Garston United have achieved a remarkable double after winning their division by one point and securing the Intermediate Cup on penalties. Bob Manley’s side edged out Inter FC to win the league title thanks to their consistency throughout the season, which has seen them lose only two games all year. They then followed up their promotion with a nail-biting 9-8 penalty shootout victory over Grapevine Sports after the match finished two apiece.

Goalkeeper Steve Fabray was the hero, saving a penalty and then scoring the very next one to claim the cup for United. The double is a tremendous achievement for manager Manley, who will no doubt be looking at building a team capable of holding their own in the league’s first division. They have already played and beaten division one champions Langleybury Cricket Club this season, so there is no reason why they cannot go up with hopes of gaining further glory. The league title was sealed despite an indifferent month which saw United win only one of their three league games in April. A 4-3 defeat to Grapevine was followed by a valuable away point at Inter FC. A win against Balmoral Grove would be enough to hand United the title, and they didn’t disappoint, running out 4-2 winners and sealing the championship. If that wasn’t good enough, the cup victory was the icing on the cake as United got their revenge on Grapevine for the league defeat thanks to the dramatic cup victory. Manley could not contain his delight and was extremely proud of all of his players. He told My Garston: “It was a cracking final against Grapevine and the players deserve everything they have achieved this season. It has been a cracking end to the season and the character and commitment of my young side has been great. We look forward to next season with anticipation.”