The OHAFC 3rd XI secured a first victory in the Junior League Cup since January 2023 with a dramatic penalty shootout win away to Division Three side KCS Wimbledon 2s on Saturday morning. On a beautiful winter’s day in southwest London, the Blues put their recent League struggles behind them with arguably their best performance of the season to date, holding their hosts to a 1-1 draw in ninety minutes before triumphing 4-2 in the shootout – all four Harrovians converting from the spot. The 3s must now wait to see who they will face in the last sixteen of the competition which is open to sides from Division Two of the Arthurian League downwards.

The 3s’ final fixture of 2025 promised a tough challenge away to a KCS 2s team who have acquitted themselves fairly well to life in Division Three following promotion last season. Two wins and three draws from eight games played suggested the Blues, shorn of both skipper Joss Awdry and his number two Freddie Everett, would have to raise their performances levels following frustrating draws against the Old Kingstonians and Old Wykehamists 2s in their last two League outings.

But the visitors did just that in a tight contest played on an immaculate pitch on the grounds of the KCS Old Boys Rugby Club. An unfamiliar front six saw season debuts for Doug Pratt and James Gibbens in midfield, with Fraser McGuinness reprising his role on the wing, the former 1st XI keeper having provided one of the moments of the season with his dramatic late volley at home to the Kingstonians a fortnight ago. The Blues started brightly, enjoying the excellent surface and finding both wide men with some regularity. And the visitors were rewarded for their early enterprise with an excellent opening goal after a quarter of an hour. David Lederman, who has enjoyed a resurgence in his form in recent weeks as his fitness levels have recovered, won the ball in midfield and fed McGuinness on the right. He switched play back across to the left with a sweeping pass and Adam Graham didn’t hesitate, collecting on the corner of the penalty area and drilling a powerful low shot just inside the far post – a superb finish.

The hosts now knew they were in for a battle and began to dominate possession, stringing together some promising moves without ever really troubling the Harrow back four, led superbly by skipper Charlie Dunn. Several corners were forced, but all of these were defended soundly. The visitors remained a threat on the counter, although perhaps became a little too keen to play forwards at every opportunity, rather than calm things down and retain possession. But ten minutes before the break the hosts were level. A throw-in on the Wimbledon left saw the ball played inside and a fortunate ricochet from an attempted pass forwards fell perfectly into the path of a forward who cut inside from the left edge of the box and curled a shot beyond the dive of keeper Hassan Hammad.

Having safely reached the break on level terms, there was plenty of Harrovian optimism that the tie was there to be won, but also an awareness that on several occasions this season, the 3s have battled hard to remain on terms at half-time, only to undo much of their good work with disappointing second half performances.

This was not to prove one of them however. The visitors actually improved in the second half, undoubtedly helped twice by unnecessary complaints from the hosts to referee Fatmir Sherifi that ended with two players being sent to the sin bin for ten minutes. Both proved useful interventions for the Blues, who took advantage of the first dismissal, just before the hour mark, to settle down and enjoy some decent possession. Chances proved hard to fashion, but several corners were forced, all of which were dealt with comfortably enough. It was telling that when the sin binned player returned with twenty minutes remaining, the momentum of the match remained largely the same.

The hosts did create a couple of decent openings but, as the clock ticked towards ninety minutes, it was clear that their frustrations were beginning to show and another free-kick awarded to the visitors on the edge of the box brought yet another unwarranted remark to the referee and a second sin bin of the game. This ensured that the Blues would be playing against ten men for the remainder of the game, although the one big chance to fall to either side in the half came right at the death, a low cross from Wimbledon left that was somehow screwed wide when it seemed easier to score.

So to penalties and the visitors held their nerve superbly, all four takers finding the bottom corner, with Hassan Hammad saving the first Wimbledon effort well before being gifted a second save with a dreadful fourth penalty that lacked any power or precision. The 3s into the hat for the next round and, remarkably, the only Harrow side left in the competition after the 2s’ shock exit to Division Five side the Old Cranleighans on the Hill.