The OHAFC 2nd XI rang in the New Year in disappointing fashion on Saturday morning, suffering a 5-2 defeat at home to a rejuvenated Old Haberdashers side on a frosty Harrow School astroturf. The two sides shared a dramatic 3-3 draw in Hertfordshire back in late September, but although there were another seven goals scored here, the visitors, bolstered by several players back from university, were the better side for the majority of the game, taking advantage of some rather lacklustre Harrovian defending to ease to victory as the second half wore on. Defeat extinguishes the last vestiges of hope of a promotion push for the Blues and, having exited the Junior League Cup to the Old Cranleighans before Christmas, the side are now left to play out their remaining nine League fixtures with only pride to play for.

The hosts made the faster start on a beautiful but cold winter morning on the Hill and they received a late Christmas present courtesy of one of the Habs’ centre-backs, who almost inexplicably turned a cross from the left wing from Doug Pratt into his own net with just eight minutes on the clock, no Harrovian attacker in the vicinity. But the lead lasted just five minutes, some slack marking following a Habs throw-in on their left saw the ball crossed to the far post and the right winger judged his finish superbly, leaping to cushion the ball with the inside of his instep back across goal and beyond the reach of keeper Rory Craig.

Play never really settled down after this quick exchange of goals, the Blues far too frantic in their play, firing the ball forwards first-time when calmer heads would perhaps have slowed things down and maintained possession. A long range effort from skipper Tristan David flew high and wide of the target, but the visitors offered little themselves, their next effort an even wilder one as the ball dropped inside the Harrow penalty area from a corner, only for the resulting shot to sail not only over the crossbar, but clean over the fence behind the goal.

The hosts made a double change on the half-hour, Bamford and Griffiths coming on, Ed Stewart and David going off. It was immensely frustrating that just as the home side had begun to build a bit of momentum - play becoming increasingly concentrated inside their opponents’ half – Habs scored a second goal from nowhere. Skipper Miles Kellock won a free-kick ten yards inside the Habs half but his delivery was underhit and easily cleared. A Habs midfielder spied the empty space in the Harrow half and fired a long ball down the right wing for the goalscorer to chase. Keeper Rory Craig decided to try and intercept but wasn’t quick enough, the forward getting to the ball first and, having glanced at the empty net, produced another clinical finish from thirty yards out.

This wasn’t the first time that the visitors had looked to play long passes beyond the Harrow back three and Craig was called upon a couple of other times to rush from his area and intercept potentially dangerous through-balls. The Blues had the last chance of the half, however, substitute Griffiths smashing a shot against the bar after a long ball from centre-back Alex Ellis fell kindly for him down the inside right channel.

It was unsurprising when the two skippers announced a switch from a back three to a back four at the interval, with Ellis, Butler and Palazzo looking less than comfortable in dealing with the Habs front three. But the best laid plans can easily come unstuck and within three minutes of the restart the lead was doubled. Again, a simple long ball proved sufficient to carve open the Harrow defence, a Habs forward driving down the inside left to fire a first-time shot past the advancing Craig. This time, however, it was Harrow’s turn to respond within five minutes, although the goal was hardly a work of art. It owed everything to the power and persistence of Doug Pratt, who out-muscled an opponent midway inside the Habs half before shrugging off the attentions of another and somehow managing to toe-poke the ball beyond the keeper and into the far corner from five yards outside the box as he fell to the ground.

Now the game was firmly back in the balance. Henry Bamford produced a superb cross from the left which found Kellock unmarked at the far post but, stretching slightly, he could only direct the ball just over the bar. It was to prove the skipper’s last action of the game as moments later he rolled his ankle and fell to the turf in clear distress. It remains to be seen whether he is fit enough to face the Carthusians next weekend.

The brief hiatus in the action seemed to serve the visitors better and they once more assumed control. Craig produced a fine save from a shot from the left before a low cross from the other side was blazed over the bar at the near post. The hosts did then have the ball in the net, Griffiths heading in from close range from a Tristan David cross, but the referee agreed with the appeals and gave offside. Five minutes later Habs restored their two-goal advantage. An increasingly frazzled Harrow defence failed to clear their lines following a pass back to the keeper, Habs won possession inside the box and although the first shot was blocked, the rebound was scooped up and played square to the penalty spot allowing a gleeful finish into the far corner.

The final fifteen minutes only highlighted further the gulf between the sides as the visitors played with a confidence and quality beyond their opponents on this occasion. Their fifth and final effort of the afternoon was another well-struck shot from the edge of the area, the hosts having fallen asleep at a throw-in. Both sides should have added to their tallies in the closing moments, Craig producing another superb save to block at close range, before the Habs keeper produced almost a carbon copy, somehow smothering an effort from Griffiths who seemed certain to score at the far post.

A disappointing opening to 2026 for the OHAFC but at least the side can perhaps enjoy themselves more now that the burden of striving for promotion appears fruitless.