The OHAFC 1st XI fell to their third consecutive defeat and their fifth in six games since the turn of the year when they were comprehensively defeated 4-0 away to the Old Etonians on Saturday morning in Feltham. Having not played for over a month, the visitors started sluggishly and found themselves trailing by two goals at the break, a corner and a long goal kick ensuring they were the architects of their own downfall. An improved second half display following a change in shape hinted at a potential comeback, but another goal conceded from a set-piece with fifteen minutes remaining extinguished those hopes and the hosts scored a late fourth to rub salt in the wounds and ensure revenge for the last-gasp defeat suffered on the Hill back in January. The Blues still haven’t secured their Division One status for next season, although the Etonians will change that should they prevent the struggling Wykehamists from winning next weekend.

The OHAFC were able to welcome back some regular faces for this first fixture since the 1-0 defeat away to Merchant Taylors back in early February with skipper Dan Firoozan joined by the likes of Ed Beecham, Cyprian Owen Edmunds, Ali Buckley, George Taylor and Arthur Leney. Andy Hutchinson provided a lethal attacking option from the bench, with the side initially adopting the 3-5-2 formation that had so befuddled the Etonians in the earlier meeting on the Harrow astroturf. This game was also played on an artificial surface after the decision the day before that the Eton playing fields were waterlogged.

The visitors made a slow start, playing forwards too early, too often, although the lack of a competitive fixture for five weeks (along with a delayed kick-off owing to the Etonians late arrival) couldn’t have helped. Too often possession was given away against an Eton side who seemed determined not to allow a second defeat to their arch rivals to derail their promotion hopes. The visitors managed to restrict shots on goal, but with twenty-five minutes played conceded a very poor goal. A corner on the Eton left was clipped beyond the far post and both keeper Tom Mitchell and defender Harry Bick were caught underneath the ball allowing a simple header in.

The Blues hit back minutes later from a set-piece of their own. Skipper Firoozan just kept the ball in play after a free-kick was cleared away and squared to centre-back Ed Beecham, but his first-time right foot shot was just too close to the keeper who made a decent save.

But ten minutes before the break further defensive hesitancy from the visitors allowed the Etonians to take a stranglehold on the game. A long punt downfields by the Eton keeper flew over Beecham’s head and, as he beseeched his keeper to come for the ball, the Eton striker reacted quickest, nipping in to round the last defender and head the ball into an empty net.

The Blues made an immediate change, taking off Ali Buckley and bringing on Hutchinson, simultaneously switching to a back four. The final ten minutes saw a slight improvement in the side’s play but the deficit remained at two at the break and only a markedly improved display in the second forty-five minutes would allow the side the chance of snatching something from the game.

To the side’s credit, the tempo was raised in the opening exchanges of the second half, with greater care taken in possession and the back four appearing to work better, especially down the flanks where the visitors threatened on several occasions. All too often, however, not enough players made forward runs in support with the result that crosses invariably fell to an Etonian or flew harmlessly across the box. The closest the Blues came to pulling a goal back arrived midway through the half when Arthur Leney cut in from the right and fired in a shot on goal with his left foot. The ball took a slight deflection, forcing the keeper to change his feet quickly and parry the ball away, striker George Taylor just pipped to the rebound by a covering defender yards from the line.

But ten minutes later the Blues, infuriatingly, conceded another goal from a set-piece. A free-kick from the Eton right was lofted beyond the far post and again a lack of any effective marking allowed a free header back across goal, the Eton winger left with the simplest of tasks to fire home. Understandably, this third goal killed any Harrovian momentum and the visitors never looked like scoring again. A late fourth from the hosts merely rubbed salt in the wounds, Mitchell pulling off an excellent save only for the striker to head in the rebound. By this stage all tension in the game had evaporated and the visitors were left facing up to their worst run of form in Division One since the early stages of the 2018/19 season.

It’s just as well the side completed their remarkable victory over the Etonians when they did – the final two fixtures away to promotion-chasing Foresters and the Old Kimboltonians are likely to provide tests just as stiff as this one and the prospect of having to secure further points to stay up not an appealing one.