We
began Round 4 with each team having played 3
games. They now had just two games each to stake
their claim for the Cup or the Plate competition
in the knock-out phase.
Ze'Argon
were currently in third position and leading
the way for the Plate qualification. They sat
5 points behind the top two – if they wanted
to qualify for the Cup they had to win their
final two games and hope one of those top two
teams lost both their final fixtures. They had
a chance as they were up against AFC Underworld
in this game. AFC Underworld also had Red Light
Runners to come so if the French could win this
match it was certainly game on.
The
other perspective was that AFC Underworld needed
just a draw in this game to confirm a minimum
of a second place finish. They would obviously
hope to win Group B and were level on points
(9) at the top with Red Light Runners, level
on goal difference (+11) but were second on
goals scored (1 less).
AFC
Underworld would go on to win this game but
they were made to work for it. Arturo Prieto
kept up his record of scoring one in every game
to make it 1-0 to the Spanish. Albert Catajal
Luaces then made it 2-0 with his first goal
of the tournament.
AFC
Underworld had the win to keep the pressure
on at the top. Ze'Argon were vulnerable to the
chasing pack in third.
The
next game on Campo B was Ze'Argon versus Jackson's
Five. Following the match between the top two
above, we now had the teams in third and fourth
meeting in direct competition.
The
two teams had identical records with 1 win, 1
draw and 2 defeats. Jackson's Five currently sat
in the higher league placing due to a -1 goal
difference compared with -3 for Ze'Argon.
A
win for either team would secure third position
for the victor. Defeat would leave the loser prone
to slipping into the Trophy to one of the teams
below (although very unlikely due to goal difference).
A draw would ensure both teams qualified for the
Plate with Jackson's Five securing third place.
There
was no suggestion of these teams playing for a
draw although that is what we got. Jackson's Five
had already scored one own goal today (v Red Light
Runners) and they were helping their opponents
out again as an own goal put Ze'Argon 1-0 up.
Mauro Hernandez scored twice in his last game
and he was on target again in this one to rescue
the situation for Jackson's Five. The game ended
1-1.
If
you'd picked the games in Round 5 for your Pools
coupon you would have been happy with two 1-1
draws so far. Would we get another here?
In
Round 5 we'd seen 1st v 2nd, then 3rd v 4th and
now we had 5th v 6th. Results above meant we already
knew the Cup and Plate places had been settled.
By default, this meant that the Trophy places
were already decided but we did not know in which
order the teams would finish.
At
the start of play both teams sat on 1 point but
it was The Funky Shepherds who were above their
opponents thanks to a better goal difference.
The men in Sweden shirts would go on to improve
that goal difference largely due to a Shane Pusey
double and a strike from Sam Lingham-Wood.. Those
goals put The Funky Shepherds 3-0 up before Fraser
Harker pulled one back to make it 3-1.
The
match finished 3-1 as The Funky Shepherds rounded
off a good finish to Group B. They took 4 points
from the last possible 6 on offer as they secured
fifth position.
