Arlesey crowned Zamaretto League champions!

Stuart Sinclair scored the only goal of the game to give the Blues victory over hosts and title rivals Hitchin Town in front of a bumper crowd.

It means Arlesey will be playing their football in the Southern League Premier next season - the highest level they have competed at during their 120 year history.

But the drama continued after the final whistle at Hitchin with unpleasant scenes as a trio of Arlesey players rushed to taunt home club officials.

Emotions were running high going into the game as Arlesey had been hit with a nine pont deduction by the league for fielding an illegible player.

The decision, made public after Saturday’s game, meant that previous title celebrations after a win at Hayes the previous Tuesday had to be forgotten. Arlesey now went into Monday’s final game of the season two points behind Hitchin, who therefore needed just a point to secure the title.

At the final whistle, amid scenes of jubliation as the majority of Arlesey players rushed towards their own fans to celebrate, three Blues players instead raced across to taunt and jeer Hitchin officials in the main stand, with the league hierarchy looking on. A fourth player taunted the massed ranks of Hitchin supporters behind one goal.

There were futher heated exchanges between a couple of supporters of the clubs in the stand - but the presentation to Arlesey went ahead without further incident.

It was an ugly end to a tense afternoon in front of more than 1,500 spectators - easily the highest in the league this season and the biggest crowd at Hitchin for 17 years.

Hitchin had the better of the cagey early exchanges and there was a fright for Arlesey when keeper Richard Hayward collided with his goalpost when defending a free kick. He was down for several minutes but thankfully was ok and conitnued.

Callum Donnelly and John Frendo put wide for Hitchin before Arlesey finally came into things, Joel Mason shooting wide after a spell of pressure.

Chris Marsh followed up with a header just over, and home keeper Martin Bennett had to be out quickly to thwart the onrushing Chris Dillon.

Tempers frayed shortly afterwards, Lee Allinson and Cameron Mawyer findig their way into the ref’s book alongside former Blues player Tony Fontanelle, and Louis Lee.

Arlesey had the best chance of the half, Ryan Frater’s long free kick almost deceiving the goalkeeper.

Goalless at the break, Arlesey knew they had to break the deadlock. However it was Hitchin who rallied and thought they had scored when Frendo’s header hit the back of the net, but the assistant referee had already flagged for a foul.

The arrival of substitute James Gray seemed to galvanise Arlesey and they piled on the pressure. Marsh headed over from a corner, and Gray somehow managed to fire over from just a yard out.

But on 70 minutes the pressure told. Sinclair cut in from the left hand side and after several touches he fired a low shot from the outside of the box to beat the keeper at the near post, prompting ecstatic scenes from the Blues fans behind that goal.

Hitchin now needed to score to take the title but the Arlesey defence held firm and indeed the visitors looked the more likely to score on the break.

However they had to survive one heartstopping moment when Hitchin’s Joshua Bickerstaff fired goalbound from 30 yards, and only the outstretched arm of Hayward knocked the ball on to the post.

The final minutes passed by agonisingly slowly but Arlesey held on to secure victory - and the league title.

For a full report, pictures and more reaction see Friday’s Biggleswade Chronicle.

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Arlesey Town: Hayward, Mawer, Perpetuini, Frater, Brown, Allinson (Gray 60), Deeney, Sinclair, Dillon (Price), Marsh, Mason (Abbey).