Sunday dawned frostily, but dry at least, and even though the Brook pitch at the Bank of England was barely taking a stud in places, the good news was that the notorious muddy patch in the centre circle was firm underfoot - well, at least for the first half.

The OHs were in action for the first time since their abject departure from the Derrick Moore Cup in darkest Essex at the beginning of December, and survivors Wyn-Evans, Baddeley, Ingram and Thorn were all in search of some form of footballing redemption. (Spoiler alert - they are still seeking it!).

Also intent on not making his last appearance in the green 'keeper's jersey a losing one (last year's final), Bobby Tindall returned to action and is now seeking to break Frank Sinatra's long-held record for the most comebacks. Luckily he refrained from singing.

Elsewhere in the team we welcomed back Gavin Milne and Fasil Shah from the Kew Park Rangers, and also Tom Hawkings and Gordon Baker from the Old Wykemists. This was Gordon's UK debut for the OHs, although he did join us on an Easter Tour to Catalonia in 2001. Sadly, despite boarding the plane on that occasion with a deserved reputation as a player of great skill and determination, he was a shadow of his usual self, having sampled the untold (and unremembered) delights of Lloret de Mar. Would today be his opportunity to atone?

The match started brightly for Lancing, and it was clear that the OH defence could be in for a long morning. However a couple of early chances went begging, and it was in fact at the other end that the first goal arrived, very much against the run of play. The ball somehow found its way to the OH's 11th man who was on loan from Lancing. He was young and quick, although his grasp of the English language suggested some deterioration in the teaching standards on the south coast in recent years. He revelled in the name "Gadaffi". Having turned his defender in the box, he was crudely felled and Giles Paul blew and pointed to the spot immediately. Dominic Danos, displaying a hitherto unknown similarity to Kevin Mirallas, grabbed the ball and ignored any other claims. His captain was happy to endorse the decision, and Danos justified the confidence by scuffing the ball to the 'keeper's right after he had already committed in the other direction. They all count!

Not five minutes later, Lancing's "fancy dan" forward Charlie, having already passed across Harrow's box, was felled by Milne's late intervention. Giles Paul, displaying uncharacteristic decisiveness, again blew without hesitation, just as Lancing's influential midfielder Jules struck a sweet first time drive towards the Harrow goal. As a man Lancing yelled "advantage!", but as the ball cannnoned back off the right upright their cries turned to "penalty!". Their other forward Pete duly converted. 1-1. Thus it remained till half time, with limited clear cut chances at either end, but a well balanced contest. Tindall made a couple of decent saves to reassert his claim to being "Harrow's Number One".

The second half began in much the same vein, but it was Lancing who made the crucial breakthrough. Harrow were guilty of ceding possession too easily at times, and one of Lancing's counter-attacks led to Charlie crossing from the left. His delivery was well met by Pete who headed back across the goal. In fact he managed that too well, and the ball was headed beyond the post until a retreating Gavin Milne was unable to avoid stabbing the ball into his own net. Harrow were not down and out by any means and the game ebbed and flowed the length of the field. Baker became increasingly imposing, winning countless headers and running at Lancing's defence, but it was another Charlie break that led to Lancing's third. Somehow Mark Baddeley managed to disposess him cleanly from behind, but despite the close attendance of Milne and Thorn the ball somehow bobbled to Pete and he claimed his hat-trick.

Harrow failed to lie down, and the best chance fell to Jon Ingram. He harried former Lancing skipper Ollie Bailey into giving the ball away close to the half-way line, and then pinned his ears back and set off towards goal, hotly pursued by the Lancing right back known as "Scum" (although he is in fact the nicest bloke and his real name in Lawrence). Ingram made it all the way into the box, by which time (he later admitted) he was more than half hoping to be scythed down, and thus spared the responsibility of finishing. At this point, his brain now clearly addled by a lack of oxygen, and his legs filling with lead, he made the mistake of using his own experience as a goalkeeper to try to second guess Lancing's custodian. It almost worked. The keeper committed himself to his left, but rather than slotting into the opposite corner Ingram went for the dinky chip instead. A gloved paw reached up and tipped the ball away and the chance was gone. Not long after, Lancing claimed their fourth. After a corner the ball was cleared back to the taker, Jules, who rifled in a cross of alarming velocity that was cleanly met by Pete at the back post to claim his own fourth. Right back Hawkings later explained that he could have got his head to it but would have only scored an own goal. One suspects he was in fear of being decapitated.

The last chance of the game fell to Harrow on the final whistle, testament to their never-say-die attitude. Fasil Shah was put in on the right hand side of the box by a slide rule pass from Danos, but could only tamely find the side netting as three OHs queued up in the six yard box. In many ways that epitomised the lack of a clinical touch that betrayed Harrow several times over the course of the eighty minutes.

All in all, though, a most enjoyable and much needed run out, and that sets us up nicely for a Founder's Day visit to the school on Sunday 8th February to play the Beaks in the annual fixture. The first round of the Plate competition follows with an away fixture to Aldenham on Sunday 15th. The questionable reward for winning that tie would be yet another away draw to Repton in the quarter final. If you visited a casino and the roulette wheel came up black 17 consecutive times you might almost begin to believe that there was something wrong with the mechanism...

Harrow - Bobby Tindall, Tom Hawkings, Mark Baddeley, Gavin Milne, Ed Thorn, Fasil Shah, John Wyn-Evans (c), Gordon Baker, Jon Ingram, Dominic Danos, "Gadaffi".

Report: John Wyn-Evans