For the second time this season, the OHAFC 3rd XI were eliminated from a Cup competition via the lottery of a penalty shootout. After enjoying the better chances throughout 120 minutes of tense football against Division Five leaders the Old Shirburnians, the OHAFC were forced to confront their demons from twelves yards once more, Callum Barrett’s volley after an hour cancelling out the hosts’ opener.

Having somehow failed to beat Westminsters in the Junior League Cup despite scoring with their first three spot-kicks, the Blues again fells just short when it mattered, Joss Awdry firing over the bar with his effort and Connor Barrett seeing his well saved by the Shirburnians keeper. With the hosts proving lethal with their first four efforts, all to the same side, the Blues were once again forced to contemplate a season without silverware. The side must now raise themselves for the final three League games, with promotion to Division Three still a realistic prospect.

Whereas February’s tie against the Westminsters 1st XI always appeared a tough ask, Saturday’s challenge against the Shirburnians appeared to offer the OHAFC their best chance of silverware this season. Indeed, the Blues were the top ranked side left in the competition and, courtesy of a quirk of the fixture list, already knew their path to glory, with a trip to play Alleynians 2s in the semi-finals and the Old Kimboltonians awaiting the winners in the final.

A strong squad of fourteen was named for the trip to Hampton 3G astroturf in south west London with Kapoor, Khan and Awdry on the bench. Alec Fogarty was chosen at right-back to join the three Barrett’s in defence, and with no Charlie Bick, the youthful midfield trio consisted of Luke Berry, Felix Tritton and Tommy Faber. The usual attacking trident of Harry Bick, Alex Smith and Ned Callander promised plenty of goal threat.

And so it proved, despite the hosts actually enjoying the lions’ share of possession for much of the encounter. Initially the visitors struggled to find their rhythm on the artificial surface, the hosts enjoying a lot of the ball without coming close to breaking down the stoic Harrow back four.

And it was the visitors who enjoyed the first sight of goal following some excellent work down the left that ended with Smith’s shot crashing back off the crossbar and Harry Bick, somehow, putting the rebound wide with the goal at his mercy. The club’s joint-leading scorer was then presented with a second chance to give the visitors the lead but again his radar was off, his shot dragged wide of the post.

With Shirburnians unable to capitalise on their superior possession and Harrow unable to finish their chances, it was unsurprising the half ended goalless. At the break, Joss Awdry replaced a struggling Faber, Kapoor came on for Fogarty at right-back and Azhar Khan replaced Ned Callander, Harry Bick switching into the centre.

The visitors began the half brightly, Joss Awdry helping redress the imbalance in the possession stakes by keeping the ball in the middle with a series of simple short passes. Shirburnians continued to offer little threat going forwards, but the visitors were themselves limited to long-range efforts from Awdry and Bick, both of whom failed to beat the keeper from the edge of the box.

With an hour played and little sign of a goal, it was the hosts who struck first, taking advantage of a loose ball forwards from Harrow to counter at pace. The ball was played in behind Kapoor down the Harrow right and somehow the cross from deep sailed over Tom Mitchell in the Harrow goal and straight into the far corner – the second time in three games the Harrovian has somehow been beaten by a freak long-range effort following an overhit free-kick conceded at Haberdashers.

But the visitors were level almost immediately, much to the hosts’ chagrin, Kapoor’s long throw was flicked on by Smith and Callum Barrett was on the spot to sidefoot in on the volley from close range.

The visitors went on to create several chances in normal time to win the tie but failed to convert. The best of the opportunities followed some good work on the left from Bick and Callum Barrett, Alex Smith was played through on goal but the keeper kept out the striker’s effort well.

Shirburnians rarely troubled Mitchell again, the closest they came to snatching a winner followed a well-worked corner routine that saw the ball pulled back to the edge of the box for a first-time shot that the Harrow keeper saved well.

Extra-time failed to produce many fireworks, Tommy Faber spurning Harrow’s best chance when his shot was blocked and then cleared. And so, as the clock ticked down, the inevitable became reality and the two sides gathered in the centre circle for the penalty shootout.

Alex Smith fired a confident first penalty for the visitors but Joss Awdry drilled the second over the bar and with Shirburnians scoring two from two, the Blues were soon under pressure. Harry Bick made no mistake with Harrow’s third, finding the bottom right corner, but once more it was a miss from a Barrett brother that proved fatal – last time Kyle saw his kick saved to send Westminsters through, this time it was Connor’s turn, the keeper blocking his shot and the game was up.

Cruel luck once more on the Blues who had enough chances in the game to earn themselves a spot in the semi-finals for the second season running. Sadly it wasn’t to be, but the hardly inconsequential consolation prize of promotion still remains and the side must regroup quickly ahead of next week’s trip to face the Eastbournians on what is sure to be a tricky surface in Barn Elms.

*Thanks to Connor Barrett for his assistance with this report