Orton hit the heights with a stunning treble

And in this the latest Beacon Sunday league flashback feature we reflect on one glorious season that well and truly put Orton Vale on the local football map as giantkillers, writes Dave McLean.

For a club that was formed in the late seventies by founder member Nigel Bowen enjoying a long, successful spell competing in local Sunday morning football, it was not until 2008 that the Orton Vale name first joined the Beacon Sunday afternoon ranks.

With the squad comprising predominately Wombourne based players, including brothers Simon and Shaun Baugh, sons of team boss Gary Baugh.

After coming through junior football, the Beacon newcomers started life in the third tier (division two) playing home fixtures at the local Brickbridge Playing Fields.

And, it was very much a case of finding their feet at this level for Orton Vale who finished fifth and seventh in their opening two seasons.

At the end of the 2010/11 campaign Orton Vale had slipped to a tenth place league finish, but that same season saw them excel in the divisional cup and the club, now run by the trio of Ben Woodall, Ben Walters and Ian Nicholls, turned the corner big time!

Despite their lowly league finish Orton Vale battled through to the final of the Clinton Cup and went on to chalk up a major shock, hitting back from 2-0 down to defeat champions Wednesbury Athletic 4-3 after extra-time NOT 4-2.

In what proved a thrilling affair, Athletic appeared to be comfortable with a two goal lead at half time.

But Orton stormed back to level matters through Chris Bourne and Simon Baugh and send the tie to extra time, before Baugh notched his second of the game and Ben Watkins wrapped things up to seal a remarkable comeback.

"That was very much the turning point for us," said Woodall, who is now secretary of Orton Vale veterans side who rejoined the Beacon ranks last season to compete in the inaugural over 30s section.

"That victory over Wednesbury gave us a bit of belief and after attracting two or three new players we enjoyed our most successful season (for 2011/12), said Woodall.

Orton turned round their league fortunes big time by taking the division two title and hitting no fewer than 101 goals.

They took the crown by two points from Heath Town United and then completed a divisional double by retaining the Clinton Cup with a narrow 1-0 win over BNJS Harriers thanks to a second half Watkins strike.

But the best was still to come for the Wombourne outfit as they went on that same season to lift the Lester Charity Cup with one of the league's biggest cup shocks over firm favourites, premier champions Locks FC, and so complete an impressive treble.

Goals in each half from Matt Dudley and Graham Shaw (23 goals that term) made it a truly memorable day (and season) for Orton Vale, who had previously beaten another top flight club, Shere Punjab 1-0 in the last four of the Lester Cup.

"Nobody fancied us in the final, but we had had a tough route to the final and we were up for it," said Woodall. " It was a big scalp for us and, as you can Imagine, the celebrations went on for some time."

And there was further good news for Woodall and Orton Vale that season as the former picked up the Secretary of the Year award from the Beacon league committee.

Such was Orton Vale's success story that campaign the club were promoted straight to the premier division for the commencement of the 2012/13 season, winning as many as they lost to finish in mid-table.

There was no return the following season for Orton Vale, but five years on (2018) saw some of the same club players take up the challenge in the inaugural over 30s section and in this term's first full fixture list they had only lost one in seven matches - before lockdown!

Words and pictures courtesy of Dave McLean and Simon Cater