The nerves were jangling in huge anticipation as our boys arrived at Millfield on 23rd November for the IAPS U11 Football Tournament.
In the group stage we faced Hawthorns, Royal Russell and Mill Hill & Belmont.
Our first game was against local rivals Hawthorns. It was a nervy affair with both sides showing the pressure of the occasion. The game ended 0-0 with both sides having few chances and a draw being a fair result.
Second up was a repeat of a fixture from our ISFA qualification against Royal Russell, with The New Beacon looking to put right an unlucky result in that tournament. We certainly did. It was a very physical game with both sets of boys not taking a step back. Our boys stood up to the challenge, maintaining their discipline and coming through with a tight 1-0 win and Zidan scoring the winner.
In our final group game, we faced strong title contenders, Mill Hill & Belmont. The game ended 0-0 with The New Beacon having the better of the chances. Qualification for the knock-out stage was complete with 5 points from 3 group games.
Our Quarter Final opponents were tournament favourites, Swanbourne House. With 3 academy players in the opposing side, it was set to be a really tough game. However, our boys were focused and determined from the very start, dominating with great physicality and some wonderful football. We came out comfortable 4-1 winners thanks to goals from Zidan, Arthur, Ethan and Ollie. Ashwin also made a great penalty save, only for the rebound to be scored. A simply fantastic performance.
Possibly a little jaded from our exertions in the quarters, we faced another strong team in Danes Hill in the semi-final. We produced a strong first half performance and were in the ascendancy in the early stages of the second. After failing to score with a great chance, we were unfortunate to concede a late goal from a set piece. This left very little time after the restart and despite some late pressure, we were unable to equalise. A tough one to take in a game with very little between two good sides.
In our 3rd/4th playoff the squad was rotated, the boys had really given it all. In truth, we looked physically, but more emotionally spent, after putting so much into the previous 5 matches. Despite missing a glorious opportunity to take a 1-0 lead, the boys battled hard but eventually went down 2-0 to Mill Hill & Beaumont, our earlier opponents from the group stage.
After reflecting on all the if’s and but’s 24 hours later, I can honestly say I couldn’t be any prouder of each and every boy in our squad. Well done to everyone!
Mr Young
