Cambridge University 1-1 Arthurian League

Grange Road, February 12^th 2008, 7.15pm KO

The Arthurian League Representative side played its second match of the season in Cambridge following an opening 3-0 win over the London Legal League under the stewardship of George Wilson (Forest). Sadly, with a knee injury forcing the striker out of action for a considerable period of time, management duties for the traditionally tricky trip north were handed to former Rep team secretary David Lederman (Harrow).

A squad of 13 was selected although there were plenty of last-minute changes due to the disappointing withdrawal of a number of Charterhouse and Brentwood players, whose teams faced each other in a vital League fixture four days after the Cambridge game. Andy Finch (Ampleforth) and Billy Jenkins (Forest) both made their Rep team debuts, with former Cambridge players Gordon Baker (Winchester) and Nick Warner (Harrow) back on familiar ground.

A late arrival by the Arthurian League side saw the kick-off put back a quarter of an hour and left little time for the side`s preparation - something that showed as from the kick-off they were pushed onto the back foot by an eager Cambridge team. Although James Butcher (Lancing) was rarely called upon in goal, French (Forest), Baker, Poulter and Bourke (both Harrow) had to be alert at the back.

Having weathered the early pressure however, the visitors soon began to get into the game with the central midfield duo of Quentin Baker (Harrow) and Rob Marshall (Forest) particularly impressive. Against a well-drilled but physically weaker Cambridge team, the Arthurian duo soon made their presence felt and began dominating possession. Compton (Chigwell) and Finch looked lively up front and it wasn`t long before they were testing the home team`s goalkeeper.

Several half-chances were created: Gordon Baker came up from the back and fired narrowly over with a fine effort, Lederman twice volleyed on the turn with one effort well tipped over by the `keeper and Warner was unlucky not to create more when given several good crossing opportunities.

The best chance of all came from the penalty spot however after fine play from the Arthurians saw Quentin Baker flick on a long pass forward only for Compton to be brought crashing down inside the box when clean through on goal - a certain penalty. Unfortunately, Lederman chose a bad moment to miss his first ever penalty for the Rep team, seeing his effort well saved by the hosts `keeper.

Despite this slip the visitors continued to press and after a magnificent pass from Marshall had earned the visitors a corner, Lederman picked out Gordon Baker who thumped home a header from fifteen yards out to give the Reds a deserved lead.

Comfortable for the next ten minutes, the visitors looked to extend their lead and continued to play some decent football at times. However the home side gradually began to find their rhythm again in the lead-up to the break and soon began to trouble the Reds defence once again.

Several misunderstandings at the back didn`t help the Arthurian side, Butcher being called upon to make one fine save from a close-range shot. But Cambridge`s equaliser arrived five minutes before half-time and there was little the visitors could do to prevent it: a fine move down the Cambridge right allowed the winger to provide a low cross along the six-yard box where a combination of players sliding in bundled the ball into the net.

With the sides level at the break, the introduction of Hoffen (Harrow) and Jenkins (Forest) saw the Arthurians change things around for the second half, with the hitherto excellent Quentin Baker taking a breather.

Sadly, injuries were to have a profound effect on the team`s performance after half-time with Gordon Baker limping off twenty minutes in and Oli Compton struggling throughout with a groin injury.

The Reds struggled to pick up the tempo and for the first twenty minutes were very much on the back foot. Once again however, credit to the Arthurian league defence, who through a combination of good positional play and determination managed to keep the students to a minimum of clear-cut chances. Warner and Finch joined Poulter at the back, with Rob Marshall dropping back when Baker limped off. All four were excellent in repelling the Cambridge attacks.

Sadly, it was just as the visitors began to get back into the game on with around twenty minutes remaining, that conditions deteriorated and what had been a fine mist turned into a fog thick enough to prevent players from seeing from one side of the pitch to the other. The referee called the captains together and explained that he had little choice but to call the game to a halt.

It was a disappointing end to what had been a closely-fought encounter, the draw a fair result with the visitors having the better of the first half but outplayed when a combination of injuries and changing personnel left them with a fairly hastily arranged eleven in the second half.

Great credit should go to the players who travelled, it is to be hoped in the future that more players will make themselves available to George Wilson - with a full-strength team it is highly likely the Arthurians would have won this game.

Arthurian League (4-4-2): James Butcher (Lancing); Billy French (Forest), Gordon Baker (Winchester), Ed Poulter (Harrow), Piers Bourke (Harrow); Nick Warner (Harrow); Quentin Baker (Harrow), Rob Marshall (Forest), David Lederman (Harrow); Oli Compton (Chigwell), Andy Finch (Ampleforth)

Subs: Rupert Hoffen (Harrow), Billy Jenkins (Forest)