Results
 

ABC United (Rom)

6

V

0

Budapest Celtic Lions (Hun)

Luminy Wolves (Fra)

2

v

3

Budapest Celtic Tigers (Hun)

 

We were at the 2012 Budapest Fives Cup Semi-Final stage and from 18 teams who started the day we were down to the final 4.

 

Our 2009 Barca Fives Cup winners were up first up against our 2011 Budapest Fives Runners-Up. It was Luminy Wolves versus Budapest Celtic Tigers and this game, in our opinion, would be game of the tournament.

 

Cillian O Donoghue had scored a brace in the Quarter-Finals and he was on the goalscoring trail again with not one but two goals either side of half-time in this Semi-Final. A 2-0 lead in such an important game is priceless and they were in a very healthy position.

 

It was an uphill task now for the Luminy Wolves to remain in this competition. For long periods of the second half it looked as if it wasn't going to be their year as Budapest Celtic Tigers were looking fairly comfortable although absorbing pressure. The ball then broke to Mohamed-Mehdi Yousfi who stroked the ball home with the outside of his right boot into the bottom right hand corner and it was game on.

 

Luminy Wolves were visibly lifted and rejuvenated but time was running out. Then Naim Tarbi struck a sensational effort into the top corner at ferocious pace which took everyone by surprise – from nowhere it was 2-2. The momentum was with the French, looking for their 2nd eurofootballfives.com title, and they pushed forward in search of a winner. I think most spectators thought they would go onto win it maybe even including some of the Tigers. Luminy Wolves clearly didn't want penalties and were looking to take advantage of their ascendency with the goalkeeper even joining the play as they searched for a third goal.

 

Going in search of the winner though left the Luminy Wolves vulnerable to the counter attack and the Tigers in the dying seconds broke and took full advantage of this as Michael Globits made it 3-2 to Budapest Celtic Tigers. It was a killer blow that deflated the French. Having worked so hard to get back into the game they were suddenly behind again and this time they would not recover! It was farewell to Luminy Wolves who had played superbly once again but the wait for another title would continue.

 
 
 

So, who would take their place in the Final from the second Semi-Final? The two teams set to do battle were ABC United against Budapest Celtic Lions. Could it be a Budapest Celtic derby in the Final? It could but it would not be easy as ABC United were favourites.

 

In the Quarter-Final the Romanian team had stepped up the pace with a 7-0 win over Exeter Gently and they were on fire again in the Semi-Final. Budapest Celtic Lions like most teams in this tournament (or any eurofootballfives.com tournament for that matter) had no answer to the skill and pace of ABC United. The men in yellow were a joy to watch unless you were on the receiving end.

 

Mihai Mihalache opened the scoring with his 5th goal of the tournament. Bogdan Dragos made it 2-0 and it was going to need a huge response from the Lions to recover this situation as Paul Stegarescu had not yet conceded a goal in the tournament. Robert Florin Matei then made it 3-0 and it was a comprehensive performance. Ciprian Mozacu scored for 4-0 and Mariam Silviu Boiesan added a fifth – then the half-time whistle blew to give the Lions some respite.

 

The second half was calmer with just the one further goal (scored by Traian Iomut Alecu) to complete the scoring in a 6-0 victory. The day was over for the Lions and all eyes would be on their Tigers team to see if they could stop the ABC United juggernaut!

 
 
 
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