A scrappy 85th minute equaliser denied the OHAFC 3rd XI a valuable and fully deserved three points in Essex on Saturday morning, the Blues recovering from an early setback to lead 2-1 and 3-2 before being pegged back at the death by the Old Brentwoods. With the bottom four sides in Division Four of the Arthurian League separated by just a point, victory here would have lifted the OHAFC off the bottom of the table and all the way up to sixth. As it is, the solitary point keeps the Blues in the relegation zone and, with just four League fixtures remaining, time is now running out for the side to avoid dropping into Division Five for the first time since 2018.

The visitors’ frustration at the final whistle was understandable. Despite falling behind inside five minutes, for much of this game the Blues were the better side, stringing together some fine passages of play on the notoriously heavy turf at the Old Brentwoods Club. Perhaps the most annoying aspect of the result was the manner of the three goals conceded. All three were eminently avoidable, including the early opener. A strong start suggested that the 3s’ lack of football over the past six weeks hadn’t affected them as much as might have been expected. But the first Brentwoods attack saw the ball switched from right to left, Toby Colehan unable to intercept, and a cross from the left winger back into the area was firmly headed in at the near post by an unmarked striker.

The Blues recovered well and began to dominate possession and territory with both wide men, Geoff Taunton-Collins on the right and skipper Freddie Everett on the left, fully involved. The final pass was lacking, a couple of long throws into the box well defended. The hosts interrupted this spell of Harrow dominance with a lone attack that so nearly brought a most fortunate second goal, an over-hit cross from the right wing sailing over keeper Hassan Hammad and cannoning into the far post. But the visitors continued largely in the ascendency with some enterprising passages of play. Powerful striker Doug Pratt spurned a couple of presentable chances, taking a heavy touch inside the box when a long-range effort from Lexi Pittalis arrived at his feet, then screwing a volley narrowly wide of the far post after a delivery into the box following a long throw. Finally, with half an hour played, the visitors’ pressure paid off. Luke Berry hit a long shot that was comfortably saved by the keeper but a poor clearance saw the ball bounce up into the air before it was lobbed over the top by Geoff Taunton-Collins and skipper Freddie Everett ran on to smash the ball first-time on the half-volley into the top corner.

In true OHAFC fashion, however, with ninety seconds of gaining parity, the Blues fell behind once more. Again the goal was eminently avoidable. Brentwoods surged down their right with a neat move but the low cross into the box should have been dealt with. Instead, with neither keeper nor any defender taking control, Si Nicholson rather panicked at the far post, sliding in to clear only to divert the ball just inside the post. Once more the visitors put the setback behind them and six minutes before the break had once more levelled the scores. Good work down the left wing by the goalscorer earned the Blues a throw-in. Although this was cleared to the edge of the box, Taunton-Collins fed the ball over the top once more and this time Luke Berry was on hand to volley in powerfully from the penalty spot.

The first half had been an open, entertaining game, devoid of any poor tackles or friction between the two sides. But that all changed within minutes of the second half kicking off. A fairly innocuous challenge by Felix Tritton on the left wing was viewed by the hosts as unnecessary use of an elbow and suddenly tensions were sparked on both sides. A couple of strong challenges followed from both sides before a third in the middle of pitch sparked a ruckus, with ten players converging and a minute of pushing and shoving followed. A Brentwoods player was booked for the initial tackle that sparked the melee, but referee John Darling handled the episode well, calming tempers before allowing play to continue.

The hosts were then gifted a couple of half-chances following poor clearances from keeper Hassan Hammad but both times the long-range efforts at the unguarded goal flew well wide of the target. But just shy of the hour-mark the visitors hit the front for the first time in the game. A probing ball down the right from Doug Pratt won a throw deep in Brentwoods territory and he delivered the long throw himself. The ball flew towards the back post and cannoned into the roof of the net, Taunton-Collins claiming the last touch although there was some debate whether it was from his head or shoulder.

Five minutes later and Pratt himself spurned another glorious chance to extend the advantage, again his touch failing him at the crucial moment following a delicious first-time flick round the corner from Luke Berry. The visitors then wasted an even better chance to seal the win when the skipper ran onto another flick through and, faced with only the keeper to beat, shot straight down the middle only to see the ball rebound back off the keeper’s legs. He then fired into the side netting from an acute angle before Si Nicholson did likewise on the other side from a thunderbolt of an effort from fully thirty yards out.

With five minutes remaining, the hosts were lucky to still be in the game. But then, from nowhere, the Blues contrived to once more gift their opponents a lifeline. A Harrow throw-in on the halfway line suggested little danger. The percentage play would have been to launch the ball long towards the corner flag but instead Nicholson tried to find a man inside, the throw was intercepted and launches crossfield to the right, eventually forcing a corner. Although the first cross was cleared, a second caused hesitation at the near post, the ball flying up into the air off Alexi Pittalis and, following a brief scramble, was turned back across goal and inside the far post, Si Nicholson just unable to reach the shot on the line.

It was a crushing blow for the Blues, who deserved to take all three points in their struggle against the drop. As it stands, the solitary point earned keeps the team inside the bottom two and time is now running out. Four games remain, with the return fixture against Brentwoods in a fortnight’s time now a must-win game.