The Year 3’s brought the latest instalment of the primary school football tournament series at Tanbridge tonight and it was Leechpool A who took the top prize with a victory against Shelley in the final, on penalties after the match ended scoreless at the end of normal time.
The 10 teams were split into two initial pools. Leechpool A ended up winners of Pool A with three wins that followed a tentative 0-0 opener against Heron Way. Northolmes were the surprise package in the group with three wins before falling to Leechpool in their last game.
Pool B ended up close at both its top and bottom ends. At the top Southwater A opened with two confident wins before Shelley brought them down to earth in a big way with a 3-0 mauling. Shelley looked odds on to qualify as winners but proceeded to lose its last match against a Kingslea team that also finished with three wins and a loss. So goal difference required to split the triumvirate with Shelley topping that sub-table, Kingslea taking second and Southwater A being squeezed out of the top tier of the Phase 2 play-offs.
A single goal for Leechpool A saw off Kingslea in one semi whilst in the other a late Shelley equalizer forced a penalties decider against Northolmes which was won by the former. All led to the tight, penalty-decided final between Leechpool A and Shelley.
Kingslea took third place by beating Northolmes 2-0. Southwater A took fifth by letting their B team know who is boss Heron Way swept aside St Mary’s Pulborough for seventh and a single Leechpool B goal saw off Castlewood for ninth.
RESULTS
| PITCH 1 | PITCH 2 | PITCH 3 | PITCH 4 |
| PHASE 1 | |||
| POOL A | POOL B | ||
4.04-4.17 | Leechpool A 0 v 0 Heron Way | Castlewood 0 v 4 Northolmes
| Shelley 4 v 0 Leechpool B | Pulborough 0 v 3 Kingslea |
4.19-4.32 | Heron Way 2 v 1 Castlewood | Northolmes 1 v 0 Southwater B
| Leechpool B 0 v 0 Pulborough | Kingslea 0 v 1 Southwater A |
4.34-4.47 | Southwater B 1 v 0 Heron Way | Castlewood 0 v 4 Leechpool A
| Southwater A 3 v 0 Leechpool B | Pulborough 0 v 2 Shelley |
4.49-5.02 | Leechpool A 1 v 0 Southwater B | Heron Way 1 v 2 Northolmes
| Shelley 3 v 0 Southwater A | Leechpool B 0 v 3 Kingslea |
5.04-5.17 | Northolmes 0 v 2 Leechpool A | Southwater B 2 v 0 Castlewood
| Kingslea 1 v 0 Shelley | Southwater A 5 v 1 Pulborough |
| POSITIONS 1. Leechpool A – 18pts 2. Northolmes – 16 3. Southwater B – 12 4. Heron Way – 11 5. Castlewood – 5 | POSITIONS 1. Shelley – 16pts (GD 9-1 = +8) 2. Kingslea – 16 (GD 7-1 = +6) 3. Southwater A – 16 (GD 9-4 = +5) 4. Pulborough – 6 (GD1-10 = -9) 5. Leechpool B – 6 (GD 0-10 = -10) | ||
| PHASE 2 | |||
5.22-5.35 | MATCH 1 1st Pool A v 2nd Pool B Leechpool A 1 v 0 Kingslea | MATCH 2 2nd Pool A v 1st Pool B Northolmes 1 v 1 Shelley Shelley win on penalties | FIFTH PLACE 3rd Pool A v 3rd Pool B Southwater B 0 v 3 Southwater A | SEVENTH PLACE 4th Pool A v 4th Pool B Heron Way 3 v 0 Pulborough |
5.37-5.50 | THIRD PLACE Loser M1 v Loser M2 Kingslea 2 v 0 Northolmes | FINAL Winner M1 v Winner M2 Leechpool A 0 v 0 Shelley Leechpool A win on penalties | NINTH PLACE 5th Pool A v 5th Pool B Castlewood 0 v 1 Leechpool B |
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5pts win, 3 draw, 1 for defeat. Bonus point if lose but get 50% or more of opponent’s winning score