Saturday 20th January 2024, Kick-off 18.10
FA Inter League Cup Second Round
Meadowbank Stadium, Dorking
Admission: Free
Programme: Free
Attendance: 100 (estimate)
Following my earlier game at Cuckfield Rangers, I then made my way north westwards to Dorking for this evening game, to take in this very interesting looking game, representing leagues in which I have never watched any games.
Having parked up in the multi-storey car park virtually outside the ground, I was confronted with waves of people leaving the ground, having watched Dorking Wanderers' 1-0 home win against Gateshead, and so I went into town to get some fish and chips before entering the ground through the open gates, with no admussion charges for this game. All of the ground was open for this fixture, which had not noticeably changes since my last visit just over a year ago, apart from a few steps seem to have been added on the previously flat standing area behind the far end, and the black metallic stand next to the main stand has lost its rear wall. A pdf version of the programme was available to download prior to the game, and it was a very pleasant surprise that printed versions were freely available from a table inside the ground.
The FA Inter-League Cup is open to representative teams from all Step 7 leagues and those of an equivalent standard, and is making its return this season after a sabbatical of three seasons. This was an intriguing game for me, with the Amateur Football Combination, which is outside of the football pyramid and so is rarely on my radar to watch games in with facilities at their grounds usually being very basic. Similarly with the Arthurian League, which is made up of old boys of public schools. This fixture would be the Arthurian League's first ever game in the competition.
On a cool but dry evening, with quite a decent and enthusiastic crowd in support, this turned out to be something of a game of two halves, with the Amateur Football Combination in the ascendancy during the first half. And they took the lead on 15 minutes when an excellent jinking run from the right ended with the ball being drilled low past the keeper. In truth, they should have scored more than just the one, although the Arthurian League certainly had their chances too, and with the last kick of the game, a half volley whistled just over the bar.
The Arthurian League were a side transformed after the break though, ,and they dominated for long spells. They equalised on 72 minutes, when a corner was headed back across goal and an outstretched leg poked the ball home, and three minutes later, the turnaround was complete when a shot from the edge of the area took a deflection off a defender to send the ball into the net. The Amateur Football Combination did not really threaten to equalise, and if anything, the Arthurian League looked the more likely to score again, but in the end, two goals was indeed enough for Arthurian League to progress to the next round, where they will meet either Thames Valley Premier League or Dorset Premier League next month.
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