…….as the league team is representative of the strength of the competition and the FA Inter League Cup being a national competition it is the only opportunity to measure competition against competition in truly competitive circumstances.

I also went to run my eye over the contribution of our own players and I’m pleased to report that of the four players that started, Rundle, Hardie, Britnell and Bushay all distinguished themselves with Hardie picking up the official TVPL ‘Man of the Match’ award, which I for one felt (albeit with a certain bias) was well deserved alongside other notable performances. Joe Jarra who came on as sub to shore up the defence contributed positively to the victory also making it a positive day for both the league and United.

I also felt the narrow 3-2 victory didn't really reflect the balance of the game and had it not have been for two truly first class saves form the Spartan League ‘keeper then the scoreline may well have reflected the reality of the match, in my view.

Manager Karl Curtis (Reading YMCA) and Assistant Manager Matt Letts (Marlow United) arch rivals usually but good friends away from the fray can be pleased and contented with a powerful performance.

Carl Jenner 2 (Newbury Town) and James Hardie (Marlow United) scored the goals that saw the TVPL through to a Round of 16 tie away v the Cambridgeshire County League on Saturday 23 December.

The winners of this competition go on to represent England in the UEFA Regions Cup.

FA Inter League Cup Round of 32 results;
Northern Football Alliance W/O Lincolnshire League
Liverpool County Premier League 3 – 2 West Yorkshire Association
Chester & Wirral Football League 6 – 3 Cheshire League
AET (3 - 3 at the end of normal time)
York Football League 2 – 1 West Riding County Amateur League
Dorset Premier League 2 – 3 Kent County League
Guernsey County Senior League W/O Surrey Elite Intermediate
Thames Valley Premier League 3 – 2 Spartan South Midlands League
Northamptonshire Combination 1 – 2 Humber Premier League
Bedfordshire County League 6 – 4 Southern Amateur League
Isle of Man League 4 – 1 Peterborough & District League
Staffordshire County League 5 – 0 Lancashire Amateur League
Jersey Football Combination 3 – 2 Essex Olympian League
Somerset County League 3 – 3 Essex & Suffolk Border League
Essex & Suffolk Border League won 3-0 on penalties
Hampshire Premier League 1 – 2 Cambridgeshire County League
Anglian Combination 0 – 5 Amateur Football Combination

Round of 16 Full Draw

To be played Saturday 25 November
Bedfordshire County League v Amateur Football Combination

To be played Saturday 23 December
Isle of Man League v Liverpool County Premier League
Lincolnshire League v Staffordshire County League
Humber Premier League v Cumberland or North Riding League
Chester & Wirral Football League v York Football League
Jersey Football Combination v Kent County League
Essex & Suffolk Border League v Guernsey County Senior League
Cambridgeshire County League v Thames Valley Premier League

Next week United return to Scours Lane for a Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy tie while the reserves travel to Harchester Hawks for a Second Division encounter.