Success so Sweet for Chigwellians

Match report by GARY JACOB Times edition MON 08 APR 2002, Page 28

Old Chigwellians 2 Old Reptonians 0

OLD REPTONIANS were left to reflect on squandered chances and some fine goalkeeping from Andy Sweet as Old Chigwellians won the Arthur Dunn Cup for the first time in eight years. It was Chigwellians' sixth victory in one of the smallest and quintessentially English football competitions, which is for public schools' old boys. The first final in 1903 was watched by W. G. Grace. Peter May and Douglas Jardine, the former England cricket captains, have competed for a trophy that resembles a wedding cake.

With a stiff breeze and hard ground making conditions difficult at Imperial College Sports Ground in Cobham, Surrey, Reptonians displayed neat, considered passing. Chigwellians, who had lost a previous encounter this season, were more rugged and owed victory to two late goals.

Paul Landsman, who had already blazed over the bar, calmly lobbed Mark Smith after 81 minutes for the first. Seven minutes later, with Reptonians committed to attack, he burst through and, as he was challenged, the ball fell kindly for Jon Mahoney to slot it under the goalkeeper.

"It's been a tough season," Don Cathcart, the Chigwellians' captain, whose side missed a penalty, said. "We got our rewards without playing well. They gave us problems early on but after that I felt we were comfortable."

After a frantic, untidy opening, Richard Basnett, the one influential player, came closest to scoring but, clean through, pulled a shot wide. Basnett, a British Airways pilot who once played for Stafford Rangers, combined well with Richard Brownlee, who had Reptonians' best other chance, shooting straight at the goalkeeper. "We controlled the first half and if we had scored first we would have gone on to win comfortably," Basnett said.

OLD CHIGWELLIANS (4-4-2): A Sweet 8 - J Longman 7, L Mines 6, D Cathcart 7, J Gordon 6 - J Webber 6 (sub: O Compton, 69min 6), D Goddard 6, A Brandon 6, J Mahoney 7 (sub: T Compton, 89) - D Evans 7 (sub: M Whitzenfield, 57 6), P Landsman 7. Booked: Evans, Goddard.

OLD REPTONIANS (4-4-2): M Smith 6 - C Divall 6 (sub: M Stratton, 45 6), A Kington 6, N Sreezalsen 7, J Cockroft 6 - R Brownlee 8, N Rushton 6, F Craig 7, D Anderson 7 - R Basnett 8, A Merry 6. Substitutes not used: A Callander, J Webster. Referee: R Lewis 5.