The OHAFC Veterans finally kicked off their 2024/25 season with a rather fortunate 2-1 win over their Westminster counterparts on a cloudy Harrow Hill on Sunday morning – a result that leaves the team sweating as to their future participation in the Plate competition following the conclusion of the new-look group stage introduced this season.

Striker Adam Graham opened the scoring for the hosts on his Vets debut just before half-time, swivelling to fire in on the volley after skipper David Lederman’s 30 yard strike rebounded off the bar. The second goal was hugely fortunate, right-back Ru Hoffen’s cross from the touchline sailing over everyone before crashing into the far post and rebounding back into the net. But a comical own goal gave the visitors hope, three Harrovians contriving to bundle the ball over the line under minimal pressure. And the visitors could count themselves hugely unfortunate not to earn at least a chance to share the spoils in the dying seconds of the game when a through-ball sent their skipper racing clear only for him to tumble under a challenge from keeper Alex Fraysse. Referee Hitesh Jansari had stopped to check on a head injury suffered by Harry Hoffen in the other half, however, and either failed to see the challenge or else deemed it a dive by the attacker. The OHAFC must now hope the Westminsters fail to beat the Old Malvernians in their second group game in early December – if they do, Harrow will be safely into the Plate quarter-finals.

Having failed to raise a side back in September for their own fixture against the Malvernians, it was imperative the OHAFC responded strongly to this challenge. But, as usual, there was only a lukewarm response to the call to arms and with stalwart Matt Davies pulling out on the morning of the game with back spasms, skipper Lederman was left to rely on a bare eleven – not something that is ever advisable in a veterans encounter. The chances of keeping all eleven players fit and healthy for the duration of the tie seemed especially slim on this occasion with several players nursing knocks or turning out for their first game of football in many months. This was especially true at the back where former 1s skipper Andy Butler dragged himself out of retirement to partner debutant Richard Scawn – whose last game of football could be measured not in months, not in years, but in decades. Two of them. Despite this, the remainder of the side was strong enough, with the skipper supported by former Dunn Cup winners the Hoffen brothers, Piers Bourke, Paul Molloy and keeper Alex Fraysse. 2s regular Geoff Taunton-Collins and debutant Adam Graham had both played the day before, for the 2s and 3s respectively, but pronounced themselves fit to play, Phil Berry an ever-dependable presence at left-back.

Both sides observed two minutes of silence at 11am and, in truth, there was little to make much noise about in a fairly turgid opening to the game. Any concerns about Butler and Scawn at the back were quickly dispelled as both players threw themselves into the action with gusto. Which was just as well because as the first half wore on, it was the men in pink who grew stronger, taking advantage of the two-man Harrow midfield to begin dominating possession. The Harrow defence creaked under the steady stream of pressure but keeper Alex Fraysse was up to anything thrown at him. Several corners were cleared, several through-balls saw the Harrow man scramble off his line, his starting position probably too deep early on.

At the other end, the new-look strike partnership of Graham and Hoffen junior, which on paper should work very well, endured some early teething problems, the former too often turning into trouble, the latter looking distinctly rusty – although both were starved of any meaningful service for much of the half.

It was only when the switch was made on the half-hour to bring left-winger Bourke into the middle and allow the rather ponderous Westminsters right-back the freedom of the wing that the home side gradually began to wrestle back some control. Possession became far more even although chances remained at a premium: Lederman and Molloy both hit tame long-range efforts, the former then tested the keeper from 25 yards out with a curling free-kick. As the minutes ticked down towards the interval it appeared as though a goalless first half would ensue – a rarity in Vets football. But in the final moments of action a decent spell of passing found Phil Berry on the left, he fed Lederman inside and the skipper turned sharply to his right, losing his marker and allowing him to unleash a powerful strike from 30 yards out that beat the keeper only to crash against the underside of the crossbar. Fortunately, Adam Graham was perfectly positioned to react to the rebound, chesting the ball down with his back to goal before swivelling to smash a fine volley into the roof of the net from eight yards out. The one definitive moment of quality in the half had earned the hosts an advantage they didn’t really deserve.

Whilst the visitors had the luxury of a couple of substitutes, they were unfortunate enough to suffer a couple of injuries that saw two players hobble off – one a hamstring strain, the second a nasty groin strain that required the recipient to be carried off by some teammates. It would prove rather indicative of a niggly second half that saw the regular intervention of referee Hitesh Jansari as tempers threatened to boil over. In particular, the battle between Harry Hoffen and the tall Westminsters centre-back stopped the game on several occasions, the pair at one stage grabbing hold of each other and having to be restrained by teammates.

Whenever football did break out, neither side possessed the requisite quality to land a decisive blow. Hoffen and Taunton-Collins threatened down the Harrow right, both players combining nicely to deliver a couple of dangerous crosses into the box, but too often Harrovian moves broke down in the middle third of the pitch, the passing sloppy and inaccurate. Fortunately, the combination of some sterling defensive work by Butler, Scawn and Berry and the alert interventions of Fraysse ensured the visitors were once more held at bay. The keeper made one critical save with an hour gone, rushing off his line to thwart a one-on-one, the striker’s shot deflecting off the inside of his thigh and rolling a yard wide of the post. Some scrambles ensued from a couple of corners, the hosts just about preserving their fragile advantage.

Then, a huge stroke of luck saw the OHAFC score a decisive second, another decent move down the right saw Taunton-Collins carry the ball deep into opposition territory before cutting the ball back for Rupert Hoffen. Almost tight on the touchline, the right-back delivered his cross first time but overhit it only for the ball to sail perfectly over the keeper, cannon into the far post and roll along the goal line before nestling just inside the opposite post.

The lead lasted ten minutes before the visitors were gifted a comical goal of their own. After so much splendid defensive work, it was galling to watch as two defenders and the keeper somehow contrived to bundle the ball over the line from a yard out after a shot had deflected up in the air and over the prone Fraysse, who had dived to make the save. Any of the three players could have executed the clearance on their own, but there was no call and, unsurprisingly, nobody dared claim the final touch afterwards.

With the tie back in the balance once more, the final ten minutes once more became frantic and rather ill-tempered – again, not unusual in Vets football. The cry of ‘grow up, you’re acting like children’ rather an apt one from a Westminsters midfielder.

As it was, despite all the verbal nonsense, the game would be decided by two footballing incidents in the closing minutes, one in either penalty area. No old Harrovian is likely to have an easier chance to score in any game this season than the one that presented itself to Harry Hoffen as the ball fell to him on the edge of the box with only the keeper standing between him and a third, decisive Harrow goal. Taking a couple of touches to settle himself, and with the whole goal to aim at from ten yards out, the striker inexplicably then fired a half-hearted effort straight into the midriff of the keeper, who couldn’t believe his luck, snaffling the rebound with the other players disbelieving of what they had just seen.

But then, in the final minute, the Harrow man would inadvertently become the reason the hosts held on for victory in another extraordinary incident that only seems to occur in Vets football. The Westminsters skipper was played through straight down the middle of the pitch and, again, only the goalkeeper stood between him and the chance to salvage a spectacular draw. Fraysse came off his line to the penalty spot, the forward knocked the ball past him to the left only to fall under the challenge. It wasn’t entirely clear just how much contact there was, but it seemed almost inevitable that a penalty would be awarded, the ball rolling away to be collected by the Harrow skipper. But as the players turned to the referee, the Westminster side almost not bothering to appeal such was the certainty with which they felt a penalty would be awarded, it transpired that the referee was still in the other half of the pitch checking on the stricken Harry Hoffen who had just suffered a bang to his head. The forward took a few moments to get to his feet and was checked over thoroughly to make sure he was ok. The referee signalled for play to continue and, to the astonishment of most present, no penalty was awarded.

Moments later the full-time whistle blew and the hosts had somehow escaped with a victory that keeps them firmly in the hunt for a place in the last eight of the Plate competition come the New Year. The side are going to have to play rather better if they want to match last season’s achievement of a semi-final appearance and may well have already used up their luck for the season, but there is still, for now, a glimmer of hope remaining.