Despite controlling this Junior League Cup second round tie from almost start to finish, the OHAFC 2nd XI had to rely on a last-minute strike from Gbeminiyi Soyinka to seal their passage into the quarter-finals and a testing trip to Division Three promotion hopefuls the Old Citizens.

Playing once again under leaden skies on a cold, wet afternoon in north west London, the hosts made a blistering start to a game that kicked off half an hour late due to the inability of referee Ari Mendonca to find the Phil pitches. Despite nearly conceding straight from the kick-off courtesy of a poor back pass, within fifteen minutes Harrow had scored twice and looked capable of putting the game beyond Sennockians' reach before the break. Young winger Will Payne, who enjoyed his best game for the side to date, was the catalyst for both, squaring across the box from the left for skipper Geoff Taunton-Collins to tap in at the far post and then, ten minutes later, collecting a perfect pass from centre-half Fred Milln to spring the offside trap and plant the ball into the bottom corner from just inside the box.

Sennockians regrouped to a certain degree but were the beneficiaries of two errors that led to their first goal on the half-hour. After a few nervous moments around the Harrow penalty area, it appeared as though the ball had been cleared only for the referee to award a soft free-kick in a central position five yards outside the box. That mistake was compounded by goalkeeper Kyri Pittalis getting his angles all wrong, allowing the Sennockian player to comfortably place the ball well inside the post without wall or goalkeeper providing any semblance of an obstruction.

The second half was a dour affair as the weather and pitch conditions deteriorated even further. Harrow possessed too much strength and organisation at the back to allow the visitors any chances, but were bereft of any cohesion going forwards, with the result being a stodgy period of play that had spectators praying for the final whistle.

The longed-for warmth of the Alcock was nearly denied players and spectators alike when, remarkably, the visitors equalised in the 87th minute courtesy of a run down their right and cross into the box that fell perfectly for the striker following a botched headed clearance from Taunton-Collins. Indeed, Sennockians nearly snatched a stunning winner moments later when they put together the move of the game, switching play from left to right with a series of first-time passes that ended with another cross beyond the far post and a volley that whistled just wide of the near post.

But in the final minute, with the prospect of thirty minutes of extra-time and possibly penalties looming darkly on the horizon, Giles Newton pumped a free-kick from the halfway line into the box and Gbeminiyi Soyinka, completely unmarked fifteen yards out, had all the time in the world to bring the ball down and plant his shot into the bottom left corner.

Sennockians, naturally, were devastated, but in truth it was a game that never should have gone to the wire, such was the hosts’ control of proceedings from early on. Although the performance never came close to reaching the highs of the previous two weeks against Westminsters and Charterhouse 2s, the side did enough to progress in some fairly atrocious conditions. The trip to Citizens in the quarter-finals will be tougher still, but an enticing prize awaits in the semis, with the prospect of a home tie with either Eton 2s or the unknown quantity that is the Old Kimboltonians.

Before that, next week’s vital League trip to Charterhouse to face their 3rd XI, in a game that should go a long way to deciding which team is likely to join Lancing 2s in the relegation places come the end of the season.