We arrived at the Plate Quarter-Final stage and we would shortly see eight teams reduced to four. Tea Time would meet Fleet Street Elite 1. The pre-determined draw meant the 3rd best 3rd placed team would meet the best 6th placed team with the former being Tea Time and, naturally, they would be favourites going into this game.

In a strange twist of fate the two teams had met earlier in the day in Group A. It was all the way back in Round 1 and Tea Time had emerged as 2-0 winners so another pointer to the Polish team holding the tag of favourites to progress.

Despite a close first half, it did not take long for history to repeat itself as Tea Time hit the front and lead 1-0 through Borja Perez Martinez. The half-time whistle went and, at just 1-0, Fleet Street Elite 1 were very much in this.

The second half was a different story though as Tea Time eased away from their opponents. Olivier Aga bagged his third goal of the tournament and there was a double from Oscar Revillas Garcia and two more for Borja Perez Martinez who completed his hat-trick.

There was a consolation for Fleet Street Elite 1 as Darren Clarke got his name on the scoresheet but, sadly, it was the end of the day for Fleet Strret Elite 1 (on the pitch anyway).

If Pitch B had witnessed a tight low-scoring contest then Pitch C was about to see fireworks and goals galore.

Misfits FC came into the game with 6 points from Group B as they took on Fleet Street Elite A who had 3 points from Group C. What followed was to be a pretty one-sided game as Misfits FC enjoyed themselves in front of goal. They scored 4 in the first half with Lee Bridge claiming a hat-trick and Joe Carroll getting in on the act. A Harry Milburn goal for Fleet Street Elite A was already looking like a mere consolation.

The goals continued to flow after the break as Joe Carroll, Tom Carroll and Mike Kinealy (2) all found the net. Then there was the remarkable feat of Lee Bridges who scored a second half hat-trick to add to his hat-trick in the first half and finish the game with 6 goals. We can only hope he had a goals bonus written in to his Misfits FC contract!

Fleet Street Elite A would exit the competition and join their other team with a watching brief for the rest of the day (the bar was open – every cloud and all that). Misfits FC marched on.

Three Quarter-Finals down, one to go as 9 Nana Budds would play Always Short. 9 Nana Budds had played in eurofootballfives Quarter-Finals on 3 previous occasions – losing twice at this stage in the Cup competition but winning at this stage in their one previous Plate appearance. Always Short were on debut and therefore in unchartered territory.

9 Nana Budds had enjoyed the better of the group phase as they finished 4 th in Group C with a haul of 7 points from their 5 games, 5 goals scored and 6 conceded. Always Short had returned a haul of 4 points – scoring more (6) but conceding more (11). On this basis you would expect 9 Nana Budds to start as favourites and they lived up to that billing by going into half-time holding a 1-0 lead. Ben Tan with the perfect moment to score his debut eurofootballfives.com goal.

There was to be a twist in the tale in the second half as Jaydee Fox equalized for Always Short. James Douglas then completed the turnaround by putting Always Short 2-1 up. It was James Douglas again who extinguished any hope of a 9 Nana Budds comeback when he made it 3-1.

It was farewell to 9 Nana Budds for this year. Always Short were now just 1 game away from a European final.