For the second consecutive weekend, the OHAFC 1st XI were forced to settle for just a point against a side below them in the table. Indeed, prior to the start of play the Old Johnians sat rock bottom of Division One having lost all four League games played to date. But a much improved side gave the Blues a mighty scare, earning two-goal leads in both halves before they themselves were forced to settle for a remarkable 4-4 draw. Given the circumstances, a tinge of disappointment was understandable in the Harrow dressing room after the game, but the fightback was a creditable one and it maintains the side’s record of just a solitary defeat so far this season: the first time the Blues have lost only one of their first five League games since the 2017/18 season.

In fact, the OHAFC have a poor record historically against the Johnians, with the 1s having won only one of four previous meetings in Division One, the OHAFC 2s failing to win any of the three matches played in Division Two. Johnians were relegated from the Premier Division last season and have lost their talismanic captain Craig Bonnar who now plays in the SAL for the HAC. Against this backdrop, the home side must have been considered strong favourites to collect all three points prior to kick-off.

But right from the first whistle thoughts of a comfortable afternoon evaporated from Harrow minds as the visitors dominated the early exchanges. The men in green earned a two-goal lead inside the opening quarter of an hour, a long range effort dipping just under the crossbar but just out of the reach of keeper Tom Mitchell, before a headed clearance from right-back Ed Pagani fell rather fortuitously to a forward to fire in from close range. The home side were shell-shocked, two goals conceded almost instantaneously against a side who had managed only three goals all season.

But to their credit the home side regrouped, fought their way back into the match and were handed, quite literally, the opportunity to halve the deficit when referee Mussa Mohamed pointed to the spot for a handball inside the area. Uncharacteristically, however, skipper Dan Firoozan missed the target, firing just over the corner of the goal. Undeterred, the hosts continued to push forwards and they were eventually rewarded for their efforts with two goals inside the space of ten minutes that ensured the sides went in level at the break. Almost immediately following the penalty miss, Jack Dolbey fired a fine long pass from left-back over to George Taylor, on this occasion playing on the right, and he in turn squared for Will Payne to notch his first goal of the season. Then, with the home side smelling blood, a simple corner from the right was clipped in by skipper Firoozan and Ed Beecham, playing his first game of the season, rose to flick home a header at the near post.

But there was still time for drama at the other end, with the Johnians earning a penalty of their own a few minutes before the interval. Ed Nicholson was the man penalised as he misjudged an attempted header and ended up clattering into his man instead. This time the penalty was on target, but keeper Tom Mitchell guessed right and made an excellent stop, low to his right.

The second half, bizarrely, followed almost an identical pattern to the first, with the visitors again starting the sharper of the two sides and again earning a two-goal lead in quick order. Given the quality of the defensive players in the Harrow ranks, with the back four of Pagani, Beecham, Nicholson and Dolbey screened by centre midfielders Will Monroe and Nikita Levine, this must have been unexpected. But credit must go to the visitors for taking their chances so adroitly. A half-hearted clearance landed on the edge of the Harrow box and was superbly driven into the bottom right corner to make it 3-2 before a most unusual incident led to the fourth goal being scored: keeper Tom Mitchell momentarily lost his bearings and collected a back pass from Ed Beecham. The referee immediately, and correctly, awarded an indirect free-kick inside the box, the ball was rolled square and the shot, rather fortunately, flew through the legs of the charging Pagani and into the back of the net.

Back came the OHAFC and with a quarter of an hour remaining the deficit was again reeduced to just one, Tom Walduck producing a fine cross for Ed Beecham to score his second header of the game. The home side pressed forwards, sensing an equaliser was there for the taking. It took slightly longer to arrive than perhaps would have been ideal, but it was gratefully received nonetheless. The skipper made it, whipping in a cross from the left and George Taylor was on hand to supply the finishing touch from close range, the ball bouncing in off his chest.

The final five minutes saw the home side pile forwards in search of a dramatic winner but the Johnians deservedly held on to claim their first point of the season. Although defeat was avoided, the OHAFC are in danger of wasting their kind run of three consecutive home fixtures against sides in the wrong half of the table – a tally of two points from the first two games needs to be improved upon when the Old Kimboltonians arrive on the Hill next weekend.