The
second final of the day (after the Wooden Spoon)
would see JNJ High Wycombe B versus Cilag Team
2. With seven games of football already under
their belt the two teams would need to summon
one last burst of energy to ensure they would
be picking up winners and not runners-up medals
in the presentation.
JNJ
High Wycombe B were riding the crest of a wave
– with no wins in 10 in 2013 and 2014 they had
already secured 4 wins and a draw so far today.
A fifth win would see them Plate champions. Cilag
Team 2 were a resurgent team after the lunch break
and showed great resilience to get here with a
6-5 win and a win on penalties. So, where's your
money?
A
pulsating first half saw us witness 5 goals and
it was JNJ High Wycombe B who edged ahead 3-2.
There were first goals of the day for Michael
Gill and Adam Lovekin while Paul Lynch bagged
his fifth of the day. Goals from Fabian Mark and
Marco Neidhart kept Cilag Team 2 in it. After
the break we had an equalizer from Marco Neidhart
and the game finished 3-3 to send us into a penalty
shoot-out. It would be the second time we had
a penalty shoot-out to decide the Plate after
Slavoj Consumer defeated Fi Tighe FC 5-4 on penalties
in the Budapest 2013 event.
The
penalty shoot-out witnessed some spot-kicks of
the highest order. Cilag Team 2 would strike first
and score first through Nazmir Ajvazi. Paul Lynch
quickly levelled things up at 1-1. In a change
of order from the Semi-Finals, the Cilag Team
number “4” stepped up to put the Swiss 2-1 ahead
but Jamie Campbell was equal to it, 2-2. Ivica
Kusanic struck the winning penalty in the shoot-out
against JNJ Middle East and he slammed it home
for 3-2. The pressure was on Michael Gill – he
scored in normal time and he had to score in the
shoot-out to keep his team alive. He did and it
was 3-3. Sudden death penalties were required.
Fabian
Mark put Cilag Team 2 ahead before Mike Spencer
returned the compliment, 4-4. Marco Neidhart converted
to make it 5-4 before it was Adam Lovekin to make
it 5-5. The teams were coping with the pressure
admirably. It was the turn of Marco Ostermeier
for Cilag Team 2 who hit it straight down the
middle for 6-5. Shaun Feeley equalized for 6-6
and we wondered if we'd be here all day.
Then,
the first chink in either team's armour. The Cilag
Team 2 number “6” took it right footed to the
bottom left corner. Shaun Wing in the JNJ High
Wycombe B goal went the right way and made the
save. Was Wing to be the hero?
He
would either be a double hero or go from hero
to zero as it was Shaun Wing to take the next,
and potentially final, penalty. He went to the
same corner where he'd just made the save. Giuseppe
Fedele, Wing's opposing number, was wrong footed
and he stretched out his right leg but Wing had
just another angle on his spot kick to see it
hit the back of the net and he was engulfed by
his team-mates in wild celebrations. It was an
epic penalty shoot-out and a thrilling way to
decide the Plate competition.
We'd
like to thank Cilag Team 2 for attending and offer
our commiserations for the Final. It could not
have been any closer and maybe they could go one
step further next time. They still had their first
team to watch in the Cup Final.
For
today though, we present you the 2015 JNJ Euro
Soccer Tournament Plate Winners – JNJ High Wycombe
B!
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