Squad: Dhillon, Williamson, Williams, Petrie, Thomas, Finch, Kerby, Mason
The Colts were the ‘A’ team for this tournament and the first match was to be against Alcester, however, the team didn’t turn up and brakes were awarded a 2-0 victory and 3 points.
Game 2 was against a strong Ajax Colts team who pressurised from the off with Brakes pinned back in their own half for the majority of the game. Ajax had several shots go wide or over and despite their dominance rarely troubled the ‘keeper in the first half of the match. Petrie did collect well from a corner and Thomas, as last man, also did well to see the ball out or clear to safety before being substituted along with Williams late on. Their replacements, Williamson and Kerby continued the good defensive work but the team as a whole had little opportunity to attack until the very last minute of the game when an excellent shot from Finch was pushed away by the Ajax ‘Keeper and the follow up shot from Dhillon was cleared to safety. In the dying seconds Finch hit a shot from long range which just cleared the crossbar. The match finished scoreless and the point for Brakes equalled their best ever tournament result to date with three games still to play. Ajax later went through to the semi-finals which highlights just how good a result this was for Brakes.
Game 3 against Wolston Dynamos didn’t begin well. With only a minute played Brakes were a goal down due to poor marking and a lack of chasing back from the midfield. It wasn’t long before the scores were level though as Dhillon battled his way down the right and put a dangerous ball into the box for Williams to fire into the roof of the net with his left foot. The game ebbed and flowed with neither side gaining the upper hand and Petrie being called upon to make some crucial saves. A late spell of Brakes pressure, with a good midfield display from Finch and Mason, resulted in a good shot from Dhillon but Wolston managed to counter and, for the second time, a last ditch tackle by Thomas prevented a one on one with the ‘keeper. The final score of 1-1 was a fair result but there would not have been many complaints if Brakes had scored a winner as, overall, with their battling display and good chances they just shaded the match. This second draw meant that it was their best ever tournament performance and with the awarding of 3 points for the no show the unexpected opportunity to qualify for the semi-finals appeared. A win in their next match would virtually guarantee it.
Harbury immediately went on the attack from the kick off in game 4 and a dangerous cross from the left was put out for a corner. Another corner quickly followed and a powerful header from the Harbury striker was superbly saved by Petrie in a moment of pure goalkeeping instinct. Another attack by Harbury was foiled by the very quick chasing back of Finch who put the ball out for another corner. Harbury continued to apply pressure to the back pedalling brakes and another attack was blocked by a brave save at feet by the ‘keeper. It was only a matter of time before Harbury got the goal they had pressed so hard for and, after a number of missed Brakes tackles, they had the ball in the back of the net for 1-0. The second was not long in coming as substitute Thomas cleared a goal bound effort only to see it hit a defender and rebound into the net for 2-0. There was little that could be done about that one, it was just one of those things that happen in football sometimes. The last action of the game was a Brakes save from a high looping shot. Despite the loss, it was heartening to see that the Brakes shoulders didn’t drop and they carried on battling to the end.
The last game of the tournament was against Whitnash. Brakes started well knowing that a win was their only chance of progressing in the competition. The game was end to end but the lead was taken by Brakes as Dhillon fed the ball to Williams to fire home for 1-0. The advantage was short lived as a Whitnash attacker weaved his way through the static defence and equalised. A thundering drive from just inside the half way line looked to be heading for the top corner but was well saved. Whitnash made a number of chances but Brakes were on their toes and still fighting hard for a result, unfortunately Whitnash went ahead and despite their best efforts Brakes could not break them down and equalise. It was a valiant effort against a team who eventually went on to contest the final against Brakes ‘B’.
The team continues to improve in all areas and as the players become more familiar with each other there is no doubt that they will become difficult to beat next season.
Well done to the ‘B’ team who, after a 2-2 draw in the final with a last minute Brakes equaliser, went on to win 5-4 on penalties.
