On Saturday, our U9 football team took part in the Caterham Football Tournament, with eight schools competing for the trophy. We travelled with a talented squad made up of Year 3 and Year 4 boys and girls, excited to see how we would fare against some strong opposition. We were drawn in a group alongside Caterham, Russell House and Oakhyrst, with the top two teams progressing to the Cup competition. We could not have asked for a better start!
Our opening match against Caterham ended in a 1-0 victory, with Tino tapping home the winner. Next up was Russell House, and another excellent team performance saw us dominate the game and record a 2-0 win, with Matthew scoring both goals. Our final group match was against Oakhyrst, and this time the goals really started flying in! Evie and Henry scored twice each as we raced to an impressive 4-0 victory.
Three games, three wins and no goals conceded meant we topped our group and progressed to the Cup semi-final, where a very strong Surbiton side awaited us. The team continued to impress. Far from being intimidated by the challenge, we produced another fantastic performance to win 3-0. Evie added another two goals, while Clark unleashed a rocket to seal our place in the final.
Waiting for us there was a very strong Reigate St Mary’s team. The final was an incredibly tense affair. Despite Banstead creating the better chances, neither side could find a breakthrough and the game finished 0-0, meaning the tournament would be decided by penalties. Up stepped Evie, Clark and Matthew, who bravely took responsibility from the spot. Matthew had the added pressure of being our goalkeeper, but he rose magnificently to the occasion. He saved Reigate’s third penalty before smashing home the winning penalty himself, sparking brilliant celebrations from the whole team!
Caterham Tournament Champions
5 games | 5 wins | 12 goals scored | 0 goals conceded
What a fantastic achievement from the entire squad. To go through the whole tournament without conceding a single goal is a huge credit to the team, particularly Clark, Dylan and Jaimin, who were outstanding at the back. At the other end of the pitch, Matthew and Evie provided a constant goal threat, while our wing wizards Henry and Tino brought plenty of flair, energy and creativity. Most importantly, this was a genuine team performance, with everyone playing their part and representing the school superbly.
A fantastic achievement from a fantastic group of young footballers, and deservedly, the celebrations continued well into Monday morning’s form time!
