The OHAFC Veterans XI won the Derrick Moore Veterans Cup, the competition for over 35’s who have competed in the Arthurian League, for the first time in their history on Sunday with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Old Foresters at the Bank of England Club in Roehampton, south west London. The win, secured thanks to a fine team display and a hat-trick from current 1st XI skipper Quentin Baker, ensured the club have now won silverware in six of the last seven seasons, an outstanding achievement. With the OHAFC 2nd XI playing in next week’s Junior League Cup final, it is possible the club could win two of the three main cups on offer this season.

The run to Sunday’s final had been a smooth one with two relatively comfortable wins away to Charterhouse and Shrewsbury following a walkover against Old Cholmelians in the First Round. For long-standing captain John Wyn-Evans there were a few selection headaches on the eve of the final however, with Jamie Waugh, a key man in the back four, a late injury casualty and Simon Haggas, who came on as a substitute in the semi-final, unavailable. The loss of Waugh was compensated by the return of Mark Baddeley, who slotted in at centre-half alongside Nick Warner. Bobby Tindall and Jeremy Lloyd-Jones were late call-ups to the subs bench, otherwise the side remained the same as that which had taken the field against the Salopians.

On a bright day, the huge main pitch at the Bank of England Club was an inviting sight for the fitter members of the OHAFC XI and with strong support from the sidelines cheering them on, the team made an excellent start to the game, pinning Forest back in their territory for the opening half an hour. With plenty of possession, Harrow soon began creating chances. Twice, raking passes from winger David Lederman set Ed Thorn free down the left and Charlie Feather down the right, but neither could provide a telling cross for strikers Rupert Hoffen and Jason Walduck to score from. Thorn then had an excellent chance with a free header from a corner but could only plant the ball wide; Baker did likewise following a free-kick. Lederman himself came closest to opening the scoring in the first half however when he ran fifty yards into the Forest box only to see his deflected shot scrambled to safety by the prostrate Forest goalkeeper.

The OHAFC looked like they could be punished for their inability to open the scoring when they endured a rocky spell either side of half-time, not helped by two serious injuries. Skipper Wyn-Evans went down following a strong aerial challenge with blood streaming from a cut above his eye. With five minutes to go before the break, the decision was taken to play on with ten men. He recovered sufficiently during the interval to return, but Jason Walduck wasn’t so fortunate, pulling a calf muscle five minutes into the second half and, after Harrow had played for ten minutes without him in the rain that was now pouring down, the decision was finally taken to make a change, Jeremy Lloyd-Jones coming on up front to partner Hoffen.

Having weathered Forest’s strong start to the second half, Harrow once more asserted themselves and it wasn’t long before further chances were created. Ed Thorn fired over the bar following good work from Ru Hoffen down the right. A few minutes later Lederman robbed his full-back and fed the striker ten yards out but he could only plant the ball wide of the near post. But Baker made no such mistake a few minutes later, scoring in identical circumstances with a left-foot shot after Lederman had teed him up.

The goal renewed Harrow’s resolve and with the back four of Feather, Warner, Baddeley and Morley-Fletcher limiting Forest to hopeful long-range efforts with some excellent defending, the second Harrow goal a few minutes later killed the game off for good. Lederman collected the ball midway inside the Harrow half and, spotting Baker darting through the middle, arrowed the ball over the top of a static Forest defence for the 1’s captain to run onto and calmly beat the ‘keeper from fifteen yards out.

Harrow remained largely in control for the final quarter of an hour, ‘keeper Andy Butler having little to do apart from collect a few crosses and hopeful long shots. The scoring, and Baker’s hat-trick, was complete a couple of minutes from time when the tireless midfielder closed down the cumbersome Forest right-back, stole possession and ran in on goal, finishing with a deflected shot past a thoroughly deflated Forest goalkeeper. With a three-goal cushion, John Wyn-Evans could even enjoy the luxury of bringing on Bobby Tindall for his first appearance in this season’s competition, although fortunately the ‘striker’ didn’t manage to touch the ball and so no harm was done.

John Wyn-Evans lifted the cup to loud cheers on the touchline after the game, the midfielder having long dreamt up the master plan that would one day see him collect the only prize in Arthurian League football that had continued to elude the OHAFC. With several members of the current 1st XI due for promotion to veteran status in the coming seasons, the odds are that it may not be long before the cup is back in Harrovian hands once more.