Richard Luscombe THE annual U15’s Kinder+ Futsal cup was a massive success, with it being the first one ever to be run down in Cornwall. Hosted at Carn Brea Leisure Centre, the tournament saw six teams battle it out for the top spot.
A brilliant day of futsal was only possible thanks to the Post-16 Education Scholars based at Carn Brea, who helped officiate and run the day.
A great effort from every side in the tournament saw them all compete closely in the group stages. Pool Academy 1 and 2 started off strong with two wins in their first match against both of the Richard Lander sides. They then began to follow this up with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Helston Community College and a 3-1 triumph over Humphrey Davy School. After defeat to Pool Academy 2, Helston began to push on themselves, as they came up 4-1 victors against Richard Lander.
With there being three front runners for the semi finals there was only one space left to fill. Richard Lander 1 had a very closely contested game with Humphrey Davy, but a late goal from Lander saw them advance in to the next stages of the tournament.
The first semi final saw Pool Academy 1 face up against Helston Community College, with the home side wanting revenge for a recent loss on penalties to their opponents in the cup. With this in mind Pool Academy 1 pushed on early in to the game, they managed to get a quick goal in the process and took the lead in a fiercely contested semi final. Despite Helston bombarding their goal throughout the duration of the match, Pool Academy stayed strong and managed to see out the game to the finish.
The second semi final saw Pool Academy 2 take on Richard Lander 1, the home side again started quickly out of the blocks, but a massive ‘keeper error saw them go 1-0 down early on in to the game. The pressure was relentless though and Pool Academy 2 managed to grab a quick equaliser to level things up. They then began to take the game by the scruff of the neck, pummelling the Richard Lander goal with shots, which were emphatically saved by the Lander ‘keeper, although a late one-on-one opportunity saw the Pool Academy attacker slot the ball past past him to turn the game around. The game then sadly came to an end, creating an all Pool Academy final.
Wanting bragging rights over their mates, both Pool sides attempted to create opportunities to score early on. Pool Academy 2 took the lead though after a mistake from the 1st team defender was latched on to by the striker, who was able to cooly roll it into the net. Pool Academy 1 then began to pressure their opponents high up the pitch and managed to win an indirect free kick in the process. They capitalised on this, as the free kick was laid off for a thunderbolt of a goal from the 1st team player. Pool Academy 2 managed to ignore the great free kick and created numerous chances, all of which they managed to convert, giving them a 4-1 lead going into the final stages of the game. The referee then blew his whistle, making Pool Academy 2 the victors and seeing them advance to the regionals.
A massive congratulations needs to be given to all teams for their participation in the tournament. If you would like more information on the Kinder+ Sport programme, please contact Schools and Education Officer Will Snapes on will.snapes@pafc.co.uk or call 01752 562561 ext 4.
