OWFC Derrick Moore Veterans Plate Final, 23-24

Derrick Moore Veterans Plate Final, 23-24
Sunday 22nd September 2024

In a rescheduled final against Old Foresters Veterans, Old Wykehamist Veterans held on to claim an historic win.

Old Foresters Veterans 0 - 1  Old Wykehamists Veterans

Old Wykehamist Vets travelled away to Old Foresters Vets for the Derrick Moore Veterans Plate final. The original fixture had been rained off at short notice in late April and a neutral pitch at Merchant Taylors' School was not available for this rescheduled contest. Old Foresters offered to host and, consequently, OWs faced a trip to the edges of Epping Forest, historically not one of their happy hunting grounds.

The hosts looked an organised outfit: bothering to conduct their warm-up routine to the side of the pitch and posing for the pre-match team photo with the front row synchronised, left knee down. All ominous stuff. Indeed they started strongly, passing the ball well and repeatedly getting their dangerous No. 10 into the game. OWs couldn’t keep hold of the ball and attack after attack bore down on their goal. A stupendous Wakiwaka sliding tackle denied a clear chance. Two Foresters shots went narrowly wide and another was almost turned in as an own goal. Then, around the half-hour mark, OWs scored. A long goal kick was flicked on and John Wilson, making his Vets debut and having run off a crunching hit earlier in the game, played a one-two and buried a shot from the edge of the box. Jubilation for the OWs who now had their moment in the final but it had been very much against the run of play.

At half time OWs were delighted to have a lead but were lamenting their inability to bring the game under any sort of control. There was also debate whether to stick or twist; the fullbacks stuck, the wingers twisted, and Baker took it upon himself to see out the 90 minutes in goal. ‘Let’s pass the ball, lads’ was the message and so they did as the start of the second half saw a much-improved OW performance. They even strung together a move of upwards of ten passes, a feat that would have been all the more impressive if an incredulous OW hadn’t announced it as a record.

And as the game went on, confidence grew. The defence was now well organised, being marshalled superbly by the pairing of Day and Wakiwaka. The midfield was tirelessly tracking runners and offering options. Up top, the trio of Jacobs, McGrandle and Hewitson rotated to offer an outlet and a threat on the break. Foresters were left to attempt wayward shots from distance and high crosses that the commanding Baker plucked out of the air with authority. Down the other end OWs should really have killed the game off with a huge double chance: Vernon firing at the keeper and Wilson doing the same with the follow up. But Foresters would surely have one more chance and so they did: this a free kick, quite central, just outside the box. The strike was true and bending beautifully into the bottom left corner until Baker, at full stretch, clawed it out for a corner when the ball was almost behind him.

Minutes later the final whistle went and OWs had claimed their first silverware in generations. The team had played superbly to a man. 

Cup run:
QF: 25/02: walkover v Lancing Old Boys Vets 
SF: 17/03: Old Harrovians Vets (a), 3-2
Final: 28/04: rained off 
Reschedule final: 22/09: Old Foresters Vets (a) 1-0