Despite one of the most consistent and intense pre-seasons ever undertaken by an OHAFC side, the 2nd XI were left deflated by an opening day 1-0 defeat at home to their Westminsters counterparts on the Harrow astroturf on Saturday morning. A tight, fairly scrappy game was decided by a rare moment of quality midway through the first half when a cross from the right was chested down and the visitors’ veteran winger lashed home a well-struck volley into the far bottom corner. The precision of the finish proved in stark contrast to the end product mustered by the men in blue, who enjoyed the better of things in both halves but failed to test the keeper in any meaningful way despite creating numerous half-chances.

Indeed, the rather blunt attacking efforts of the 2s were then put into stark contrast by the 1s a few hours later, when they smashed seven past a beleaguered Rugbeians side down in Whitton. But the home side remained upbeat after the final whistle, the general level of performance far stronger than in the corresponding fixture last season when the visitors won 4-2 and dominated for long spells.

This proved a far tighter affair with just a solitary chance created in the first quarter of the match, striker Fred Everett finding Andy Hutchinson racing through the middle but his toe-poke was saved by the keeper. From the resulting corner an unmarked Calum Butler headed wide of the target. The visitors had offered little with both sides showing plenty of endeavour but little of the requisite quality to cut through two obdurate defences. But that all changed in the blink of an eye. A cross from the Westminsters right wing was perfectly chested down by the striker with his back to goal and the evergreen Guy Nakamura, who has scored plenty of goals against OHAFC sides in the past, lashed a volley into the far bottom corner.

A couple of half-chances for both sides followed. The hosts introduced young midfielder Ben Allard for his debut, alongside the far more experienced Will Monroe, but goalmouth action continued to be in short supply. That was until a minute before the interval when Monroe produced a superb cross from the right that found midfielder Ed Stewart unmarked six yards out. Disappointingly, the header failed to match the quality of the delivery and the ball sailed harmlessly over the bar.

Joint-captains Tristan David and Miles Kellock continued to ring the changes at the break, with the third substitute, veteran David Lederman, now into his 35th season of Arthurian League football, coming on in a bid to add some creativity to the hosts’ play.

The pattern of play remained largely the same, however, with chances still at an absolute premium. But as the half wore on it was the visitors who began flagging and the final twenty minutes saw the home side threaten an equaliser. Tristan David was a constant threat down the left, delivering numerous crosses of variable quality, Calum Butler smashed a ferocious drive a yard wide of one post, Lederman side-footed a yard wide of the other. The veteran then snatched at another David cross, lashing his volley high and wide, before coming within inches of the vital goal, flicking Archie Nicholls’ goal-bound shot towards the opposite corner only for a covering defender to clear off the line. Everett then saw a spectacular scissor-kick blocked.

But Westminsters held firm under the mounting pressure and, in truth, their keeper barely had a save to make. Disappointing for the Blues, but the performance was good enough to ensure the side make the arduous trip to the Old Brentwoods next weekend with optimism for the season ahead still strong.