In north London (at Old Aloysians FC) at 12 pm on Saturday afternoon, there was a big cup final taking place, as step 8 non-League side (of the Middlesex County Football League) Apollo London, faced Amateur Football Combination side Clapham Old Xaverians, in the final of this season’s prestigious AFA Challenge Cup. Apollo London are currently in third place (after 17 matches played) in the Division One East & Central, of the Middlesex League. Clapham Old Xaverians started Saturday in 4th place in the Senior 2 South, of the Amateur Football Combination, but, with several games in hand over team above them in the table, they are still in with a real chance of winning their league/division, this season.

This season’s (2024/25) AFA Challenge Cup final was won 4-2 by Clapham Old Xaverians.

Starting at an incredible intensity, Clapham Old Xaverians would score two goals during the very early stages of this cup final. In the first minute or so of the game, Joseph Hart’s flicked header from a long throw-in in to the Apollo penalty area, would find Aren Stephens, who headed the ball into the goal from relatively close range, with good power on the header, 0-1.

Straight after play had resumed, and impressive Clapham Old Xaverians player Tim Addow-Hinds, would get to a pass on the left flank, before going forward with the ball and then whipping a fine cross towards the back post of the Apollo goal. From there and after meeting the ball, Joseph Hart’s excellent looping header went in to the top right-hand corner of the goal, 0-2. After that absolutely outstanding start from the south London club, Apollo London would start to find their feet, and in less than eight minutes of the game being played, the third goal of this final was scored. Apollo London managed to get a goal back, courtesy of a clever move, which saw Albion Begaj get to a good short pass, down the left-hand side of the Clapham Old Xaverians box. And, Albion Begaj would finish well into the goal, beyond Sam Cockwell, 1-2. A couple of minutes later, Apollo captain Efstathios Prenga’s low curling free-kick (from 25 yards out) on the Clapham Old Xaverians’ goal, was pushed behind by Sam Cockwell.

Shortly after a long Clapham Old Xaverians throw in, to the back post of the Apollo goal, which was just deflected over the goal following a header, Clapham Old Xaverians would regain their two goal cushion. A free-kick which had been awarded to Clapham Old Xaverians, on the left-hand side of the pitch, and which was taken by Ashley Snadden, would be excellently delivered to the back post of the Apollo goal. Ashley Snadden’s ball into the box, was finished home on the stretch, and on the volley, by Dominic Taggart, 1-3. It was turning in to a really good cup final, and both sides were continuing to make good runs of the ball in forward areas, making sure to be direct with the ball on a good number of occasions, as well. A couple of minutes after Louie Keable’s lofted ball over the top of the Apollo defence, had found the run of Andre La Rosa, down the right-hand side of the Apollo penalty area, with La Rosa hitting a powerful effort narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post, Apollo would get another goal.

Apollo London’s second goal of the afternoon, once again came courtesy of a clever move. And this time Donaldo Ndoj would play a well weighted through-ball pass, to find the run of Filippos Taliouras, on the right-hand side of the opposition team’s box. With a bit of time and space, Filippos Taliouras would finish low into the goal, with a good side-footed effort, 2-3. The latter stages of the first half saw Apollo have a good spell in the game, which was undoubtedly their best of the first half. Just before half-time and after Filippos Taliouras had latched on to a lofted ball in behind the Clapham Old Xaverians defence, Taliouras would, under pressure from a sliding defender, hit an effort over the goal. Early on in the second half, it was James Branwood’s Clapham Old Xaverians side who would start the second half the better of the two sides. A couple of moments after Aren Stephens had headed a powerful effort wide of the Apollo goal, following a good whipped cross into their penalty area by Tim Addow-Hinds, Clapham Old Xaverians were awarded a free-kick in a promising position. However, Tim Addow-Hinds’ curling effort on goal, from the edge of the Apollo box, was gathered by Sidhant Nayar, in the Apollo goal.

As the second half progressed, Clapham Old Xaverians came closer to scoring an important fourth goal of the final, and they managed to do just that, following some good perseverance from their top goalscorer this season, in Aren Stephens. The Clapham Old Xaverians’ number nine was alert in the final third, and after an Apollo player had lost the ball on the edge of his penalty area, Stephens was quick to the loose ball, managing to get ahead of a defender. Aren Stephens would then take the ball into the box, with his first effort being saved by Sidhant Nayar, but on the follow-up, he would finish low into the goal, from quite a difficult angle, 2-4. Clapham Old Xaverians would now have to defend well, as Apollo came forward in numbers, as they tried to get back into the game.

During the latter stages of this final Apollo London would create a couple of fine chances. And soon after Albion Begaj had hit an effort narrowly over the Clapham Old Xaverians goal, from the left-hand side of their penalty area, Apollo would go very close to getting their third goal of the game. Albion Begaj was again involved in the final third, and after the ball had been worked to him inside the centre of the penalty area, his low effort on goal (he was slightly off balance, and under pressure), was excellently parried by Sam Cockwell, before the ball came to Filipe De Sousa Gaitano Alcamtara, whose effort went over the goal. Very late on in the game and following a Clapham Old Xaverians free-kick, which had been cleared to Ashley Snadden, the midfielder would hit an effort powerfully wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, on the follow-up. The referee would sound his full-time whistle soon after.

Many congratulations must go to the winners of this season’s AFA Challenge Cup, Clapham Old Xaverians, who managed this final really well, and James Branwood’s side played this game at great intensity, and they were very well organised throughout the final, against a really good Apollo London side. However, I thought that this was a much deserved win in the final for such an inform side, in Clapham Old Xaverians, who really impressed me yesterday. They also had some really good variety to their play. Regarding my player of the match award, there were many contenders on the day. However, in what was a very close decision, between the excellent and highly influential Ashley Snadden, and Aren Stephens, I’m going to award Aren Stephens as my overall player of the match. The forward did some really good work in the final third, and he scored two hugely important goals on the day. I thought that Apollo London’s player of the match was the impressive Albion Begaj.

Lennan Branagan