the squad and skipper Dan Firoozan was scarcely able to name a bare eleven for the trip to Northwood, twenty minutes north of Harrow on the Hill. There was still a decent sprinkling of regulars, and a welcome presence of some centre-backs following two games without any, but the lone striker was Tobi Adebayo, usually found in midfield for the 3s, and Fraser McGuinness, for the second time this season, was asked to play on the right wing.

The problems began for the visitors right from the outset, with Ali Buckley, making his first appearance of the year, caught in transportation chaos that delayed his arrival until ten minutes into the game. The Blues held on well enough, adopting a 4-4-1 formation and holding Taylors at arms’ length until their eleventh man arrived. Once he did, the midfield became a three again, with an attacking trident of Adebayo, McGuinness and skipper for the day Cyprian Owen Edmunds.

With numerical parity restored the game developed into an even contest between two sides who, for different reasons, would be content with maintaining their Division One status come the end of the season. Both sides forged chances in a goalless first half. Owen Edmunds delivered a fine ball over the top for Adebayo but he was denied a clear run on goal by a perfectly timed slide tackle from the last defender. The skipper then forced a good save from the Taylors keeper when he drilled in a shot from a narrow angle following a brilliant crossfield pass from Harry Bick.

Taylors responded with their best chance of the half, via a long throw, the ball dropping enticingly inside the box only for the volley to send the ball flying over the bar. Then, five minutes before the interval, further disaster befell the visitors. Charlie Bick flew into a shoulder charge with his opposite man in midfield and crumpled to the turf in some pain. Following a lengthy stoppage, the veteran decided he was able to continue, but a couple of minutes of running soon changed that opinion and he would hobble rather forlornly from the field of play. A fractured collar bone would later be diagnosed, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

With no substitute available, the Blues were forced to revert to the 4-4-1 formation they had started the game with and try their best to frustrate their opponents via a combination of defensive resilience and some direct play going forwards. Harry Bick moved forwards to right wing, with Fraser McGuinness dropping into right-back.

Predictably, the second half saw the home side enjoy more of the ball and build greater pressure on the Harrow goal. Keeper Tom Mitchell was forced into a superb reaction save with his feet after the striker had been sent racing through on goal. But those heroics proved in vain as, five minutes later, the hosts grabbed the only goal of the game. In truth, it was the one moment of the match the OHAFC switched off for: a corner was delivered into the six yard box and some slack marking allowed a free header from close range.

The visitors responded. Harry Bick drove forwards down the right on several occasions but the final pass or cross was never quite accurate enough. Mitchell was then forced to make another superb save to keep the deficit to just one, a low shot that was destined for the bottom corner was acrobatically turned around the post.

And then, in the final minute, a case of what might have been. Ed Nicholson fired the ball down the left wing for Owen Edmunds to run onto. The winger fired a shot across goal and the keeper parried straight into the path of Tobi Adebayo who poked the ball goalwards…only for the goalie to spring up and fling himself backwards to prevent the ball from rolling over the line.

Given that the side had to play for nearly an hour with ten men, this was more than a decent effort from the men in blue, with some strong individual performances at the back: Mitchell, Felix Tritton and Charlie Dunn all excellentin restricting their opponents attacking threat. Nevertheless, the Blues have now lost four of their five matches played since Christmas and the season is in serious danger of petering out completely or, worse still, into another scrap to avoid relegation.