As we entered the final Round of games there was much to play for and the main talking point at the top was who would finish in the top two in order to guarantee Cup qualification? The team in third would have to sweat it out to see if they were one of the best two third placed teams to also make the Cup.

The two teams in second place on 9 points came into direct competition with FC Radbroke taking on Policia Mallorca. The winners would be guaranteed a place in the Cup and could even with Group B should Sportsman B lose. If it was a draw then FC Radbroke would secure 2 nd place courtesy of their superior goal difference.

It was a must win game for the defending champions but there was nothing to separate the two teams in the first half. Time was running out for Policia Mallorca in their search for the goal and the win they needed but when the deadlock was broken it was Mike Brandon of FC Radbroke who scored it. The goal was a match winner and FC Radbroke had a 1-0 victory and guaranteed a place in the Cup.

Policia Mallorca would have to sweat to see if their points tally of 9 was good enough to qualify for the Cup….it was….just! Olympic Phil Babb in Group A also had 9 points but their goal difference was +5. Policia Mallorca had a goal difference of +7 and made the Cup. The defence of their crown was still alive by the narrowest of margins.

The final game of Group B was John Barnes FC versus El Combe Old Boys. For the former it was a last opportunity to register points in the group phase before we hit the knock-out stages. A win for them would make it an interesting 3-way tie for 4th on 3 points each. El Combe Old Boys, given Whiteley Stags result above, only needed a draw for 4th position outright but a win here would mean two in a row and give them great momentum going into the Plate.

Unfortunately for John Barnes it was a familiar story for them as El Combe Old Boys forged a 2-0 lead at half-time. This was the fourth time in five games that John Barnes FC had turned round at the interval trailing by that 2-0 margin. It was Andrew Hampshire who scored both goals and put him on a potential hat-trick. In the second half 2-0 became 3-0 but it wasn't Hampshire with the goal but a first of the day for Simon Marriott.

El Combe Old Boys had a group of two halves, 3 defeats in tough games followed by 2 wins and they had confidence behind them going into the Plate. For John Barnes FC it would be a Wooden Spoon playoff that awaited them in the afternoon knockout stage.