Fairford Town goalkeeper Ben Mitchell made three saves in a penalty shootout to help his club win the GFA Challenge Trophy in dramatic style last night.

The Hellenic League Premier Division club beat Hallen, of the Western League, 9-8 in the shootout after the game had finished goalless after 90 minutes.

“Ben was amazing,” said Fairford director of football Jody Bevan. “I always fancy us in a penalty shootout because I know he will save at least one.

“He’s been with the club for 12 or 13 years, he’s everything I love about football, I love having him at the club.

“He’s very loyal, he’s Mr Fairford.”

And while Mitchell was undoubtedly the star man, not everything went his way in the penalty shootout.

“He was one of three players who missed a penalty for us,” said Bevan. “He took the 11^th penalty and had just saved theirs, but he blazed it over the bar.”

Fortunately for Fairford it did not prove costly because soon after striker Charlie Holliday converted his second penalty, to spark wild celebrations among the Fairford faithful.

Fairford’s other penalties were converted by Dan-Lewis Bamana, Will Davidson, Henry Birkett, Elliot Lewis, Joah Hall, Charlie McRae and Josh Blyth and Bevan joked: “I think the penalties took longer than the game itself.”

And the game itself was tough going at times for Fairford against a team who were the runaway Western League Division One champions this season.

“They have had a fantastic season and have been playing all through April,” explained Bevan. “We haven’t played for four weeks so we weren’t match sharp.

“We had a depleted squad of 15, I wasn’t feeling confident. It was a very cagey game but I think a draw at the end of the 90 minutes was a fair result.”

Bevan has been with Fairford for eight years and this is the first silverware that the club have won in that time.

“I’m particularly pleased for the manager Jamie Reid and coaches Sam Farr and Lee Randall,” he said.