Summer 7's: Final Group Stage see YCAC and BFC progress

Sunday August 22nd 2010 – YCAC.
YCFC showed once again that they are the team to beat in 7 a side competition as they took the honors in the fiercely contested Summer 7s tournament.
The defending champions met BFC in the first semi final. It was a cagey start to the game, both teams playing cautiously & no doubt trying to adapt to the searing heat. The deadlock was eventually broken when YCFC’s ever dependable talisman Anthony Savage volleyed the ball home after good build up play from Matt Wallace and Mikey Taw. This kicked started the game into life and both teams began to play more free flowing football. BFC then leveled the score, a fierce shot well saved by YCFC’s keeper Mark Harrison, but he wasn’t able to keep out Shosuke Yamagishi who slotted home to make it 1-1. The game soon became very competitive, the tackles were flying in and the referee was being kept very busy. YCFC managed to regain their advantage when Matt Wallace exquisitely slotted home from the tightest of angles. It was 2-1 at half time with all to play for. The second half continued as the first finished, very physical and at a frantic pace. YCFC’s two rocks at the back, Neil Shonard and Mike Butler were keeping the BFC forwards at bay and Matt Wallace then extended his team’s lead with another great finish to put his team into a commanding lead. BFC were now chasing the game and this left them vulnerable to counter attacks. They were soon made to pay for this as Savage threaded a ball down the line for Russ Philp who crossed it in for young Mikey Taw to crash and home and put the game beyond BFC’s reach. YCFC weren’t done there however as Ellis Mayor-Mattey scored the goal of the tournament, lobbing the keeper with a brilliant volley from within his own half to cap off a convincing 5-1 victory.
 
So a repeat of 2010 Charity 7s final as YC&AC took on YCFC in the most local of local derbies! YC&AC were extremely quick from the blocks and it looked early on that it would be an easy victory for the boys in Silver. Within 2 minutes they were one up when some slack marking from YCFC was ruthlessly punished by debutant YCAC striker with a superb turn and finish. YC&AC soon made it 2-0 further punishing their opposition’s slack marking,  young Taiki Rasmussen doubling the lead and at this point it looked like they were cruising to victory. YCFC finally began to play with some more conviction and began to pile on the pressure, Mikey taw creating all kinds of havoc for his opposing defenders. This pressure soon paid off as an Anthony Savage corner was converted by Mayor-Mattey with a beautifully placed header into the bottom left corner. 2-1, it was game on.
Into the second half and YCFC were pulling out all the stops to get back on level terms. Their efforts were rewarded when Mayor-Mattey was in the right place at the right time once again to make it 2-2 with a sweet finish. Unfortunately there was little time to celebrate as less then a minute later YC&AC took the lead again and made it 3-2, when a driving run and fizzing low shot  found the bottom corner putting the host team back in front. Time was running out and it looked like there would be a new name on the trophy when YCFC’s Neil Shonhard surged forward and hit the cross bar with a thunderous strike. It seemed that luck had run out for Tokyo’s cockney contingent. But not to be denied, YCFC made it 3-3 in the last minute of the game. Mike ‘Quinny’ Butler capped off a fine final performance, latching onto a long throw and bundling the ball home at the far post. There was less then 30 seconds to play, the Summer 7s final was to be decided on penalty kicks.
 

By Russ Philp.