GOAL CRAZY ABBEY RETAIN YR 3/4 CROWN!

Seven teams lined up at Yardley 5’s on Wednesday afternoon for the Years 3 & 4 summer tournament and it would be Abbey’s again, repeating the victory of a year ago, this time scoring 34 goals along the way.

Each team was to play each other in a league format giving schools six, seven-minute games. The cup holders sat out the first set of fixtures which saw perennial challengers, Short Heath, Paget and Timberley all ease to opening wins.

The second set of matches saw Abbey kick off their campaign with a 6-0 win whilst Short Heath edged out Paget, 3-2 in an early boost to their tournament hopes. St Bernadette’s picked up a first win too, 1-0 against Hillstone.

Abbey continued to drive on in round three, this time 5-0. Paget returned to winning ways, nudging past Timberley, 1-0. SS Peter and Paul and Timberley played out a 1-1 draw.

Then came the heavyweight bout with Abbey and Short Heath locking horns and it didn’t disappoint. Heath raced into a 2-0 lead but Abbey pegged them back to earn a crucial point. The other games were more binary with Bernie’s ousting SSPP 1-0 and Paget doing likewise to Timberley.

Going into round five it was now clearly a three-horse race for the trophy with Abbey and Short Heath both enjoying 7-1 wins and Paget a 5-1 victory.

The penultimate set of games saw Abbey ease to a 9-0 win, massiveness boosting their goal difference whilst Short Heath saw of St Bernadette’s, 3-0. SSPP secured their first win of the day, 3-0 over Hillstone.

And so to the final act with Abbey and Short Heath both in with a chance of lifting the cup. Abbey faced Paget whilst Short Heath took on Timberley. Heath did their but, winning 7-0, but Abbey’s 4-1 win saw them pip Heath to the trophy courtesy of a superior goal difference.