A stirring second half comeback from the OH Vets saw them fight back from 2-1 down after an hour to seal a 5-3 win against Malvern's Vets at the Bank of England Ground on Sunday afternoon and in the process earn themselves a place in the Derrick Moore Plate Final against Eton in a week's time.

For John Wyn-Evans' side it was undoubtedly a performance of two halves. On the vast Bank of England pitch, rutted in the central areas but otherwise pristine, the team struggled to put together any moves of note in a frustrating opening forty-five minutes that saw Malvern score twice midway through the half thanks to some fairly charitable defending. Passes were regularly misplaced, clearances and tackles not made and a general lethargy pervaded Harrow’s play to such an extent that the outcome appeared a foregone conclusion.

The one bright moment in an otherwise totally forgettable half came a few minutes before the break when a deep cross from the right by Rupert Hoffen was turned back by Lederman allowing Baker to tap in from close range to halve the deficit and give the home side a foothold in the game.

Skipper Wyn-Evans rallied the troops during the break and made some tactical adjustments as well and the transformation in the team’s play was notable from the restart. As Malvern legs tired, the wide open spaces on the pitch gradually allowed an increasing number of Harrow passes to find their target and soon play was concentrated in the visitor’s half. Baker became increasingly influential in midfield, Lederman and Walduck likewise out wide and up front, Danos provided a physical presence that had been desperately needed.

The result of the improving play from the home side was soon reflected on the scoreboard. Shortly after the hour mark, Baker fed Lederman on the right, he beat his man and having seen his first effort saved by the ‘keeper, collected the rebound to square to an unmarked Walduck five yards out.

The architects of the first goal were soon at it again, this time Lederman rounded off a flowing move by playing a simple pass square for Danos to fire home. A fourth goal was scored in fairly comical circumstances when the front two combined and when it looked likely Hoffen H would get a tap-in, a Malvern defender performed a spectacular flick which looped over his own ‘keeper and spun back into the net.

By this time Harrow’s front six were rampant and looking like scoring every time they went forward. A fifth Harrow goal with ten minutes remaining put the result beyond doubt when Baker fed Lederman, he crossed for Harry Hoffen whose effort was well saved by the ‘keeper only for Danos to turn in the rebound.

Dom should have scored a well-deserved hat-trick moments later when he raced clean through the middle only for the pressure (and rather unhelpful screams of ‘hat-trick! hat-trick! from an over-excited Jamie Waugh on the touchline) to get to him and fire his effort straight at the ‘keeper.

There was still time for Harrow to gift their opponents a third goal, Ru Hoffen and Bobby Tindall combining to produce a keystone cops moment and allow a Malvernian striker to pass the ball into an empty Harrow net.

Harrow now face Eton in the final next week and after the first-half display today, complacency should not be a problem.

Vets XI (4-4-2): Tindall; Waugh, Baddeley, Warner, Morley-Fletcher; Lederman, Baker, Danos, Hoffen R; Hoffen H, Walduck Subs: Wyn-Evans, Thorn