The OHAFC Vets made life hard for themselves on Sunday morning, surrendering a comfortable 2-0 lead before eventually progressing into the quarter-finals of the Derrick Moore Veterans Cup with a 4-2 extra time win over Westminsters on an appalling pitch in west London.

Skipper John Wyn-Evans was able to call on the majority of his squad for the fixture, played on a heavy, uneven surface right next to the M4 motorway. Former 1st XI stars Paul Molloy and Piers Bourke made their Vets Cup debuts, alongside a regular on Sunday mornings Jon Ingram. Injury deprived the side of Harry Hoffen, a player who should prove influential in the latter stages of the competition, so brother Rupert was asked to plough a lone furrow up front with a five-man midfield behind him - Wyn-Evans, Baker and Bourke played centrally with Lederman and Thorn the wide men.

At the back, Andy Butler, Jamie Waugh and Mark Baddeley joined Molloy in defence, with Ingram starting in goal and Bobby Tindall the lone substitute (once Jamie Waugh had managed to locate the pitches).

After a fairly even opening spell, the visitors gradually began to show their superior quality and create chances. After narrowly firing wide with his first effort, Ru Hoffen opened the scoring when he calmly volleyed home following a good run and long pass from Piers Bourke, the ball taking a helpful deflection off a defender on its way into the box.

Harrow doubled their lead minutes before the break when Lederman pounced on some lazy defensive play and exchanged passes with Baker inside the box before guiding the ball into the bottom corner first time.

The 2-0 half-time lead should have been comfortable enough for the OHAFC to defend with Molloy and Baddeley coping well with any threat presented to them, mainly in the form of long balls forward for the strikers to chase, and full-backs Butler and Waugh gradually awakening from their early slumbers - Butler's pre-match warm-up passing had to be seen to be believed but at least he could say he made the warm-up, Jamie Waugh gormlessly wandering around Hounslow at the time.

The decision was made for Butler to take over in goal, Wyn-Evans clearly hoping he was to perform better with his hands than he had done with his feet, and the change allowed Jon Ingram the chance to push forward in support of Hoffen.

The game should have been put to bed five minutes after the break when Lederman slipped in Ru Hoffen for what appeared a simple chance but the striker remarkably fired so far wide from twelve yards that the ball went out for a throw. 'Box them in Ru!' was the helpful shout from the back.

The miss was to prove costly for the team and particularly annoying for Rupert himself.

Westminsters, having rarely threatened, scored twice in ten minutes to the disbelief of the visitors. The first goal was a fine effort, the opposition's best player driving forwards from midfield before firing left-footed into the far corner. The second goal was more avoidable, a mix-up in midfield saw the ball squirt through to the edge of the box allowing the striker to poke it past a stranded Butler.

The equaliser had an immediate effect on the visitors who, suddenly sensing they could throw a game they should have been comfortably winning, upped their efforts and poured forward with determination.

With a minute to go Lederman should have sealed the win when he cut inside his man but fired six inches wide of the near post when a goal seemed certain.

The final whistle, meaning thirty minutes of extra-time, brought an extraordinary reaction from Harrow's striker who solemnly announced that he had to go, having not told anyone of any time pressures before the game. When pressed on the reason for his urgent departure, Rupert offered up 'lunch with my mother-in-law' as the excuse. Needless to say skipper Wyn-Evans took a dim view of this blatant lie, nobody in history ever having tried to get out of playing football by saying they had to go and dine with their mother-in-law and it was little surprise that Harrow returned to the field with the eleven who ended the ninety minutes.

Quentin Baker, who had suffered several knocks during the game and at times resembled an extra out of MASH, strode forward to collect a Bourke flick and turn inside before firing into the far corner to restore Harrow's lead five minutes into the extra period.

And the game was finally made safe with two minutes remaining, Lederman breaking free down the right to unselfishly square the ball across the six yard box for Hoffen to slot home.

There was still time for one of the more amusing moments ever seen on a football pitch to occur in the final minute of the game. Fearing a repeat of the normal time disaster and the threat of penalties delaying the eagerly-anticipated reunion with his mother-in-law any further, Harrow's double goal scorer collected a through ball and instead of going for goal dribbled out to the corner flag to waste a few precious seconds.

Unfortunately for the Westminster defender in tow, the 120 minutes of football on a heavy pitch proved just too much and as he closed down the striker by the touchline, he collapsed on the ground, screaming in pain with cramp.

Rupert seized on the opportunity mercilessly. Knowing his stricken opponent was unable to move, he drilled the ball against him from point blank range and watched it ricochet out for a Harrow throw, screaming 'OUR BALL!' at the poor defender lying motionless in pain next to him.

The startled referee didn't know how to react and so did the sensible thing and blew the full time whistle, most of the Harrow team leaving the field in complete hysterics, Westminsters at least consoled knowing that they had just been beaten by the most professional team in Vets Cup history.

On returning to the dressing rooms everyone expected Rupert to furiously change out of his kit and rush out the door for his urgent luncheon, but instead he just sat in the corner and leisurely began explaining to people just how well he had taken his two goals and the thinking behind his last-minute tactics.

It was a curious and boring end to what had been a curious and boring game of football.

OHAFC Vets XI: Ingram, Butler, Baddeley, Molloy, Waugh, Lederman, Baker, Wyn-Evans(c), Bourke, Thorn, Hoffen. Sub: Tindall