Youths Capture Year 5 Trophy!
By Joe Perkins
Penalty shoot-out drama decides final as Yardley oust P&P.
After 47 games - and countless goals - a frantic and thoroughly entertaining evening ended with Yardley Youths taking back a first ESPSFA trophy to their Harvey Road base.
20 teams from 15 schools ranging from Pype Hayes to Hockley, Yardley to Digbeth, this Year 5 tournament was the biggest and most diverse since ESPSFA's inception, four years ago.
The group games came thick and fast and at the end of an exhilarating hour's football, St Bernadette's 'A', Paget, SS Peter and Paul, Rosary, Abbey, Audley 'B', Yardley and Timberley progressed to the quarter-finals. From the resulting ties, Paget, SS Peter and Paul, Abbey and Yardley emerged as semi-finalists. Two extremely tight and tense affairs ended with SS P&P pipping Paget, 2-1, and the Youths nudging past Abbey, 1-0.
The final was a pulsating, gripping affair. P&P took an early lead through a neatly dispatched penalty only to see their advantage nullified by the same 'Youth' that had conceded that earlier spot kick. With the game tied at 1 apiece as the final whistle blew, both sides rallied themselves for a trophy-defining penalty shoot-out. Best of 3 was agreed and it was the Youths who emerged as victors, winning the shoot-out 3-1 and their gaffer, Mr Walmsley, finally had his hands on an ESPSFA trophy.
20 teams from 15 schools ranging from Pype Hayes to Hockley, Yardley to Digbeth, this Year 5 tournament was the biggest and most diverse since ESPSFA's inception, four years ago.
The group games came thick and fast and at the end of an exhilarating hour's football, St Bernadette's 'A', Paget, SS Peter and Paul, Rosary, Abbey, Audley 'B', Yardley and Timberley progressed to the quarter-finals. From the resulting ties, Paget, SS Peter and Paul, Abbey and Yardley emerged as semi-finalists. Two extremely tight and tense affairs ended with SS P&P pipping Paget, 2-1, and the Youths nudging past Abbey, 1-0.
The final was a pulsating, gripping affair. P&P took an early lead through a neatly dispatched penalty only to see their advantage nullified by the same 'Youth' that had conceded that earlier spot kick. With the game tied at 1 apiece as the final whistle blew, both sides rallied themselves for a trophy-defining penalty shoot-out. Best of 3 was agreed and it was the Youths who emerged as victors, winning the shoot-out 3-1 and their gaffer, Mr Walmsley, finally had his hands on an ESPSFA trophy.
Where next?
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
ESPSFA would like to wish all its members and affiliates a very merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.
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