Substitute Jack Dolbey emerged as the unlikely hero on Saturday morning, gleefully thumping home an 89th minute winner to secure the OHAFC one of their sweetest victories in modern times, a 3-2 win over old rivals the Old Etonians on the Harrow School astroturf. It was the first OHAFC victory in the fixture for almost six years, the Blues last defeating the Etonians 3-1 in a Premier Division fixture on the same ground back in February 2020. This latest triumph, as unexpected as it was given the sides’ respective form coming into the game, was fully deserved, with the hosts recovering from a 1-0 deficit at half-time to produce a storming second half, even overcoming the late sending off of veteran midfielder Charlie Bick and an 86th minute equaliser from the visitors. The win lifts the Blues into fourth in Division One, their highest League placing of the season, and just one place and four points behind the Etonians.

Following the previous weekend’s disappointing 4-2 defeat away to the struggling Old Wykehamists, this was the ideal fixture to refocus Harrovian minds. A promising four-match unbeaten run prior to Christmas had since been followed by consecutive defeats that once more had left the side looking somewhat anxiously over their shoulders at the sides below them in the table. Meanwhile the Etonians, relegated from the Premier Division at the end of last season, are involved in a three-way tussle for the two promotion spots, along with the unbeaten Ardinians and Old Foresters.

Remarkably, only three players remained in the Harrow squad from last weekend’s defeat: skipper Dan Firoozan, Alfie Hayes and keeper Tom Mitchell. Fortunately, both Bick brothers were available, as were forwards Arthur Leney and George Taylor, and with Andy Hutchinson and Owain James joining from the 2s, the attack had a potent look to it. Defensive positions were more of an issue however, with not a single recognised centre-back among the twelve. This forced the skipper into a creative solution of a back three featuring himself, Hayes and Cyprian Owen Edmunds, Harry Bick and Arthur Leney wing-backs and Hutchinson tucked in just behind James and George Taylor up front.

This very attacking line-up had an interesting early affect, too, as straight from kick-off the Etonians pressed high up the pitch, only to find themselves chasing after the ball as the back three combined to switch play beautifully away from danger. This forced the visitors to reconsider their tactics and for the remainder of the first half they were far more circumspect when pushing up the pitch. Consequently, the opening twenty minutes proved a rather cagey affair with the Etonians enjoying the lions’ share of possession but unable to break down a well-organised Harrow side. Chances were few and far between, a couple of long Eton goal kicks caused brief moments of panic at the back for the home side – the lack of height one clear disadvantage with the back three. And skipper Dan Firoozan had to be alert to slide in and prevent a couple of breaks from the quick Etonian striker. At the other end, the hosts’ best chance of the early exchanges fell to Cyprian Owen Edmunds, but he skied his volley well over the bar after George Taylor had challenged the Eton keeper under a high ball.

With half an hour played there was little sign of a breakthrough, but for the first time in the match Harrovian concentration lapsed momentarily and the visitors took full advantage. A free-kick inside the Eton half on the left wing was quickly taken, catching the back four off guard. The ball was fed into a midfielder who switched play back out to the left winger. With numbers inside the box, the winger delivered a low cross for the unmarked striker to tap in from close range. The hosts responded immediately to the setback and went in search of an equaliser before the break. Harry Bick drove down the right and crossed for Owain James, but his header was blocked at close range by a defender. Then, five minutes before the interval, a flowing move involving half the team ended with the same player clipping in a cross from the left for the onrushing Charlie Bick, but he could only divert the ball inches wide of goal as he stretched for contact.

A tightly-contested first half ended with the Etonians a goal to the good but there had been little to split the sides. Skipper Firoozan made his one change of the match, Jack Dolbey coming on in a straight swap for Owen Edmunds at the back. And with the confidence gained from a strong first-half performance, the hosts stepped up their performance a level at the start of the second half, dominating the opening twenty-five minutes, winning every duel and enjoying far more of the ball. It took fifteen minutes for the equaliser to arrive courtesy of a well-worked move down the left: Charlie Bick fed the ball down the line for Taylor to run onto, he just kept the ball in play and squared for Andres Hutchinson inside the box and although his first-time effort was well saved by the keeper, the ball bounced back up enabling the forward to stoop in and head home.

The Etonians forged a couple of half-chances that required interventions from Tom Mitchell, the keeper stretching to tip an over-hit free-kick over the bar and then watching as a header was placed just wide from the resulting corner. Charlie Bick received a yellow card for rather needlessly kicking the ball away, something that would come back to haunt him later in the game. But with a quarter of an hour remaining, and the Blues still in the ascendency, the home side took the lead for the first time in the game. Jamie Jordache fed Arthur Leney down the left and his first touch took him just inside the corner of the penalty area. Although his shot was on target, it helpfully nicked off the covering defender’s thigh and flew just inside the far post.

The Blues now had something to hold onto and initially they do so fairly comfortably. The Etonians created a couple of half-chances, Mitchell again called into action to save at his near post from a narrow angle. He then had to make a much more impressive save, tipping a curled effort from a midfielder over the bar. But with five minutes remaining the most experienced player on the pitch committed a naïve foul that would end his participation in the contest: Charlie Bick found himself on the wrong side of his man in the middle of the pitch and instinctively grabbed hold of his shirt as he tried to drive forwards. Referee Mo Shohel couldn’t ignore the Etonian protests and produced a second yellow card, followed by the inevitable red. George Taylor was immediately drafted back into the middle, Owain James the lone striker in a loose 5-3-1 formation.

It didn’t matter. Barely a minute later the Etonians delivered a free-kick into the Harrow box. It was cleared initially, but the hosts over-committed coming out and when possession was lost in the middle of the pitch, the Blues found themselves short at the back. George Taylor did his best to rescue the situation, piling into the striker from behind. But the ball ran loose and the referee played an excellent advantage, allowing play to continue and the Eton winger to run on and finish into the bottom corner. Unsurprisingly, the Etonians weren’t about to settle for a point and they poured forwards from the restart in a bid to snatch the winner. Now it was their turn to over-commit however. Owain James nearly caught a ball over the top, then Taylor fed Hutchinson only for the last defender to make a desperate interception.

Then, with a minute of the ninety remaining, the most improbable of Harrow winners. Taylor won a throw-in on the right which Alfie Hayes duly delivered into the box. James flicked on and Andy Hutchinson, with his back to goal, turned to volley. His shot was blocked by a defender but the ball bounced perfectly into the path of Jack Dolbey. It seemed inevitable that he would score but his first shot was superbly saved by the keeper, only for the substitute to lash home the rebound from point blank range. Cue scenes of wild celebration from one team and utter despair from the other.

This time the Etonians had no choice but to pour forward in the ninety seconds that remained, but the home side remained steadfast in their defence – an unwitting tribute to the name of the match-winner’s band. These three points, fully deserved on the balance of play, could do wonders for the Harrow season and at the very least gives the side a chance of a highest League position since dropping down into Division One four seasons ago. It is an added bonus that is has also made the Etonians’ chances of promotion much harder – they now sit nine points behind the Old Foresters with three games in hand – and one more fixture to come against their arch rivals.