GROUP A
SWALLOWS 1 - 0 CHERRY HINTON
LIONS
Burwell Swallows U12 took 7 boys to Soham for this tournament and came
back as Cup Winners following an extremely exciting
competition. Two groups of 4 teams played out for
a place
in
the semi-finals. Swallows first game was a tough
tie
against
Cherry Hinton Lions, Niall Kelly hit the all important goal to get the
boys off to a flyer, Swallows dominated the game with some tidy
football.
SWALLOWS 1 - 0
BOTTISHAM
Another great and convincing win saw the boys beat Bottisham 1-0, Will
Strathdee and Tom Bedford-Carrick working hard and Joe Brennan solid in
goal. A shot from out wide was deflected into the
box and
Chris Martin was on hand to volley the ball
home.
SWALLOWS 1 - 1
WATERBEACH
Swallows made sure of finishing as group winners with a hard fought
battle against a resilient Waterbeach side. Swallows went 1-0 up, but
Waterbeach equalised late on for a share of the
spoils.
Ross
Anderson did well in goal, making a brave save late in the game to keep
Swallows in it.
Semi-Final
SWALLOWS 1 - 1 FULBOURN FALCONS
aet
, (Swallows won 3-0 on penalty shoot
out)
This was a great game of football which, once again, was dominated by
the Swallows. However, it was Fulbourn that took
the
lead,
Swallows had several chances to get back in the game, but the luck
seemed to against us. There was just seconds remaining when goalie, Joe
Brennan pumped the ball forward, and it made it's way to the top corner
of the net, for 1-1 and extra time. Simon
Nicholson put
in
another steady performance, as the whole team, played as a team, and
where absolutely determined to make it to the
final. So
it
was that it all came down to a penalty shoot out, something all the
Swallows parents dread as we have so often gone out this way in
tournaments in the past (in fact, I don't think we have ever won
one. Up stepped the Fulbourn striker, who took
about a
twenty
yard run up, but hero of the day, Joe Brennan saved to give Swallows a
great lift. Niall Kelly blasted his penalty in to the net, before
Brennan made another magnificent save. Chris
Martin then
smashed his penalty in, and, you've guessed it, Joe Brennan made it 3
out of 3 saves to give Will Strathdee the chance to put the boys
through to the final, he made no mistake with a well placed bullet from
the spot.
Final
SWALLOWS 3 - 2 WATERBEACH
(AET)
A very physical battle ensued as a strong Waterbeach side, using a
direct approach mixed it up with Swallows neater and more controlled
football. All seven boys played their hearts out
in this
game, but sadly Waterbeach took the lead with a ball pumped up the full
length of the pitch to the striker who spent the game standing on our
keepers toes, he deflected the ball in for a well taken header. The
boys came out in the second half extremely highly sprung and began to
give as good as they got. But despite, once
again, having
many chances, it looked like we were going to fall at the final
hurdle. With literally 15 left seconds on the
clock, the
boys
worked the ball in to the oppositions box and Ross Anderson was first
to react to the loose ball, poking it home, for 1-1 and
extra-time.
The three minutes of extra time began, Chris Martin hit a great strike
to give Swallows the lead, and then Niall Kelly hit a cracker for a 3-1
lead. Waterbeach grabbed one late on, but it was
Swallows
who
held out as the referee seemed to refuse to blow the final
whistle. Late on Joe Brennan came out to meet the
Waterbeach
striker at full pace, both boys clattered into each other as Brennan
did enough to force the shot wide. After an
eternity the
final whistle blew and SWALLOWS WERE TOURNAMENT WINNERS
!!!!!!!
Finally, well done to Soham United Football Club, for putting on such a
well organised and friendly footballing
day.