Arthurian League

Arthur Dunn Cup 1st Round

Saturday 26th October 2024

Kick Off 10.30 On Time!

Old Cholmeleians 3 Old Merchant Taylors 2, attendance 23

20’ 0-1

22’ 1-1

39’ 2-1

46’ 3-1

77’ 3-2

@ Highgate School

Bishopswood Road

Highgate

London

N6 4NY

No Admission or Programme.

The Arthur Dunn Cup offers a rare opportunity to visit the proper home grounds of the host teams, rather than the normal random venues dotted around London that they play their league matches at. I managed to park right opposite the entrance to Highgate School in Bishopswood Road. On entering, the football pitch is in the far right hand corner, running lengthways (parallel with Bishopswood Road) away from you, with the far goal backing onto Hampstead Lane. The players get changed in the main cricket pavilion (there is a small one behind the far goal too) which is to the left, on the far side of the cricket pitch from the football and toilets were available in here.

With the early kick off, it meant ample time to head to a second game, even allowing for the possibility of extra time and penalties being needed. On paper, that didn’t look like being a problem, as this was Premier Division versus Division 2, although it only just went in favour of the hosts. OMT volleyed in from close range to take the lead after twenty minutes, but Cholmeleians levelled within two minutes and then hit the crossbar a minute later, before taking the lead six minutes before halftime. When they made it 3-1 a minute into the second half, sliding in to finish at the near post, it looked like job done, but OMT still looked dangerous and made for an edgy finish, when they pulled it back to 3-2 with thirteen minutes left, with an angled shot into the far corner.

With the game finished by around 12.15, I was able to stick to my preferred afternoon match, heading north to Cambridgeshire, where I’d hopefully be completing the top division of the Cambridgeshire County League.