St Albans School’s Under-18 football team retained the District Cup overcoming a dogged Verulam School side 2-1 at Clarence Park.

The victory was all the more remarkable in that it followed only 24-hours after the same St Albans School side narrowly missed out on winning the Under-18 National Independent Schools trophy, going down on penalties after extra time.

Both St Albans School and Verulam came close to scoring in the first half. St Albans found themselves through on goal in the 32nd minute only to be denied by the keeper.

Verulam similarly had their chances, the best coming just before half-time through a set-piece that was scrambled away on the goal line by a desperate St Albans defence.

The deadlock was broken seven minutes into the second half when a ball through the middle found its way to striker Ben Rose who calmly tucked it away into the left hand corner for his first goal of the season.

The side went two up in the 24th minute when a searching run down the left was rewarded with a cross and a goal from six-yards out, deftly finished by Freddie Scutt for his first senior goal of the campaign.

With a little over ten minutes to go, Verulam pulled one back in a bizarre goal that saw the defenders, the attackers and the goalkeeper all appear to misjudge a long through ball that somehow ended up in the back of the net. But the team held on claim a deserved win.

David Forbes-Whitehead, head of football at St Albans School, said: “It was a difficult game and many of my players were exhausted from their efforts only 24 hours earlier.

“My players showed great character in winning the St Albans and Harpenden District Cup, both in the way that they approached the game and in their determination to overcome a very determined Verulam team.

“The coach, Bill Wilson, and I are delighted with the result as a reflection of the strength of football at St Albans School. Many of our players will still be at the school next year, which bodes well for the future.”