The
first of the Plate Quarter-Finals saw CSF Porto
take on the Rolling Circus. The CSF boasted the
better record in the group stage and would come
into this game as favourites. The first half began
fairly even with neither side looking like making
the breakthrough. When the breakthrough came the
pendulum came with it and swung the game in favour
of CSF Porto big style. Not long before the break
Thomas Mottram broke the deadlock with Sean Jones
adding a second shortly after. 2-0 at the break
and the job was effectively done against a tiring
Rolling Circus. It was fairly one-way traffic
in the second half when Oz Zamora added a third
after a shocking defensive mix-up before Sean
Jones second of the game meant the lead was unassailable.
The final word went to Stuart Barnes though with
a consolation goal but CSF Porto went through
as worthy winners.
Feltham
Garrison FC versus Top Gun & Weasel was the
second quarter final and they were playing for
the right to meet CSF Porto in the semi-finals.
Top Gun & Weasel had generally been tight
at the back but struggled to score goals so far.
They seemed to find their scoring touch in this
game with Sven Alexis in particular as his double
strike earned a 2-1 half time lead. Steve Cornwell
scored the goal for Feltham Garrison that kept
their team in the hunt. At 2-1 nothing was decided
in this game and with a competitive Feltham Garrison
side they would have to battle to see this match
through. The next goal in this game was going
to be crucial. Alas for Feltham Garrison it was
not the equaliser as Will Monelle scored and ensured
a semi-final spot for the Top Gun & Weasel
squad.
The
third quarter-final was Ireland versus Portugal
in the shape of Lucky Leprechauns versus Olhanense.
Lucky Leprechauns had started the competition
brightly with two wins but this was followed by
two successive defeats so the Leprechauns would
need to regain their early tournament form. Olhanense
were the 0-0 specialists with 3 out of their 4
games ending with this scoreline. The last thing
the Leprechauns wanted was to fall behind and
give themselves an uphill battle. That's what
they did though as Andri Jaiguts scored Olhanense's
second goal of the tournament. In the 2nd half
the Leprechauns broke through this mean defence
to put the ball past Wilson Brito thanks to the
boot of Brendan Boyce but Mario Sousa's second
of the tournament decided matters to put the Portuguese
through 2-1.
The
final quarter-final was to be contested by Amigos
da Loira versus Jim Belch FC. In this game we
saw the first hat-trick of the knock-out phase
as Anderson Nielo beat Jim Belch keeper Richard
Faulknall three times. Rarely does a team score
a hat-trick and lose and it was not to be the
case in this match either. Dave Henning did score
for Jim Belch FC but it was only a consolation
and Jim Belch FC's tournament was over. Amigos
da Loira marched on to meet Olhanense.