The OHAFC Vets produced another gutsy performance on Sunday morning to reach their second consecutive Derrick Moore Veterans Cup final with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Lancing at the Bank of England Ground.

Although the visitors pressed sporadically, some excellent defending from the Harrow rearguard restricted opportunities to a minimum and at the other end the hosts always looked dangerous. Harrow opened the scoring on the half hour when the current and former 1st XI skippers combined, Ed Poulter playing in Quentin Baker to round the ‘keeper and slot home. Lancing equalised somewhat fortuitously when a long throw was flicked on and bundled in at the near post, but shortly afterwards Harrow broke upfield, Baker feeding Harry Hoffen down the left and he squared for Lederman to apply a simple finish.

Although skipper John Wyn-Evans was able to name a strong squad of thirteen for the tie, there were still some notable absentees with two-goal hero Dom Danos having broken his little toe in the quarter-final win against Charterhouse and Jon Ingram, who would again have donned the goalkeeping gloves, unavailable.

This meant a recall between the sticks for Jon ‘the Cat’ Sharples, who was last seen repelling penalties, one-on-ones and everything else the beaks threw at him a few weeks ago, except for a floaty corner, which he somehow allowed to slip through his grasp to give the masters the lead. Nevertheless, in an impressive bid to prevent such a calamity befalling him this time, the man with the questionable taste in shirts had purchased a new pair of gloves, the old pair clearly sufficient to save penalties, but insufficient to catch corners.

The other notable inclusion was that of 1st XI skipper Ed Poulter, who was bidding to win his second game of the weekend, having previously won once all season. After a tough ninety minutes in central midfield against Forest on Saturday, Ed needed to relax and get away from it all before the big game, so he took girlfriend Millie to Les Miserables on Saturday night, bizarrely informing his teammates that it was her ‘Christmas present.’ First though, Ed made sure he tidied away the half-eaten mince pie and carrot he had left for Santa and Rudolph on Friday night.

Conditions at the Bank of England Ground were better than expected, with the rain of near-biblical proportions that had been forecast failing to materialise. Although the pitch was sticky, it was the stickiness of a hot cross bun rather than that of a treacle sponge. Harrow were just hoping not to play like puddings, the previous meeting between the teams at this level having resulted in a 6-1 trouncing down at Lancing a few years ago.

The hosts began well and passed the ball with confidence, combining spells of short interchanges with longer balls over the top for Harry Hoffen to chase. This still didn’t prevent brother Rupert (who, sadly, is not a monk and therefore has not taken a vow of silence) from moaning that things were not developing as he would have liked. This was a shock to no-one on the Harrow team, who had witnessed some world-class whining from the same player when asked to play in an unfamiliar wing-back role in the previous round. It was later agreed that skipper Wyn-Evans had, in fact, asked Rupert to play in a whinge-back role, something he took rather too literally.

Both defences looked comfortable early on with Dalton and Molloy imperious at the back for Harrow and the Lancing rearguard coping well, their extra height at the back just enough to prevent the long Harrow passes finding their target. A series of refereeing decisions riled the visitors but this was about all there was for the gaggle of spectators to get excited about as chances were few and far between: Lancing clipped the top of the bar from an overhit cross that ‘the Cat’ appeared to have covered, Harrow produced some neat spells of play around the Lancing box without testing the ‘keeper.

It took an excellent passage of play for Harrow to open the scoring on the half hour-mark: David Lederman switched play to Ed Poulter inside the centre circle and he in turn produced a perfectly-weighted pass through for Baker to run onto. The midfielder did well to bring the ball under control, nearly stumbling as he did so, but once in command the Lancing ‘keeper was stranded, allowing Quen to waltz round him somewhat daintily and roll the ball in.

Lancing responded well and pressed for an equaliser but despite enjoying some decent possession in the middle third, their attacking threat was minimal, with Sharples forced to scoop one shot to safety but little else.

A somewhat lengthy half-time interval allowed the Harrow ranks to rest their weary limbs and catch up on the latest thoughts of master tactician Rupert Hoffen, whose ability to complain had been somewhat restricted by the positive scoreline Harrow were enjoying. Meanwhile, ‘keeper Sharples reminded everyone of the prescient advice he had given in the changing room: ‘Just score once and we’ll be fine,’ he confidently predicted and although there was a good deal of chortling, deep down everyone present knew there was as much chance of Harrow keeping a clean sheet as there is of Harry Hoffen installing a sink the correct way round first time: slim to none, with slim no longer available on the ballot paper.

The second half proved a more entertaining and open affair which was good news for the spectators, but bad news for the players, many of whom were tiring with every passing minute and unhappy at seeing the ball moved at pace all over the pitch, requiring them to chase after it.

Lancing made an interesting tactical switch, splitting their centre forwards so that one continued to play centrally but asking the other to play on the left wing. The ploy worked to some extent, with Warner and Lederman consistently struggling to prevent the visitors’ progress down that flank. Thankfully, more often than not the calming sight of Paul Molloy waddling over to help was provided. On the other side, Thorn and Wyn-Evans were coping rather better, with the former supplying a series of well-timed challenges and hefty clearances to avert danger and the latter making a general nuisance of himself – something a captain is allowed to do on special occasions such as this.

Again, Lancing’s chances from open-play were heavily restricted with Tim Dalton yet again providing some stunning examples of his extraordinary ability to read a forward’s mind, lie on the ground in an almost foetal-like position and patiently wait for the ball to be delivered straight to him, before rising like a God and striding away majestically or, in some cases, toe-poking it forty yards in a random direction.

At the other end, the hosts looked most threatening on the break and they could have put the game to bed on several occasions, Rupert Hoffen supplying an excellent pass inside only for Baker’s first-time shot to arrow just wide of the post, Lederman then scuffing an intended chip as the ball bobbled with just the ‘keeper to beat. Ed Poulter then dribbled round several men before being closed down as he prepared to shoot.

Lancing then threatened with two shots from their left flank, one that flew across goal evading everyone, the second requiring a good save from Sharples, who scooped the ball to safety in his own inimitable style. But he was powerless to prevent the Lancing equaliser which followed shortly afterwards, a long throw into the box was glanced unwittingly on by Poulter and bundled in at the near post by Evans via a deflection, the ball rolling agonisingly slowly into the back of the net.

As limbs tired, several desperate tackles in midfield earned Lancing free-kicks in threatening positions, but, thankfully, each one sailed ever further away from the Harrow goal. One strike from forty yards out was particularly notable for being utterly useless, the ball threatening nothing but a bird’s nest overlooking the train tracks adjacent to the ground. ‘The Cat’ did make one ‘save’ from open play, although even that was straining the definition of the word, as he flopped ungracefully on a shot that was drifting wide anyway.

With a second goal for either side looking likely to win it, thankfully it was the hosts who scored next courtesy of their most clinical break of the game. A Lancing attack was cut short and the ball broke to Baker in midfield who carried it forwards before sliding in Harry Hoffen down the left wing. As Lancing appealed in vain for offside, the striker carried the ball to the byline before supplying an excellent low cross to Lederman, who timed his run into the box perfectly. As the ‘keeper desperately scrambled across his goal, Lederman stopped the ball dead, waited for his opponent to fly past, before rolling it into an unguarded net.

Harrow were dealt a blow to their hopes of adding a reassuring third when Harry Hoffen’s hamstring gave way with ten minutes remaining, forcing him off and ushering Bear Maclean on for his Veterans Cup debut. Shortly afterwards the substitute, who later professed to being somewhat nervous about appearing so late in a finely-balanced game, was presented with a golden opportunity to write his name into OHAFC folklore when a careless Lancing backpass arrived at his feet, leaving him with just the ‘keeper to beat. Unfortunately, the pressure of the moment got to Bear and, with his family watching on excitedly from beside the goal, he dithered badly, stumbling into the grateful ‘keeper and seeing his shot at glory abruptly lost.

Lancing threw men forwards in desperation to force an equaliser, the goalkeeper arriving in the Harrow box for a couple of corners. Ed Poulter was shown a yellow card for a late trip on a Lancing player and although it was accidental, the foul was somewhat necessary with the attacker hurtling towards the Harrow box.

More amusingly, Paul Molloy then received Harrow’s second yellow card of the morning for another late challenge. This came seconds after the referee had warned him that he would book him if he committed any of the following: another foul; taking too long to fetch the ball from behind the goal; taking too long to take a goal kick having already fetched the ball from behind the goal; finally, if he failed to take his three children to get their hair cut, wife Louise appearing on the touchline with what appeared a young version of former 90’s pop legends Hanson.

Thankfully, Harrow held on to the final whistle, the prospect of extra-time for the second consecutive cup tie appealing to no-one – least of all Nick Warner, who back in the dressing room revealed that he would have had to leave early to go to Queens Club and play racquets: an excuse so bad, it was close to surpassing Rupert Hoffen’s ‘lunch with my mother-in-law’ as the most pathetic reason to leave an OHAFC match prior to the final whistle.

But there was a more serious excuse to miss some football that belatedly reared its ugly head when Tim Dalton informed everyone he would be away on holiday on April 9th, the date of the cup final. With the Dalton family’s destination only northern France, various scenarios were talked through that would allow Timothy to play, the best suggestion being to inform his wife and children he was ‘popping out for a baguette’ only to return eight hours later with a stick of bread and yet another Vets Cup winners medal.

The only dissenting voice to this ruse came from unused substitute Mark Baddeley, whose spirits had been lifted at the prospect of one more shot at glory by the absence of the younger, fitter, less rickety man.

‘Bon voyage Timothêé’ shouted Badds as he skipped merrily out of the door, ‘nothing beats Calais in the springtime…’

The OHAFC Vets will face either Forest or Cholmeleians in the final of the Derrick Moore Cup at 2pm on Sunday, April 9th at the Bank of England Sports Ground