The OHAFC 2nd XI worryingly slumped to a third consecutive defeat on Saturday morning, losing 3-2 at home to their KCS Wimbledon counterparts on the Phil. Despite a fairly dominant first half an hour, the hosts fell behind seven minutes before the break to practically Wimbledon’s first chance of the game, a cross from the left wing volleyed in at the far post. Substitute Fred Everett levelled matters on the hour mark, tapping in a cross from Andy Hutchinson, but again the Blues conceded against the run of play, another cross from the left allowing a free header. Worse was to follow as the visitors scored a third with a quarter of an hour remaining, yet again the Blues caught by a quick Wimbledon break. Although Max Curry pulled one back in the final ten minutes, the hosts couldn’t force a draw and must now face up to the prospect of trying to collect enough points to ensure they are not dragged into a relegation scrap.

With the OHAFC 3rd XI having earned a deserved 1-1 draw with the KCS 2s in the Junior League Cup a few weeks before Christmas, and with the south London side having earned just two wins from eight League games since earning promotion from Division Four last season, this should have been a golden opportunity for the OHAFC to rediscover the winning feeling – the 2s have, remarkably, collected three points just twice since the opening weekend victory over the Alleynians back in early September.

On a cloudy, cold day on the Hill, the opening half-hour suggested all was going to plan. The men in blue were the sharper, more precise team with a cutting edge that hinted at goals aplenty. Within fifteen minutes the hosts had come within inches of taking the lead. A storming run down the right from Geoff Taunton-Collins allowed him to cross into the box where several Harrovians contrived to miss the target: Curry and Henry Bamford both had efforts blocked before Tristan David’s shot was tipped just over the bar. Wimbledon responded briefly, a long-range effort well blocked by stand-in keeper Ludo Palazzo.

As the half wore on, it became apparent that both sides were finding rather uneven playing surface more of a hindrance than first appeared. Nevertheless, the chances continued to fall to the home side, David latching onto a through-ball but firing just over the bar once more. Perhaps the best chance of the half then fell to Owain James as a high press won the ball deep in Wimbledon territory, Hutchinson squared into the box but the striker dragged his effort an inch beyond the far post. Further sorties down both wings earned corners, Taunton-Collins delivered another superb ball in from the right. All failed to produce the vital first goal.

Instead, seven minutes from the interval, it was the visitors who showed the men in blue how it should be done. Having barely threatened since the opening ten minutes, a long ball over the top allowed a forward a run at goal. The striker cut inside Giacomo Grasso and fired at goal, Palazzo reacting brilliantly to palm the shot over the bar. But the respite proved temporary. From the resulting corner the first ball in was cleared, the second found the Wimbledon skipper unmarked at the far post and he produced a well-controlled volley on the swivel, the ball arrowing through a crowd of bodies and into the far corner.

Undeterred by this setback, the hosts stormed straight back up the other end and could easily have scored twice themselves. Tristan David’s corner was headed just over by Alexi Pittalis at the near post, Matt Ede then won the ball in midfield and latched onto Hutchinson’s return pass but fired his effort just over the bar.

On just about every metric the OHAFC were comfortably leading at the interval, apart from the only one that matters: goals scored. It was somewhat ironic, therefore, when the home side equalised fifteen minutes into the second half when the play had been far more even. Substitute Freddie Everett spurned a great chance to level within two minutes of the second half starting when he headed a fine Tristan David cross just wide of the near post. But Wimbledon then missed a glorious chance of their own, a cut back from the right was blazed over from the penalty spot by the unmarked Wimbledon player. The visitors forced a couple of corners but Palazzo was well protected on both occasions.

In similar circumstances to the Wimbledon opener, the hosts scored their opener from almost nowhere. A long ball down the left sent Hutchinson racing clear and he produced a perfect cross that bisected the keeper and back four, Everett arriving at the far post to tap the ball into an empty net. The celebrations that followed were bizarrely effusive given the bog standard nature of the goal and the level scoreline. Perhaps the Arsenal fan was just unused to seeing a goal scored from open play.

The hosts were now on top once more and poured forwards in search of a second. But too many men committed themselves forwards and another long ball from the back suddenly found a couple of Wimbledon forwards in an acre of space. The left winger cut inside, curled a cross to the far post and the striker headed in from ten yards out to restore the lead, the hosts having enjoyed parity for all of five minutes.

Ten minutes later and hopes of a fightback were dealt a terminal blow when Wimbledon scored a third. This time the goal emanated from their right flank, a quick crossfield pass saw the winger beat a defender and cut the ball back from the goal line, a midfielder arriving into the box to sweep the ball into the bottom corner first time.

The home side battled gamely in the quarter of an hour that remained and gave themselves a brief shot at earning a point when Max Curry headed home Andy Hutchinson’s corner. But the visitors held on comfortably enough to secure an unlikely win.

Problems are mounting for the OHAFC 2s, whose early season promise has completely evaporated. The side have collected just a solitary point from their last five League games and four of their remaining seven fixtures are against the top three sides in the division. At least two more wins are likely to be needed to ensure any threat of relegation is avoided.