The first half came and went with the two teams locked together at 0-0. With 10 clean sheets between them before this Plate Final you may well have predicted that. We were to get goals in the second half but still the teams could not be separated. Jonathan Croft put Alicounty 1-0 up and it was now 12 goals without reply for his team. It was quite some record that almost handed them the Plate Final. However, Thibault Kerouredan equalized at the death to make it 1-1 and take us to a penalty shoot-out.

L'Albiceleste would no doubt be confident about this. They had been involved in four penalty shoot-outs in our tournament….and won them all! As for Alicounty – they were English, penalty shoot-out defeats are in our DNA (or are they?). Hold on to your hats, this shoot-out was of epic proportions.

0-0, Antoine Loscul took the first penalty for L'Albiceleste and missed top right.

0-1, Richard Pilcher takes advantage and puts Alicounty 1-0 up.

1-1, Fateh Bekhouche scores bottom left to level it up at 1-1.

1-2, Mickael Martin gets a hand to Dom Di Maria's penalty but can't keep it out.

2-2, Mickael Martin takes the next pen himself and smashes it through Jon Croft.

2-2, Mike Meredith to win it for Alicounty but Mickael Martin makes a great save.

2-2, Still level as Thibault Kerouredan hits the post and the ball bounces clear.

2-2, Jamie Roberts to win it for Alicounty but goes high and wide to the left.

2-2, Cyrille Segalini has a chance to put L'Albiceleste ahead, Jonathan Croft saves.

2-2, Jonathan Croft to take himself to win the Plate. Mickael Martin's turn to save.

2-2, Antoine Loscul's second attempt – misses. Jonathan Croft makes a second save.

2-2, A fourth chance to win it. Dan Cooke strikes but Big Mick pushes it onto the bar.

2-2, Fateh Bekhouche hits the same post as Kerouredan earlier. Still 2-2!

2-2, Fifth chance to win it, Richard Pilcher v Mickael Martin. Goalkeeper saves!

2-2, Big Mick has scored 1 penalty and made 4 saves. Chance to increase his hero status but his thumping effort crashes back off the bar.

2-2, Dom Di Maria takes his second penalty and looks to have won it until Mickael Martin sticks out a strong left arm to push it clear. Amazing save. Arguably the best penalty save from all our 100+ tournaments.

3-2, Thibault Kerouredan goes top left to break the deadlock but Jonathan Croft was close to pushing it out.

3-3, Mike Meredith made amends for earlier miss hitting it to the right.

3-3, Remained 3-3 as Cyrille Segalini misses to the right.

4-3, Seventh chance to win it for Alicounty. Jamie Roberts left foot effort, Mickael Martin gets his hand to it but can't keep this one out.

What a win! Alicounty win despite Mickael Martin's heroics in goal for L'Albiceleste.

We'd like to thank L'Albiceleste for attending another tournament. As always they are first class on and off the pitch. We offer our commiserations for the penalty shoot-out but it was not to be this time.

For today though, we present you the 2019 Alicante Fives Tournament Plate Winners – Alicounty. It was a very hard-earned and worthy victory. It was great to see the lads on tour again and especially so for picking up some silverware.