By Pup Supremo, Simon Groom
Contents:
1. Keegan Style Preparation
2. Group A: Inter Brasilica 0 England Pups 0
3. Group A: England Pups 2 Aberdeen 1
4. Group A: Italy 0 England Pups 0
5. Quarter Final: Holland 1 England Pups 1 (4-3 pens)
6. Play Off: England Pups 4 Ireland 3 (Golden Goal)
7. 5th/6th Play-off: Edinburgh 0 England Pups 2
KEEGAN STYLE PREPARATION
I'd done a Kevin Keegan and picked my opening team about a week before the tournament started. Due to a pre-tournament training session on the Friday afternoon however I decided to replace myself with the assured Fleming at left back. I'd already decided that 4-4-2 would be the way to go so this is what I stuck with. I also knew that we'd been drawn in the 'group of death' with clear victories looking hard to come by. I pinned my hopes on an opening game victory.
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GROUP A - INTER BRASILICA 0 ENGLAND PUPS 0
Unfortunately no victory materialised. The team was full of hard running but lacked shape. The introduction of Jon Clarke at half time added some balance to the team and we looked a lot better in the second half but our age-old problem of finding goals looked as if it was resurfacing. Buoyed by the thought that we hadn't lost and we couldn't possibly play any worse, I comforted myself with the thought that it could therefore only get better!
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GROUP A - ENGLAND PUPS 2 ABERDEEN 1
England Scorers: Taylor, Own Goal.
Next up were Aberdeen, who had earned a hard fought draw with the Italians in their opening game. Naturally I was concerned as Aberdeen were the Champions in Bordeaux and hadn't been beaten since they won it (admittedly they'd only played one game since, but it sounds impressive). Disaster was to strike in the opening minute as Aberdeen took the lead, an unfortunate own goal by Phill Hatton. This however seemed to be just the tonic that we needed and from here on in we looked like a football team. With Salisbury and Gautam constructing, and Taylor and Clarke flying down the wings, a chance had to come and it did. Thankfully Taylor assuredly buried it and the Pups were on their way.
With the Italians beating Brasilica, the Pups had to win. Our Defence was looking secure but we were struggling to get the crucial second goal. Fortunately for us the Scots decided to repay the OG and after a cross came in from the right hand side their big centre back powered an unstoppable header past his own keeper. Magic! Thereafter we played the game out in a very professional manner and got a deserved victory.
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GROUP A - ITALY 0 ENGLAND PUPS 0
The third and final group match was to be a tense affair. We knew that if Brasilica drew with Aberdeen then we could afford to lose to the Italians. We also knew that a draw with the Italians would definitely guarantee qualification. With the prospect of a Pups V Nippers quarter final (if they beat Manchester), we had to qualify!
Taking all this into account I decided on a tactical switch, moving to a 4-5-1, the idea being to swamp the midfield and stop the Italians over-running us. Well it almost paid instant dividends as Taylor got on to the end of a good move, only to see his shot go narrowly wide of the post. Chances were few and far between, and when the Italians did create an opening, Cookie pulled off a magnificent one handed save when the Italian centre forward looked certain to score. It even merited a compliment from a Lag (Arif Khan).
The second half was much the same as the first, with the Pups best chance coming from a 'training ground' free kick which almost caught the Italians napping. It was, however, cleared agonisingly off the line. The Italians, not be out done in the free kick stakes, promptly replied with one of their own. This was your old fashioned 'kick-it-as-hard-as-you-can' free kick. The Italians probably thought they'd scored when it left the strikers foot but there was to be no way past the man mountain that was Cookie. Somehow he got a hand to it and put it out for a corner. This was without doubt one of the finest saves you'll ever see in international football - Banks would have been proud.
We hung onto the end and got our draw, which qualified us in second place and promised a quarter final tie against the Dutch. All in all a fine Pup performance.
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QUARTER FINAL - HOLLAND 1 ENGLAND PUPS 1
England Scorer: Clarke.
(Holland win 4-3 on pens)
Everyone was in an upbeat mood as we'd beaten the Dutch last year, and with a potential semi against the Lags, we just had to win. Things started well with the Pups enjoying all the possession and we finally got our reward with Jon Clarke bagging his first of the tournament with an exquisite effort.
The game continued to be dominated by the Pups and a second goal surely had to come. Unfortunately the Dutch stamped some authority on the game in the second half, and as all good pundits will tell you, the good teams score when they're in the ascendancy. That's exactly what the Dutch did, though it was an extremely fortunate goal. A free kick was won out on the left. The ball was crossed in but it went deeper than everyone expected, including the Dutch free kick taker, and sailed unchallenged into the top corner. Arse.
From here on in, the Dutch played for penalties and got everyone behind the ball. Golden goal extra time came and went and even the reintroduction of Jon Clarke couldn't break the deadlock. This meant penalties and potential heartache for some unlucky player(s). That and a series of bad adverts promoting Pizza hut!
Luckily there were lots of volunteers, I selected five competent individuals and so it began. The Dutch score (0-1). First up for The Pups was Jeff Hatton. He looked very confident, but unluckily the goalkeeper parried his goal bound effort (still 0-1). Then Holland miss - the guy was distraught, we were cheering though (still 0-1). Up steps Dav Gautam - looked the part and didn't disappoint, with a low effort swept inside the right hand upright. (1-1). But the Dutch also score (1-2).
Up next was Jan Salisbury. This was without a doubt the greatest penalty ever taken in the history of world football. He steps up and blasts it onto the bar. The Dutch started cheering and their keeper walked away, slowly. However, the Football Gods were obviously enjoying this, so they made the ball come straight back down with enough spin that it rolled in the net. It was a goal that the Dutch were incensed about, but the ball never went out of play and in effect went in off the bar. Salisbury went from absolute despair, (he'd never missed a penalty before - I'm sure Abbott knows how he was feeling), to absolute joy. And after all that kerfuffle, it was back to 2-2.
But again the Orange shirt made no mistake (2-3). Next Pup up was Nigel Hoyland. He confidently struck home to the keepers left (3-3, with one penno left each). The fifth Dutchman misses horribly, hitting the food tent amid cries of "Stam, Stam, Stam". So it remains 3-3, and Phill Hatton had the chance to win it for the Pups. Tragically though, the keeper parried his shot, and it was on to sudden death.
This time the Dutch score their sixth spot-kick (3-4). Up steps Jon Clarke and hits the post. It's all over. A nation falls silent while another rejoices. It was sickening - all our good work for nothing. Well at least we could go out and get pissed on Saturday evening. A general consensus as to why we lost was that in the end we were made to play too many games in one day. The Dutch game was our 4th and only their 3rd - it just wasn't fair!!!!
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PLAY OFF - ENGLAND PUPS 4 IRELAND 3
England Scorers: Taylor (2, 1 pen), Badeshia, J.Hatton.
(England win on Golden Goal)
Next up for the Pups was the Irish after they were beaten by the Lags. We were confident, but then again, we were against the Dutch. This game actually turned out in my view to be the game of the tournament. The early exchanges were about even, with both teams creating chances. A goal would surely come. Indeed a goal did come, but it was the Irish who took a 1-0 lead. Pup spirits were still high at half time, but, sure enough, half way through the second half another goal materialises, and its 2-0 to the Irish.
Well with Jez Brown walking off the pitch to the tune of "I've had enough" it couldn't get any worse. Somehow though through all this adversity, Craig Taylor managed to conjure up a goal. Well at 2-1 down with minutes on the clock the tide had turned and was truly in our court. The Irish were reeling as the Pups surged forward and Jas Badeshia appeared from no where to power home an equaliser. At this point extra time loomed again, but there was to be another twist in the tale. Straight from the kick off the Irish cut through the heart of our defence. With Cook screaming at his defenders, who were obviously deaf, the Irish powered home their third and surely match winning goal. The referee however had other ideas.
The man in black, who was obviously enjoying this fine football spectacle, informed us we had about 30 seconds to score. Straight from the kick off everyone ploughed into the Irish - the result a corner. A great corner it turned out to be as well with everyone bar the goalkeeper in the Irish box. Jas Badeshia managed to get in a header which was flying into the top corner only to be punched away by a crazy Irish defender. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, and duly dismissed the offending Irish player. Up steps Craig Taylor and in goes the penalty, beautiful. Finally the whistle goes and it's extra time.
Anxious to avoid another penalty shoot-out and buoyed by our extra man advantage, we pulled the Irish apart. A great move down the right again led to an inviting cross along the six yard line, and with Jeff Hatton flying in, he looked certain to score. Unfortunately, he had his Gazza legs on, and somehow missed. Not to be out done by this though, he made amends just minutes later. After a bit of a scramble he forced home the Golden Goal. The Irish couldn't believe it and neither could we. A great game however. Football truly was the winner.
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FIFTH / SIXTH PLAY OFF - EDINBURGH 0 ENGLAND PUPS 2
England Scorers: Badeshia, Wood.
With the Irish disposed of, next up were the Scots in the form of Edinburgh. Two trophies at stake in this game so it was imperative that we win and go out on a high. Overall this was the Pups' best performance. We were solid at the back, creative in midfield and dangerous up front. Basically Edinburgh were no match for us and it didn't take long for Jas Badeshia to fire in his second of the tournament. There was no looking back now, and in the second half a period of intense pressure climaxed with the Pups scoring again through Tim Wood.
Edinburgh were out of sight. They just couldn't find their way through a back line of Groom, Travoto, Phill Hatton and Gow. With Badeshia and Taylor looking deadly up front and Clarke creating chance after chance, it was truly awe-inspiring. The final score of 2-0 was well deserved and I can only hope that we play as well as we did come the start of the League season.
Special thanks goes to all the players for making my job an easy task and Jez Brown for substituting himself when he felt like it.