Farcical end to a thrilling cup final as officials invesitage an alleged 'technical' breach of the rules

The Challenge Cup Trophy wasn't awarded.

Favourites Peterborough City duly won the Peterborough League Challenge Cup Final on Friday night….or did they?

Celebrations following a 4-3 win over FC Hampton at Deeping Rangers FC were cut short as League officials decided the cup couldn’t be presented due to what they called ‘a technicality.’

The League have now confirmed City have breached competition regulations.

A League spokesman said: “City had a player on the pitch who was not on the team sheet and the matter now has to go through a disciplinary process.”

This is in contravention of the following rule.

“The referee and a representative of the opposing club shall be informed of the names of the players taking part in the match (including the substitutes) not later than 15 minutes before the start of the competition match and a player not so named may not take part in that competition match.’

It’s understood the player missing from the City teamsheet was Thomas Lancaster who scored their third goal. There was no attempt at deception by City. It appears to have been an accidental oversight.

It was a disappointing end to what had been an exciting contest.

Underdogs FC Hampton, a Division Two side, took the lead in the early stages through a 20-yarder from Kris Kefford and maintained that lead until four minutes before the break, thanks to a couple of fine saves, before Finn Pritchard equalised for Division One City.

An own goal after City centre-back Will Hodgson had headed back across goal gave City a 48th minute lead, but within 10 minutes Lewis Arber – the teenage son of former Posh defender Mark Arber – equalised with a fine solo goal.

And then what turned out to be the game’s most controversial moment arrived. Lancaster, a substitute playing his last game for the club, headed home a corner to make it 3-2, but the match announcer had no record of him or his shirt number which presumably alerted league officials.

Another substitute Kieran Blanchard headed home for 4-2 before Ryan Burcham pulled a goal back for Hampton in added time.

That might not be the end of the drama though….