Despite a stirring fight back in the closing stages, the OHAFC 2nd XI fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat away to the Old Alleynians 3s on Saturday morning, bringing to an end a promising unbeaten three-game run that had seen the side climb to fourth in Division Three. The Blues started slowly and fell behind to a poor goal from a set-piece after fifteen minutes, rallying strongly to end the half having looked the better of the two teams. But the second half proved the opposite, with the Alleynians on top for the majority of the time, doubling their lead with a superb volleyed finish on the hour-mark. The Blues pulled a goal back when Ed Stewart rose to head home at the far post with a quarter of an hour remaining, but despite some late pressure, the hosts held on to secure a vital win that keeps them in touch with leaders the Old Berkhamstedians 2s, the OHAFC falling one spot to fifth in the table.

Following two strong performances and victories over the Old Canfordians and KCS Wimbledon 2s in their two previous fixtures, spirits were high as a squad of twelve headed down to south London for a first meeting of the season with the Alleynians, inarguably the strongest club currently competing in the Arthurian League. Last season saw the two sides win on each other’s grounds, with the OHAFC hammering their opponents 5-1 on the opening day of the season. There was to be no repeat of that here.

The hosts started the sharper against a Harrow side who appeared rather nervous in the opening exchanges. An early shot was deflected just over the bar as the Alleynians, who began the day three points and two positions above the OHAFC, pressed for an early lead. But the Blues regrouped well and began to enjoy plenty of possession, the midfield trio of Palazzo, Kellock and Stewart rotating well and feeding wide men Hutchinson and Owain James whenever possible. It was incredibly frustrating therefore when, against the run of play, the hosts did score the opening goal, a simple far post header from a corner that should have been defended better.

Within a few minutes the Alleynians had nearly doubled their advantage, the skipper smashing a shot against the top of the post from twenty-five yards out. The visitors responded, Kellock testing the Dulwich keeper from range. As the half wore on, so the blue shirts gained in confidence, an equaliser seeming almost inevitable. Calum Butler, who is being thrust forwards into ever more advanced positions as the weeks pass by, somehow wriggled between three or four defenders but could only find the side netting with his final effort. The Alleynians threatened sporadically on the break, but play remained concentrated in their half, the visitors only lacking a final ball to produce the clear cut chance necessary to test the underworked Alleynians keeper.

The Blues did come within inches of a spectacular goal just before the break, Miles Kellock latching onto a clearance from a corner to fire a volley across his body from the corner of the penalty area, only for the ball to rebound back off the crossbar. Further misfortune was to follow as Ed Stewart then gingerly walked off following a heavy collision in the middle of the pitch. Fortunately he was able to return to action for the start of the second half.

But the interval completely derailed the momentum the visitors had built up and the side struggled to play with anything like the fluency they had before the break. Now it was the Alleynians looking the sharper, more confident side. The hosts spurned a golden opportunity to double their lead when a straight ball through the middle of the Harrow back four sent a midfielder clean through on goal but as Craig narrowed the angle, the stabbed shot rolled just wide of the far post.

The reprieve proved only very temporary. A few minutes later it was 2-0, courtesy of a superb goal. The visitors had pushed men forwards for an attack but possession was lost cheaply and the Alleynians broke upfield. With the blue shirts struggling to recover, a neat exchange of passes saw the ball switched out to the right and a cross pulled back beyond the penalty spot was spectacularly volleyed in by the Alleynians left winger, who was fully horizontal when he made contact with the ball.

The same player then showed an ugly side to his game when he needlessly hacked down Andres Hutchinson as he drove forwards down the touchline. The resulting card was yellow, which was fair, but the tackle was a poor one and the Harrow forward was left writhing in pain on the ground, eventually crawling off the pitch, his morning over.

With luck, and time, seemingly running out on them, the Blues seemed set for a frustrating defeat. But with a quarter of an hour remaining, Ed Stewart earned his team a lifeline, rising highest at the far post to head home a long free-kick from Miles Kellock. Suddenly the visitors were back in it. And the nature of the game changed accordingly. Having seemed in complete control, suddenly the Alleynians became a bundle of nerves, hurrying their passing and becoming increasingly agitated with each other. A flowing move down the Harrow right freed Owain James but having driven to the goal line, the forward chose the wrong option and went for goal instead of cutting the ball back to waiting teammates.

It proved almost the last chance of the game for the visitors, who pressed manfully in the closing minutes but once again proved unable to test the Alleynians keeper with anything resembling a testing shot. Nevertheless, the cries of relief at the full-time whistle from the opposition showed how hard-fought the victory had been.

The OHAFC 2s can consider themselves unfortunate not have come away with something from their performance, the two sides separated by a moment of magic worthy of winning any game. But the side must discover a greater cutting edge in attack if they are to return to winning ways, the two four-goal salvos in recent weeks appearing exceptions rather than the norm – the Blues have scored just three goals in their four other fixtures this season and earned just a solitary point from those games.