We began Round 3 with a mid-table clash between Centrale Football Club and Kazakhstan FC. These two teams were amongst those in the middle of Group A. Their fate was on a knife-edge they could either surge up the table with a couple of good results or sink to the bottom with a couple of bad results.

With only two teams qualifying for the Cup competition the pressure was on. Neither team was able to take the initiative in the opening period as the two defences were on top. We reached the interval all square at 0-0.

After the break the game followed a similar pattern and still neither team could break the deadlock. Ultimately, the sands of time ran out and we finished at 0-0. The two teams earned a hard fought point and remained in 2nd and 3rd place for now. Only time would tell if it was a point gained or two points dropped.

Paris St Gentleman remained in 5th place but they did have a game in hand over their Group A opponents. They would need to win both their remaining games to have any hope of progressing to the Cup – if they could they still had a chance.

Their game in hand was against Kazakhstan FC. For Kazakhstan it was a must win game. If they could win they would have every chance of securing Cup qualification although it would not be guaranteed if Centrale Football Club won their last fixture. Anything less than a win and you would think that the Plate would await them.

With the game underway, it was Paris St Gentleman who got the first half boost they needed as they took a 1-0 half-time lead. There was some confusion whether it was an own goal or a Danny Jones goal – we credited the attacker. Whoever got the finishing touch it was a goal that gave them a vital lead. Could they go on and claim their first three points of the day?

If they were going to win it they would need to score again as Phillip Beeston's third goal of the day equalized for Kazakhstan FC. When Chris Barnfather scored his second of the tournament it was 2-1 to Kazakhstan FC and they had completed a superb turnaround. They had done all they could – they now had to wait for other results to see if it would be enough.

Game 9 was the key game in Group A as Centrale Football Club met Son Gual. There were various permutations going into the game;

Centrale Football Club win – they would qualify in 2nd place, Kazakhstan FC would finish 3rd and Son Gual would finish 4th unless Paris St Gentleman beat El Local and overturned the goal difference disadvantage.

If the game ended in a draw it would be Kazakhstan FC who would qualify for the Cup and both Centrale Football Club and Son Gual would play in the Plate.

A Son Gual win by 4 goals would mean they move above both Centrale Football Club and Kazakhstan FC and qualify for the Cup. A lesser win would mean Kazakhstan FC qualify for the Cup and both Centrale Football Club and Son Gual would play in the Plate.

So there was much to play for and three teams with a vested interest in proceedings. Centrale Football Club struck the first blow as Neil Zaim gave the French team a lead. If they could hang on to the lead they would be through. In the second half they could do better than that as Henri Viguier doubled the lead to 2-0. Son Gual's hopes were over and so were Kazakhstan FC's in the process.

So up next was El Local against Paris St Gentleman. El Local were already through so could just enjoy the game without any pressure. For Paris St Gentleman there was still something to play for – a two goal win for them would see them move on to 3 points and ahead of Son Gual on goal difference. This would see them secure qualification for the Plate.

It would certainly not be easy for Paris St Gentleman as this was a top versus bottom encounter. The odds were against them pre-kickoff and those odds were even longer at half-time as El Local opened up a 2-0 lead through their twin strike partnership of Alejandro Sanchez Solano and Ismael Gil Gomez. They had a superb record – both had scored in every game and had notched 11 goals in their 4 games together up front.

After the break, El Local wrapped up a 3-0 win and completed Group A with a 100% record. They would be one of the team's to watch in the Cup competition. For Paris St Gentleman it would be the Wooden Spoon competition that awaited them.