For the second consecutive season, the OHAC Veterans were eliminated from the Derrick Moore Veterans Cup by the Old Malvernians in trying circumstances, although the relative inconvenience of last season’s hour-long delay due to the late arrival of the Malvern kit paled into insignificance compared to the horrific leg break suffered by striker Harry Hoffen on Sunday at the Bank of England Ground.

With the game a quarter of an hour old and the visitors a goal to the good, the 42 year-old turned on the halfway line before collapsing in agony under the weight of a Malvernian challenge. Clearly in significant pain, Harry was comforted by teammates while an ambulance was called, although the wait was estimated at a couple of hours and, following discussions between both captains and referee Matt Cannon, it was agreed to continue the game on a nearby pitch.

Harrow had work to do. Despite starting the tie brightly they had fallen behind ten minutes in when Piers Bourke dallied in possession in midfield and was caught out, Malvern launching the ball over the top for their lightning quick striker to run onto, beating keeper John Wyn-Evans as he came off his line to roll the ball into an empty net.

Bourke was at the centre of the action when play resumed following Harry Hoffen’s shocking injury too. This time he was the unfortunate party as a slight tug of a Malvernian jersey somehow drew a yellow card from the referee, despite several hefty challenges having previously gone unpunished.

The loss of their talismanic striker forced the hosts to change their gameplan, with the long ball over the top much less of a threat given the reduced pace of Davies and Danos up front. But Dave Mutter filled in superbly in central midfield and with the back four looking solid, Tweddle in particular enjoying a faultless first half, the game remained a balanced affair, Malvern the more comfortable in possession but Harrow looking dangerous on the counter attack.

It was from a set-piece that the equaliser arrived however, ten minutes prior to the break. Lederman curled a corner into the box and Molloy somehow found an acre of space around the penalty spot to power home a header into the roof of the net.

Malvern continued to look the more threatening team in the second half but thanks to some robust defending were limited to some shots from long range that rarely troubled the Harrow captain in goal.

As the game meandered towards the unwelcome extra half-hour, both sides had chances to snatch victory. For Harrow, Dom Danos missed a gilt-edged chance when the ball fell to him on the penalty spot but with just the keeper to beat he blazed high and wide to groans of disappointment – referee Matt Cannon confirming he was onside as the ball broke to him. But at the other end Malvernians missed a golden chance of their own to snatch the win when a long cross from the right found a late runner into the box only for the header to crash onto the crossbar from close range, Wyn-Evans a mere spectator.

A tentative offer to forego the extra period and go straight to penalties was firmly rejected by the visitors, no doubt aware that they appeared possessed greater fitness than their tiring hosts. Piers Bourke was forced off with a hamstring strain, Ed Thorn replacing him, and when Tim Dalton then succumbed to a thigh strain with fifteen minutes remaining, it was clear Harrow were, quite literally, on their last legs – Alex Gray the final substitute to enter the fray.

By this stage both sides had scored once more. Malvern regained the lead just a few minutes into the extra period when a diagonal ball from the right picked out a late run from the edge of the box, Harrow appealing in vain for offside. Any thoughts Malvern had of cruising to victory were dispelled in familiar fashion ten minutes later when Lederman and Molloy re-enacted their corner routine, Molloy stealing in at the far post to angle a superb header back across goal to make it 2-2.

But the closing ten minutes of the tie finally saw Harrow’s tiring legs give way and Malvern take full advantage. A ball through the middle caught the Harrow back four square and the striker ran through to comfortably finish. Two raids down their right then produced a close-range finish and a simple cut back for the fifth.

It was a sad ending to what had been, given the circumstances, an entertaining and competitive encounter. Clearly from a Harrow perspective the main concern is for Harry Hoffen and ensuring he recovers fully and swiftly from his injury – the side is significantly weakened by his absence.

Match photos courtesy of Charlie Tweddle