It's official: The OHAFC 1st XI now have the meanest defence in the whole of the Arthurian League!

After years of conceding 3,4 & 5 on regular occasions and last season letting in a shocking 59 goals in 18 Premier Division games, the Blues have turned things around in impressive fashion, to the extent that only one other team in the 58-team League comes close to matching their defensive record.

The side got off to an excellent start in September with three clean sheets in their first four games and only a solitary goal conceded - an 85th minute header from a corner at Aldenham.

The team then conceded a single goal in each of their next three League matches against Brentwood, Aldenham and Winchester - again mistakes and set-pieces the cause of all three. But since the Winchester strike in the first-half of the game on November 28th, the team have not let in a single goal - over four and a half games and counting.

The total of four goals in 11 games gives the side the lowest concession ratio in the League of 0.36. Only Division Five North leaders Bancroftians come close to that, with 4 goals in 9 games giving them a ratio of 0.44 goals per game.

Indeed, given the nature of amateur football, it is unsurprising that it is very rare for any side to complete their League season having conceded on average less than a goal a game.

In the last three seasons of Arthurian League football only five teams have managed the feat:

2012/13

• Lancing 1's conceded 13 goals in 18 games (0.72 per game)
• Malvern 2's conceded 12 in 14 games (0.86 per game)

2013/14

• Charterhouse 1's conceded 17 in 18 games (0.94 per game)

2014/15

• Charterhouse 1's conceded 15 in 18 games (0.83 per game)
• Charterhouse 2's conceded 12 in 18 games (0.67 per game)

This season, alongside the OHAFC 1st XI and Old Bancroftians, two other teams are currently under the goal per game ratio: Forest 1's have conceded 7 in 8 Premier Division games and Division Five South leaders Tonbridge 2's have let in 5 in 8 games.

The OHAFC 1st XI won the League in 2009/10 conceding just 17 goals in 16 League games but since then the side have conceded 40,28,47,36 & last season's embarrassing total of 59.

Such has been the defensive excellence of the side over the first eleven League games of the season that they could concede a single goal in each of their remaining seven fixtures and still set the League record for the fewest goals conceded in an 18-game season over the past four years.

The settled nature of the defence has undoubtedly been a major factor in this new-found stinginess, with Fraser McGuiness having missed a solitary game in goal and defenders Tass von Hirsch, Yunus Sert, Fred Milln and Jonny Lalude all having played the majority of games together.

The presence of skipper Ed Poulter in a holding role in front of the back four has given added protection to the defence, but even when playing a standard 4-4-2 formation, as in the past couple of fixtures, the side has been well-organised enough to keep the opposition out. Although Bradfield were unfortunate not to score on a couple of occasions a fortnight ago, Wellington were restricted to a single shot during the entire ninety minutes last weekend.

Seven League games remain for the side to try and set a new benchmark for lowest number of goals conceded, not just for the Club, but for the League as well.