The OHAFC Veterans made their season bow in an entertaining 5-3 defeat at home to the KCS Wimbledon Vets on Sunday morning in the final round of group matches in this season’s Vets Cup. The OHAFC have, somewhat remarkably, still qualified for the quarter-finals of the Plate competition despite a record of one defeat and one cry-off from their two group stage games – the Old Reptonians managing a similar record but with an even worse goal difference. Harrow’s reward for scraping into the next round is an away trip to face the Old Chigwellians in early February.

This was a decent effort from the home side, however, who, like their opponents, arrived on a cold, wet Harrow Hill on Sunday morning with a just a bare eleven available. Patrick Massey, Fraser McGuinness and Max Curry were the three debutants, the former having never played for the club in any capacity before, the latter two having racked up well over one hundred appearances each during distinguished careers.

The most recent meeting between the sides, on the same pitch a couple of seasons ago, saw the visitors run out comfortable winners, their eight goals scored testament to their dominance. But, on this occasion, despite enjoying the better of the opening exchanges, they found themselves two goals down inside twenty minutes. The opener came from a quick break that saw skipper David Lederman lob the ball forwards in search of striker Luke de Rougemont, only for winger Geoff Taunton-Collins to capitalise on hesitation at the back, race in and coolly lob the KCS keeper from the corner of the penalty area. Ten minutes later and the hosts doubled their advantage from the spot, the goalscorer being felled inside the box and both sides agreeing a penalty was the correct decision – the referee for the game having failed to appear. Lederman fired his spot-kick into the bottom corner beyond the reach of the keeper.

But the visitors had turned the game around before the break through a combination of a little luck and a good measure of skill. The opening goal could be considered slightly fortunate, a drilled shot from close to the touchline flew inches inside the far post, keeper Alex Fraysse with little chance of effecting a save. It was a fine strike but unlikely to be repeated in Vets football any time soon. But the visitors then scored two excellent goals, the second of which saw an intricate, one-touch passing movement carve the Harrow defence to shreds before allowing a simple finish from close range. Nevertheless, the mood at half-time in the Harrow camp was a positive one and the decision was taken to try to frustrate the visitors as much as possible, a mid-block on the halfway line adopted.

This worked to a certain extent, with the visitors still enjoying much more of the ball, but unable to create many clear-cut chances. Centre-halves Phil Berry and Jack Orr-Ewing pushed the back four forwards at every opportunity, although service into front man Luke de Rougemont was almost non-existent. A foruth goal for the visitors duly arrived midway through the half and when, with twenty minutes remaining, Phil Berry limped off with a calf strain, the hosts found themselves a man down and two goals down.

But to their great credit, the OHAFC battled on and with five minutes to go ensured a nervy climax, Paul Molloy weaving his way through midfield into the box before coolly curling the ball into the far corner. There was clear panic in the KCS ranks as the hosts forced a corner in the final minute of the game, but then a moment of high comedy ensued as the ball was cleared enabling one of the KCS players to run the length of the pitch before rolling the ball into an empty net, Fraysse having come up for the set-piece.

A decent first outing of the season for the OHAFC Vets in awful conditions on the Hill, both sides playing the game in exactly the spirit Vets football should be played in. The Chigwellians will prove a tough test in February but there will be plenty of time before then to run off any Christmas excess.