Arthurian League - English Amateur Champions!

Match report by David Lederman
Photograph by Andy Nunn

​The Arthurian League Representative XI created their own small slice of history on Sunday afternoon when a goal from Old Forester Ben Hale nine minutes from the end of extra-time earned the Whites a 1-0 win over the West Yorkshire League in the final of the FA Inter League Cup at Lincoln City’s LNER Stadium. The victory, coming at the first attempt for the Arthurian League in this biennial competition, ensures that they will now go on to represent England in the UEFA Regions Cup in Finland this summer.
 
This victory was all the more remarkable given the rather extraordinary circumstances surrounding the Arthurians’ progress to the final. Having been defeated 2-0 by the Herts Senior County League in the semi-finals at Hendon FC in mid-March, manager Billy Jenkins and League Secretary Jon Hunter had assumed dreams of silverware had been dashed for the season, only for the FA to later discover that Herts had fielded an illegible player in the tie. With just over ten days to the final, the Arthurian League were reinstated and suddenly the management duo had to prepare a squad to travel north on the Bank Holiday weekend. Understandably, a number of players were unable to make the trip, with the entire contingent of Reptonians, this season’s League and Cup double winners, absent. Despite this, a strong squadron of sixteen met bright and early at Kings Cross station for the two-hour train journey north, followed by a short walk to the Lincoln stadium, a number of League officials and supporters in tow.
 
Conditions were perfect and, for almost the first time this year, a strong, warming sun greeted the players as they finally made their way out onto the pristine turf to warm up – the kick-off having been delayed by fifteen minutes due to West Yorkshire’s coach getting delayed in heavy traffic due to "Truckfest" on the way to the ground. Manager Billy Jenkins was able to rely on Brentwoods keeper Olly Bowles and a strong back four with young Sam Thomas on the right, Charlie Rolls on the left and the two Beddows brothers in the middle, Ant and Ashley. Skipper Pete Brooking returned to the midfield alongside Josh Banfield – fresh from completing the London Marathon in three hours – whilst the front four, shorn of the Arthurian League’s leading scorer Josh Riley, saw Etonian Gus Shaw-Stewart on the right, Jake Fetherston on the left and Craig Bonnar in behind Sam Fetherston up front. Five substitutes were named, including Foresters pair Ben Hale, who knew the ground well having spent three years at University in the city, and Tayo Felstead.
 
Given the lack of proper preparation for the game, and the number of players missing from the squad, it would have been easy for the Arthurian League side to consider themselves underdogs and fear a tricky start against a West Yorks side that had scored eight goals and conceded only two on their run to the final. Instead, however, the men in white settled quickly and dominated the opening twenty-five minutes’ action. Inside two minutes a swift move down the right freed Sam Fetherston and his pull back saw Craig Bonnar’s low shot across goal brilliantly saved by the Yorks keeper, who flung out his right leg to divert the effort wide of the post. The next chance arrived soon afterwards via a set-piece, Ash Beddows turning a corner back towards goal only for the ball to rebound back off the post.
 
The Yorkshire side eventually managed to compose themselves and enjoy a brief spell of possession but they soon found themselves under pressure once more, Jake Fetherston and Gus Shaw-Stewart dominating down the right and causing consistent problems for the over-worked Yorks left-back. Such was the dominance of the Arthurians at this stage that it forced a change in tactics from the opposition, with Yorkshire dropping deeper and content to play on the counter. The oceans of space down both flanks that Jake Fetherston and Shaw-Stewart had previously enjoyed were squeezed and the play became far more even, although a trio of bookings from the men in maroon highlighted which of the two teams was enduring the greater frustration.
 
The two Beddows brothers were now in the action and asked to tidy up a number of balls over the top but they did so with the minimum of fuss, keeper Olly Bowles with little to do in the opening half-hour. Sam Thomas, who enjoyed an almost faultless game at right-back, grew frustrated that play wasn’t being switched quicker across the back, but his defensive focus remained razor sharp as he covered behind the two centre halves superbly to clear a dangerous loose ball inside the Arthurian penalty area.
 
The final act of the first half saw the Yorkshire side build up play well and one of the two strikers turn adroitly on the edge of the box only to produce a weak final effort that was comfortably held by the Arthurians keeper. The half-time whistle signalled a familiar situation for the men in white, with the blank scoresheet failing to recognise the superiority of their play. In the quarter-finals against the Thames Valley League a 0-0 half-time score ended in a 1-0 win; in the semis against Herts County, two late goals produced a 2-0 defeat. Both times the Arthurians had been the better side, but the lack of a cutting edge was clear to see, an ounce more composure in the final third all that was lacking.
 
Manager Billy Jenkins rallied the troops at the break without changing any personnel – wary no doubt of the prospect of extra-time and the need to martial his resources carefully given the piercing sun and onset of fatigue that would surely arrive as the second half wore on. But once again the Arthurians made a fine start to the half, on the attack from the first whistle and carving out another chance as one low cross missed everyone inside the box before Sam Fetherston’s shot was deflected just wide.
 
This time the opposition recovered and the next ten minutes proved rather scrappy, neither side able to find their rhythm, the game devoid of goalmouth incident. But on the hour mark the first of several magnificent interventions from Brentwoods keeper Olly Bowles ensured that the score line remained blank. A swift counter saw the ball slipped between the two centre-halves, Ant Beddows momentarily appearing as if he was going to haul down the striker before thinking better of it. As the forward raced through a goal seemed certain, but Bowles narrowed the angle to perfection, stayed big and blocked the shot, only for the rebound to be turned back across the six yard box and somehow blasted over the bar with the goal gaping.
 
Billy Jenkins had seen enough and began to ring the changes with skipper Pete Brooking the first to make way, Henry Langley coming on in midfield in a bid to regain control of the ball. Five minutes later and Ben Hale came on for a tiring Sam Fetherston, who appeared exhausted but frustrated to be making way. The changes appeared to have the desired effect however, as the Arthurians began to regain the momentum and the side finished the match much the stronger of the two sides, despite the finishing touch continuing to elude them. Hale found himself clean through down the right but seemed caught in two minds whether to drive towards goal or cross for a teammate, in end doing neither and producing a tame chip straight into the keeper’s arms. Charlie Rolls then clipped a perfect ball over the top down the left that ended with Josh Banfield – who must have covered every blade of grass on the pitch twice over – clipping a shot inches wide of the far post. He tried something similar moments later but again the effort flew wide of the mark. Corners were forced, the keeper blocked one shot, a second was deflected just over the angle of post and bar. The Arthurians simply couldn’t find a way through. Just as in the first half, Yorkshire produced a late scare, Ant Beddows forced to back-pedal in a one-on-one situation but the experienced Carthusian did just enough to put the striker off and the final effort was mishit, the ball dribbling wide of goal.
 
Extra-time then followed, with both sides now permitted to make an extra change – something of a necessity given the shattered looks on the faces of most of the players as they gathered in the middle of the pitch to listen to some final words of encouragement from the coaching staff. Tayo Felstead replaced the tiring Gus Shaw-Stewart on the right for the Arthurians with Billy Jenkins keeping his final substitution in hand.
 
The first period of extra-time began with the best chance of the entire match falling to West Yorkshire. Yet again it was Brentwoods keeper Olly Bowles to the rescue for the Arthurians as he produced two outstanding saves in quick succession, spreading himself to block another one-on-one before somehow reacting to divert the follow up shot over the bar from point blank range as the ball was cut back across goal. The tension was almost unbearable, with even those on the sidelines now perspiring furiously as the sun continued to beat down. The Arthurians responded with a chance of their own, Banfield’s effort from the edge of the box well saved by the Yorks keeper down to his left.
 
With ten minutes remaining the Arthurian League made their final change of the game, Will Payne replacing an exhausted Sam Fetherston and the Harrow man looked lively from the off, nearly causing a mistake from the keeper as he challenged for a high ball which eventually ran loose inside the penalty area. It would prove a short-lived reprieve for the northerners. Moments later the Arthurian League produced a swift, incisive move down their right, Craig Bonnar exchanging passes and driving towards the byline before looking up and delivering a pinpoint cross beyond the keeper and into the path of the fast-arriving Ben Hale, who gleefully slid in to fire home from five yards out. The bench emptied and chaotic celebrations ensued.
 
The final eight minutes were seen out with relatively little fuss, the men in white managing to keep the opposition at arms’ length, despite having to defend a couple of corners in process. The final whistle signified a successful and remarkable end to a journey that had begun with a come-from-behind win over the Amateur Football Combination in the cold at Dorking Wanderers FC in late January and ended with a gruelling two-hour battle against a valiant West Yorkshire side in scorching sunshine at Lincoln City FC in May. Ant Beddows, a loyal and distinguished Rep Team servant over many seasons, was given the honour of accompanying Pete Brooking up to collect the magnificent trophy from the FA Representative and the celebrations could begin in earnest – all expertly captured, as ever, by the camera lens of Andy Nunn.
 
This was a superb effort from all involved at the Arthurian League and especially the sixteen players who gave their all in tough conditions on the day. The considerable reward, in addition to the trophy, is a trip to Finland as the official representatives of the English FA later this summer in the UEFA Regions Cup. England have been drawn in a group alongside the hosts, Portugal and Latvia with final dates of the tournament yet to be confirmed.
 
Many congratulations to all involved on a historic achievement.