Dover FC Boys Football crowned champions winning Division 3 ACSIS tournament at DCIS Campus
Dover FC Boys Football crowned champions winning Division 3 ACSIS tournament at DCIS Campus
A massive well done to the U9 Dover FC Boys Football team who were crowned champions by winning the Division 3 ACSIS tournament over the weekend here at the DCIS Campus!!
Despite the awful weather the tournament went ahead and all eight participating schools seemed to enjoy playing football in the mud.
Dover FC started the tournament off with a match against SAS. This was a tight game with both sides scoring then conceding goals directly after one another. With two minutes left on the clock and two goals for either side, Suburu hit a wonder kick in the top right corner and scored to end the game victorious.
Next the boys played GESS, a game where the tempo was slower and slightly more trouble free. The team displayed some great passing in this game and finished this match 4-0 up. With two wins under their belt, Dover FC started to ooze in confidence.
In match three, Dover FC were against AIS, a game where the team needed to display both strength and energy. The boys scored an early goal that trickled in over the line from a corner kick. However, AIS retaliated with a fast return goal. In the second half the boys had to battle for the ball, despite many of the players being exhausted. A few substitutes were quickly made which added some liveliness and the boys picked up the rhythm and scored, ending the game 2-1 and landing them in to the Semi- Finals.
The team waited patiently to see whom they would face in the Semi–Finals, with anxiety and tension beginning to show. Semi-Finals... Chatsworth!! Oh no, this is the team Dover FC have played friendly fixtures against previously and Chatsworth have always managed to win the games. Knowing this, Dover FC were the underdogs of the game and the boys required an in-depth team talk. Dover FC knew they could beat Chatsworth if they stuck to a game plan and marked their two top players. A quick goal gave us some extra reassurance but Chatsworth started to attack and the game became increasingly tense. The boys started to become careless in defense and gave away a goal. With heads starting to drop, the atmosphere from the parents picked up the tempo and the team knew that they had to keep going. They tried their best but couldn’t score, with the game ending 1-1. PENALTIES!
Having not had the opportunity to practice many penalties during training sessions, the Dover boys seemed quite confident in wanting to take them. Five penalty shooters were selected in order and off they began. After three successful penalties had been taken, Chatsworth stepped up next to take their fourth. As the ball was struck to the right, Alfie leapt up and managed to get his hands on the ball and tip it over the bar. Now Dover FC needed to score the final penalty and they would be through. Dover stepped up but with the terrible condition of the pitch, they slipped and the ball went wide! The shoot- out wasn’t over! The game got considerably intense and some parent’s couldn’t bear to watch, throwing their hands over their faces including Mr Johnson! Finn showed guts for his team as he lifted his hand to take the next penalty for the team. But first, Chatsworth were next to strike and as they did they missed with a straight shot safe in the hands of Dover’s keeper. No pressure now, only that Dover must score to get into the finals. Finn gazing at the goal and choosing his corner stepped up and hit the ball with force straight down the left hitting the net. The Dover boys had made it to the Finals! Hooray!
The Finals began and it was AIS again! With no changes made from the game against Chatsworth the Dover boys got into a huddle and gave some great words of fighting spirit!
The whistle was blown and the boys were straight on the ball putting pressure straight on the opposing side. A corner was the given to Dover and George quickly took it with AIS clearing it out straight towards Freddie who struck the ball with sheer power, 20 yards out, straight in the top corner. Goal of the tournament!!!
1-0 up and the Dover team kept their coolness, enjoying their football and scoring 3 more goals. The final whistle was eventually blown, jumping for joy, the team had won, 4-0! Champions!
It was now time to time to collect their well deserved Gold Medals presented by Head of Secondary School Mr Smith. What a great morning for the team.
The parents were also amazing and really supported the DCIS teams all the way throughout the tournament. Fabulous football, Dover FC!
Mr. Liam Johnson
PE Teacher
DCIS U9 Football Coach
