We arrived at the Plate Quarter-Final stage and we would shortly see eight teams reduced to four teams. We had a really high quality line-up in the Plate and any of the 8 teams could quite conceivably walk off with the trophy in 7 games time.

To begin it was FC Shark versus Fail Madrid. FC Shark were making steady progress in our tournaments. Their first two appearances in Barcelona and Riga saw them qualify for the Trophy. In Mallorca last year they qualified for the Plate…and won it. Here they were in the Plate again. Fail Madrid qualified for the Plate on their first 2 appearances but struggled in Barcelona last year when they split into two teams and made the Trophy. With their powers concentrated into one team they were back into the Plate competition.

These two teams played in the group phase of the 2016 Riga Tournament and drew 1-1. Rob Maller was on target for Fail Madrid on that day and he was on target again here to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Twice today FC Shark had come from behind to get a result (1 win, 1 draw) and on both of those occasions they came from 2 goals down. Joe Cridland was FC Shark's top scorer on the day and he was to add to his tally to make it 1-1.

Unlike the 2016 Riga Tournament, the game would not end 1-1 and we would see a winner. Joe Cridland was the man to score it with strike #6 of the day. FC Shark marched on.

In the lower half of the Quarter-Final draw it was FC Maroon versus Deportivo Dooradoyle. These were two experienced teams in eurofootballfives.com competition.

From 2013 to 2015, FC Maroon's knock-out record didn't jump off the page as they did not qualify, Trophy Semi-Final and went out in the Trophy Play-Off. In 2016 they stepped up and went all the way through to the Trophy Final when only a penalty shoot-out prevented them from taking glory. At last year's Mallorca Fives they excelled to qualify for the Cup but went out 1-0 to Argentina's Forn de N'Aina. Today they would be competing in the Plate for the first time.

Deportivo Dooradoyle knew the ropes of the Plate competition. They were runners-up in the 2011 Amsterdam Fives, won the Plate at the 2013 Barcelona Fives and were runners-up again at the 2014 Berlin Fives.

We expected a tight game and that is exactly what we got. FC Maroon were the team to hit the front as Rich Mason scored his second of the tournament. His goal was cancelled out by Kevin Shine who scored his sixth goal of the day for Deportivo Dooradoyle. The game finished level at 1-1 and he would require a penalty shoot-out.

We witnessed some exemplary penalty taking and after the regulation three penalties each we were locked together at 3-3. Two rounds of sudden death penalties and we were still locked together but at 5-5. The sixth round of penalties proved decisive – Tom Kelleher in goal for Deportivo Dooradoyle made a crucial save. Dave Vaughan then stepped up and converted his penalty to send his team through to the Semi-Finals.

The final Quarter-Final saw Freshers FC take on I Love United & Drinking Shandies. Compared to the experience of the teams in the previous 3 Quarter-Finals as these two teams were relatively experienced. This match would be harder to call.

On their previous eurofootballfives.com appearance at the 2015 Barcelona Fives, Freshers FC qualified for the Cup competition but went out at the Quarter-Final stage. I Love United & Drinking Shandies were on debut so they were breaking new ground and with every other potential new step they may take.

Freshers FC had the better records of the two teams today. They had 8 points today (2 wins, 2 draws) and a positive goal difference of +4 (11-7). By comparison, I Love United & Drinking Shandies had 6 points (2 wins) and a goal difference of -7 (12-19).

As you can see goals scored for each team was similar but the difference appeared to be in the two defences. With the action underway it was Freshers FC who took the early advantage and there was one man in particular who was a thorn in the side of I Love United & Drinking Shandies. That man was Joe Trigg. He made it 1-0, 2-0 and then 3-0 to complete his hat-trick.

Joe Trigg's goals combined with a clean sheet helped Freshers FC through to the Semi-Finals. The day was over for I Love United & Drinking Shandies but they still had their sister squad, Monaco Tiny Gdanskers, to cheer on in the Cup competition.