The Reds (Arthur Dalgleish’s team of little magicians – ‘Anglicans United‘): the league champions and cup holders representing All Saints Church, Sudbury.. Against them: the Blues (Icthus – the new kids on the block – brash and flamboyant), representing a number of churches from the Bury St Edmunds area. This was to be the fifth time these two sides would cross swords this season. However, you always sensed that this one was going to be the one that mattered.

A few weeks ago, Anglicans United had blooded Icthus’ nose by successfully defending their league title. In the early months of the championship race, it had seemed that Icthus were going to walk away with the league title. However, it was not to be as their inexperience was exposed by the Anglican’s team co-ordinator, the canny fox, Arthur Dalgleish. As the weeks and months went by, the Anglicans surely won all the key matches and in the end clinched the championship at a canter.

The cup final started with a bang and the champions were reeling inside five minutes. A clever through ball from Josh Stannard coming out of the Icthus defence, found James Martin out on the right. His menacing run and step over left the Anglicans defence flat footed. Martin struck his shot with such power and accuracy, that it seemed to catch Peter Kerruish in the Anglicans goal cold. Suddenly, it was 1-0 and the champions had it all to do. The reds looked shaky in those opening minutes and another couple of chances went begging, when it seemed a second goal was likely.

Slowly, as the game progressed, the Reds started to gain control in key areas of the field, but for once were finding it difficult to break down the resilient Icthus’ defence. Perhaps the Anglicans were missing their nippy forward Jack Robirosa, but somehow you sensed that tonight the Blues meant business.

Time went by and the minutes started to evaporate for the Anglicans. Suddenly, there was a breakthrough. A goalmouth scramble in the blues penalty area ensued. A shot was blocked, another thumped against the crossbar. Finally, the ball fell to the feet of the cool Chris Day, who drilled the ball into the Icthus net. It was 1-1 and memories came flooding back of last year’s final, where the Anglicans had trailed Sudbury Baptist for most of the game and, having scored a late equaliser, snatched victory through a penalty shoot out.

Before long, the whistle blew for the end of normal time. There was to be ten minutes of extra time, to see if these two teams could be separated.

As the floodlights came on and time ebbed away, the penalty shoot out, that nobody wanted, loomed. Suddenly, James Martin once more conjured another piece of magic. Spinning away from the red’s defence, he was clear and placed a precision shot, which seemed to take an eternity to pass the advancing Peter Kerruish, whose outstretched right hand tried in vain to prevent the ball nestling into the back of the Anglican’s net.

It was all over. 2-1 to Icthus and team captain Calum Macintyre was overjoyed to receive the trophy from the hands of Roger Pullan (representing Churches Together in Sudbury and District).

See the james first goal!

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