Sunday brought more heavy rain & enough wind to blow down Jon's new gazebo which he bought in order to keep us dry, luckily, unlike at St Nicks last weekend, there was a handy pavilion selling hot food & drinks in which to seek some respite between matches. Our squad of 10 players Andrew, Romi, Maddy, Jacob, Ben J, Ollie D, Jon, Kiran, Henry M & Hamish looked like they were going to have a tough time getting through the group stage when we looked at the 20 teams entered including the likes of Bitton, Sonics, Forest Green, Yate, Ashley Down, Hallen, Downend, Ashton Boys & of course 4 teams from Rockleaze.
Match 1 - We started with a tough opener against Downend A & were unlucky to go a goal behind, however with time running out we showed great determination to create a number of chances & deservedly equalised when Ben J won a race to the ball to poke it past their on-rushing keeper. Final score 1-1.
Match 2 - Next we played local rivals Bishop Road & dominated for large parts of the game, however it seemed that we could end up frustrated as the chances weren't going in. Finally though their perseverance paid off when a corner from Hamish was headed in at the near post by Ben J. Final score 1-0.
Match 3 - Golden Hill Sonics had pulled out so we had a bit of extra time to dry off & peruse the sweet stall in the pavilion.
Match 4 - With the rain still lashing down we went into our last group match on the same points as Downend who had already finished, however they had scored 3 more goals than us. We therefore needed a point or, if we were to lose, score at least 4 goals to give us a better "goals scored" total. Standing in our way were the hosts, & probably favourites, Rockleaze Rangers A. As we have done so often in the past the whole squad rose to challenge, working extremely hard for each other, keeping their shape & discipline & tackling everything Andrew, who unselfishly went in goal for the whole tournament, made some fantastic saves resulting in a fantastic 0-0 draw!
Quarter Final - As runners up in Group A we faced another highly fancied team, & the winners of Group B, Bitton A in the Qtr Finals. We knew that the games were only going to get harder but by this time the squad knew that if they worked hard & played as a team then anything was possible. And so it proved as we got stuck in straight from the kick-off & never gave them a chance to settle. As Bitton got more frustrated so chances came our way, Hamish broke clear on the left hand side & managed to keep ahead of their chasing defenders to slot the ball past the keeper. Final score 1-0.
Semi Final - Our Semi Final draw presented a rematch against Rockleaze B who had beaten us a week earlier at St Nicks. Another tight match, hard fought in all areas of the pitch with chances presenting themselves for both teams. Kiran had a chance to put us in front & at the other end of the pitch Maddy & Romi worked together to stiffle many attacks with Andrew again keeping us in the match when they broke through. As the full time whistle went it was still 0-0 which meant we were into extra time. This continued in much the same vein as before the break with the growing, & increasingly vocal (well done Jo!), contingent of Foxes supporters ensuring that the players energy levels didn't drop. It was all getting very tense with the threat of penalties looming when Ben J pressurised one of the Rockleaze players in to a mistake, broke away with the ball & gave the keeper no chance. A couple more minutes remained but we kept their composure & discipline to ensure we reached our second final of the tournament season.
The Final - A rematch of our last group match against hosts & favourites Rockleaze A. The squad were overjoyed to be in the final but kept their feet on the ground, confident that if they carried on with the same disciplined & determined approach they were more than capable of lifting the trophy. It turned out to be another very competitive match with chances at both ends, unfortunately it came down to a single goal with went to Rockleaze. Final score - 0-1.
Although obviously disappointed not to have won, the overall feeling was one of pride in themselves, their team mates & their performance from start to finish. They were also extremely gracious & generous in defeat, congratulating each of the Rockleaze A team & were a credit to the Yr6 parents, the WP Foxes club & themselves. Special thanks to Jacob, Jon & Henry who, despite having limited opportunities to play, didn't complain & played their part by supporting those on the pitch.
It's fantastic that a relatively small group of school friends in a club with an inclusive approach, could develop over a period of 7 years to a point where in their final year out of 4 tournaments their record stands as:
Clifton - Semi-final, lost by a single goal in extra time
Thornbury - Final, lost on penalties
Rockleaze - Final, lost by a single goal
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