Easter 7s Football Tournament

Vigo's attempts to retain the trophy they won last year eventually came to nothing, but it certainly was not for the want of trying. On a cold, wet Saturday, the team took to the pitch in their first game against Rosherville. Kicking downhill in the first half, we were evenly matched with our opponents, and the 0-0 half time score was a fair reflection on the game. The game continued in a similar vein in the second half until, a minute before full time, Rosherville's only real attempt on goal led to the only goal of the game.

With two of the five teams qualifying for the semi-finals, we knew that we still had every opportunity to progress, so the players were doubly determined as they lined up against New Ash Green. This time, the match was played on the 'big pitch', and it certainly took its toll on both sets of players who covered a tremendous amount of ground. A couple of chances fell to each team, but we were indebted to George who pulled off an excellent save to keep the scores level, and Luke who put in a very solid performance in defence.

Last year, Vigo had played, and beaten, St Botolph's in the semi-final, this year both teams knew that a victory against the other would give them a very strong chance of progressing. Back to the sloping pitch, and once again Vigo kicked downhill in the first half, and once again, the defences held sway. The second half saw a very high standard of football - St Botolph's moving the ball around rapidly, Vigo countering, with Mitchell and Ciaran putting in outstanding performances. However, it was St Botolph's who came closest - a header from a corner was tipped onto the bar by George, bouncing down on the line and away from danger.

Vigo's final match was against Kings Farm - we knew that only victory would give us a chance of progressing. This time, we had the benefit of playing on the flat, good-sized pitch, and it certainly brought the best out of our players. A break from Adam on the right wing led to a chance for Oliver which just went over the bar, and excellent work by Jake kept the pressure on the King's Farm defence. It was more good work from Adam that led to our goal - a pass to Danny gave him enough time and space to hit the ball home from the edge of the box. Determined defence from the whole team kept Kings Farm's chances to a minimum, and the final whistle was greeted with euphoria and relief.

As we had guessed, scores from other matches meant that we just missed out on qualification for the semi-finals - however our third placing was a definite achievement. If we had turned one of the draws into wins, or drawn the game we lost...

Many congratulations to the team - the year 6s amongst them finished on a high note, and all should be very proud of their efforts. Many thanks to the (rather wet) parents who supported the team so well, and to all the parents and carers who have helped out this year.