Round 3 started with Selga versus 3 Lions FC in what could be a pivotal game. For Selga, they occupied third position. A win for the Latvians would put them level with the two teams at the top and turn Group D into a three-horse race. A draw would leave them in limbo.

For 3 Lions, chances of Cup qualification were still mathematically possible but they had to win both their final games and hope other results went their way. The Plate was a more realistic goal and they needed at least a point to move off the foot of the table.

It was Selga who forged ahead though as Arnis Miezis scored for the second game running mid way through the first half. The second half kicked off with the score still at 1-0 but not for long. Normunds Mikelssons made it 2-0 in the early stages of the second half.

Arnis Miezis then scored his second of the game and the writing was on the wall for 3 Lions FC. Since opening game defeat, Selga had now won 2 matches on the bounce and had scored 6 without reply. They were moving in the right direction.

Paralytic Athletic and Deddington Sea Squirrels were up next in a battle of the top two. Selga had just joined both of these teams on 6 points but this match was a game in hand for the two English teams. If Paralytic Athletic were to win this game they would be assured of Cup qualification (with their two main rivals due to meet in their final game). Deddington Sea Squirrels could put one foot into the Cup with a win of their own although would still need to complete the job in their last game. A draw would leave both teams with work to do but qualification very much in their own hands.

It was Deddington Sea Squirrels who got off to a flyer with Mark Cook scoring in only the second minute. The goal was notable as it was the first goal Joe Walker had conceded all day. In a high scoring tournament 2 clean sheets was already an impressive tally.

Paralytic Athletic were on level terms before half-time though – a minute before half time in fact. Connor O Reilly had his shooting boots on today as he scored his fifth of the tournament. It was 1-1 at the break. Could either team go on to win it in the second half?

The answer is yes they could. Cometh the hour, cometh the man and that man was Jack Veness. His second half strike would prove to be the difference between these two teams. His goal kept up Paraltic Athletic's 100% record as they opened up a 3 point lead at the top of Group D.

Riga Spartans would take to the field to participate in their third fixture of the day. They would compete against 3 Lions FC who would be playing their fourth and final group game and the last opportunity to put some points on the board. These two teams currently occupied fourth and fifth position respectively. This was effectively a shoot-out to see who would qualify for the Plate and who would qualify for the Wooden Spoon.

Should this game end in a draw then it would favour Riga Spartans as they currently had a superior goal difference (although, of course, a heavy defeat in their final game could change that). For much of the first half the two teams could not be separated. We appeared to be going into the break level at 0-0 until up popped Kristays Kokins a minute before the break to give Riga Spartans a 1-0 lead.

After the break though parity was restored. Stacey Cross equalized for 1-1 and could this be the springboard for 3 Lions FC? Sadly not. They fell behind again a couple of minutes later as Seilbin Xavier scored his second of the tournament as Riga Spartans went ahead again. Arguably the crucial goal of this game was the fourth goal - Kristays Kokins grabbed his second of the game to make it 3-1. Riga Spartans took the 3 points.

Game 9 of Group D was arguably the most crucial game of the group – especially if you were Selga or Deddington Sea Squirrels. The two teams currently shared 2nd place with 6 points each. Both teams had a goal difference of +3 but Deddington Sea Squirrels were currently ahead in the table due to “Goals Scored”. They had 8 compared to 6 for Selga.

It means that Selga had to win this match to qualify for the Cup. A win or draw would be good enough for Deddington. The loser would progress into the Plate competition.

Sometimes these games can be close, cagey and low-scoring but we were treated to a 9 goal thriller. It was 1-1 after just a minute with Joe Davies (Deddington) and Arnis Miezis (Selga) scoring early. Then later in the first half another two quickfire goals to leave the teams at 2-2 – Mark Cook (Deddington) and Aleksander Bendorius (Selga) this time. The two teams seemed magnetized as soon as one went ahead the other immediately equalized. Jonathan Simon Norris (Deddington) and Janis Weilands (Selga) proving this by scoring within a minute of each other for 3-3.

The second half started in more serene fashion but mid-way through the half it was Selga who hit the front. Arnis Miezis' second goal of the game put the Latvian side ahead. It looked as if it might be enough until a late Mark Cook equalizer for 4-4. However, there was still time for Selga to win it in the final moments with a helping hand from Deddington Sea Squirrels. An own goal credited to Ashley Phillips saw Selga win 5-4.

Sadly for Deddington Sea Squirrels this meant a place in the Plate. Congratulations to Selga for qualifying for the Cup.

So, we would finish with Paralytic Athletic and Riga Spartans. The two teams knew they would be playing Cup and Plate football respectively this afternoon.

Paralytic Athletic needed just a draw to ensure they would lift the Group D title (although such was their goal difference they could afford a small loss). However, I am sure they would be going for the win that would see them qualify with a 100% record and keep momentum going into the knock-out phase.

For Riga Spartans, fourth place looked inevitable given the quality of their opponents but mathematically third place was still up for grabs with a 5 goal win. This looked massively unlikely when Paralytic Athletic scored in the very first minute of the game courtesy of a Will Hurditch goal. Paralytic Athletic didn't really capitalize on this and went into the break just 1-0 up.

Maybe they unwittingly took their foot off the gas knowing the Group D title was effectively theirs. However, they put their foot down in the second half and hit a little purple patch as they scored three in the space of three minutes – James Clark, Connor O'Reilly and James Clark again to put this match to bed. Final score, 4-0.

Huge congratulations to Paralytic Athletic on a fine group win. They were in amongst the goals and with Joe Walker boasting the best goalkeeping record in the group phase (3 clean sheets, just 1 conceded) they were looking in good form.