Plate Semi-Final time and things were getting interesting. First up was Gosham Rangers versus Dickie Dogs.

As we mentioned at the end of the Quarter-Finals, all the winners emerged from Group B so we would have two repeat matches in the Semi-Finals. Gosham Rangers met Dickie Dogs all the way back in Game 11 of Group B. It resulted in a 2-0 win for Dickie Dogs. A repeat would see them reach another Plate Final.

Dickie Dogs reached the Plate Final at both the 2014 and 2017 Mallorca Tournaments. Here in the Algarve in 2015, they were eliminated after the group phase so this was already their best Algarve performance. Was a third Plate Final in 5 tournaments in the offing?

It was Dickie Dogs who took the lead with Justin Lebbon giving his team a 1-0 first half-lead. A special note for Justin Lebbon who had flown into Europe from Canada for the tournament and I am sure his team-mates will say it was worth it for that crucial goal. At half-time the Dickie Dogs retained that lead.

Into the second half and Gosham Rangers needed a goal from somewhere to take this into penalties at least. It was now 3 and a half games since they had conceded. As much as Gosham Rangers tried they were unable to breach the Dickie Dogs defence. Justin Lebbon's goal and fourth successive clean sheet for Dickie Dogs meant they would go through to the Plate Final.

The second Semi-Final was an encounter between Mavericks and Water Boy.

Both of these teams had reach a Plate Semi-Final in our Veterans tournament before and both had lost. Mavericks missed out 1-0 to Crabtree Ambers at the 2016 Lisbon edition of the event. Water Boy went even closer securing a 1-1 draw with Norton Old Boys before leaving us on penalties at the 2015 Algarve edition of the event. For one of these teams, their luck would change.

If we were looking to get a guide on how this game might go then we would need only look back to the group phase this morning when Water Boy emerged victorious 1-0 between the two teams. We expected a tight low-scoring contest as both teams had been defensively sound today. Water Boy had only conceded 3 in 7, Mavericks 4 in 7. Goals were therefore likely to be priceless.

In fact, just one goal would settle it. Cometh the hour, cometh the man and that man was Pedro Lamy. He was in fine form in front of goal scoring for the fourth consecutive game. His goal would send Water Boy into the Plate Final. Mavericks day, on the field at least, had come to an end.