As the 2017 Budapest Fives Quarter-Finals were about to get underway we were down to the elite 8 teams in the tournament with the England (x4), Hungary (x3) and Ireland all represented. We had a very strong line-up.

We started on Pitch A with Red Light Runners versus Missing Magpies. It was the winners of Group A versus the best 3rd placed finishers. On paper, this may look like a straight-forward proposition but on this occasion it was more complicated. Missing Magpies, despite finishing 3rd, picked up 10 points in the group phase and lead the group right up until the final round of games.

Red Light Runners were the stand out team in the morning group phase. They lead the way with 14 goals which was 5 more than anyone else and double the tally of the third highest scoring team so far. They also had the best goal difference of any of the teams (double the second best team), had the highest points tally of any team and were unbeaten. It was going to be some performance to knock out the Irish challengers.

Sadly for Missing Magpies, Red Light Runners carried their group form into this Quarter-Final and pretty much had the tie sewn up by the break. They lead 3-0 at half-time and then 5-0 at full-time. Ian Ward bagged a hat-trick and Stephen Doherty a brace as they ensured safe passage to the Semi-Finals.

Missing Magpies had started the day so well with 10 points out of 12 but they had tough games at the end of the group and that slip to third dealt them an unfavourable draw in the QF. A strong day's performance overall though.

Quarter-Final three was Meglepetes versus Paralytic Athletic. Meglepetes were the defending champions and had emerged from the group phase as Group C champions. They recorded 11 points (3 wins, 2 draws) with 7 goals scored and just 1 defeated. This promised to be a really close match as Paralytic Athletic also scored 11 points but finished second on goal difference in Group B. They had scored 5 goals for the concession of just 1.

As well as undefeated records in today's tournament both teams had 100% records in eurofootballfives.com competition. Meglepetes had a success of 4 wins out of 4 (2 x Plate, 2 x Cup – all at the Budapest Fives). Paralytic Athletic have less experience but just as much success – they are 1 from 1 with a 1-0 win over Spider Man 1s at the 2016 Amsterdam Fives Cup Quarter-Finals. One of those records would obviously go here.

It was a very even game and we reached half-time at 1-1. Peter Hegedus for Meglepetes and Philip Robinson for Parayltic Athletic. In the second period an own goal put the English team ahead but just as it looked like the OG could be the winner then Peter Hegedus popped up to make it 2-2. We would need penalties to decide this one.

Paralytic Athletic would shoot first and Jack Estcourt was the man on the spot. He sent the keeper the wrong way but Balint Kokas's trailing leg saved the day. Norber Savronh was up first for the Hungarian team. He fired it low and hard for 1-0. Alexander Wood was up next for Paralytic Athletic and he put it in exactly the same spot as Savronh with equal success, 1-1.

Balazs Billein had scored 5 goals today and he was up next to restore the Meglepetes lead. His spot-kick crashed off the bar and away to safety – we were level again. Jack Veness was the man to walk forward next. Like Paralytic's first penalty, Kokas got his legs to the ball but this time he couldn't keep out Veness's penalty and the ball ricocheted in to give the English team a potentially decisive lead. Mate Palmai had to score for Meglepetes to take the penalties into sudden death. He couldn't as Joe Walker became the hero in the Paralytic goal. He made the save that put Paralytic Athletic into the Semi-Finals.

The final Quarter-Final was Budapest Celtic Hoops versus Spider Mans & eagle. Budapest Celtic Hoops had qualified as 2nd placed in Group A and were the sole representatives of Celtic in the Cup from the triumvirate of teams who started the day. Budapest Celtic had been bridesmaids on 3 occassions with Runner-Up finishes (2011, 2012 & 2016) – could the Hoops be the brides in 2017?

Spider Mans & Majestic Eagle qualified as the 2 nd placed team in Group C and actually had a better record than their opponents in the group phase. They had 10 points to Celtic's 8. They had each scored 7 goals but the Eagles' defence had been superior – just the 2 conceded to Celtic's 5. The last time Spider Mans & Eagle played a Quarter-Final in Budapest (2015 Budapest Fives) they won 5-0. Budapest Celtic Hoops beware!

It was Spider Mans & Majestic Eagle who struck first when Nick McIntosh scored the opening goal of the game. It was his sixth strike of the day and sixteenth in just two eurofootballfives.com tournaments. If Spider Mans & Majestic Eagle could maintain their strong defensive record they could be en route to another Cup Semi-Final.

Budapest Celtic Hoops were back in it after the break though – Alberto Segantini pulling the home team level. The game was turned on its head when Levente Kovacs Lengyel put the Hoops ahead. Spider Mans & Majestic Eagle were unable to respond with a second goal of their own and, alas for them, they were out.

We had to say farewell to Spider Mans & Eagle for today and we thank them for their continued support of our tournaments. We shall see them next in action at the 2017 Amsterdam Fives in July.