Boys from John Betts Primary Win Mayor's Cup
After a season of 80 fixtures played by 33 teams of ten and 11 year-olds
The finals event is the culmination of a Schools Games season that began last September and included 80 fixtures played by 33 teams of ten and 11 year-old players.
Speaking after the trophy presentation, organiser Callum Fairley said: "It's been a fantastic season and all played to the Schools Games values, of passion, determination, loyalty and honesty."
The 33 teams were split into two pools - north and south - with the four groups playing one another in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each of those groups then progressed to the finals event, which includes quarter finals, semi-finals and the grand final.
Those fixtures saw some drama early in the day’s competition. In the first quarter final for the north, Good Shepherd defeated Addison 1-0 - a surprise result as Addison had not conceded a single goal in eight previous fixtures. In the second north quarter final, John Betts narrowly pipped St Stephen’s 1-0.
In the southern quarter finals, St John’s beat All Saints 2-0. Competition history was made in the second fixture, as Sir John Lillie played out a 0-0 draw with St Paul’s leading to a dramatic penalty shoot-out. After more than 10 penalties were taken each, having gone through all the players once, Sir John Lillie won the shootout by just one goal to nil.
John Betts then faced Good Shepherd in what turned out to be the more comfortable fixture. The team in green and gold putting two unanswered goals past their opponents. They thought they had a third, but it was ruled out by the referee. who like all the referees was a volunteer from Fulham Football Club.
On the opposite side of the field, the game was more closely-fought with the balance shifting between Sir John Lillie and their opponents from St John’s. Having equalised to 1-1, St John’s pushed on to a 3-1 lead, before Sir John Lillie got a goal back. But it was not enough and St John’s held on to secure a place in their second successive Mayor’s Cup Final.
The final was a showcase of two different playing styles. The fast and physical John Betts, taking on the skilful St John’s players, with the Betts boys taking an early lead on the counter-attack.As St John’s enjoyed possession and forced several cracking saves from the John Betts ‘keeper, they left themselves exposed at the back and were punished when the clinical John Betts striker latched onto a long ball to fire home a second.
The second half continued in much the same way, with St John’s coming close several times, but were just unable to break through the green defensive ranks. Their fate was sealed as John Betts found the back of the net with two more goals that even got the neutrals in the crowd cheering at their quality.
The 4-0 scoreline at the final whistle did not reflect the close game and the St John’s boys were left wondering what happened, while the Betts boys were revelling in a deserved first Mayor’s Cup win.
John Betts' delighted coach, Luke Craig, said: "It was a great team performance. They saved the best 'til last. They didn't start too well but improved.
"They went the whole season unbeaten. Overall I’m impressed with their great team performance."
"I've told them losing one game doesn't make them a bad team," said teacher and coach at St John’s, James Welch. "This is the second year in a row they've lost in the final. They tried to play football, they tried to play the right way and I hope they will be better for the experience of having lost."
The schools competing for the Mayor's Cup were:
Addison, All Saints, Ark Swift, Avonmore, Brackenbury, Flora Gardens, Fulham, Fulham Bilingual, Good Shepherd, Greenside, Holy Cross, John Betts, Kenmont, Larmenier and Sacred Heart, Lena Gardens, Melcombe, Miles Coverdale, Normand Croft, Old Oak, Queen’s Manor, Sir John Lillie, St Augustine’s, St John’s, St John XXIII, St Mary’s, St Paul’s, St Peter’s, St Stephen’s, St Thomas of Canterbury, Sulivan, Thomas’s Academy, Wendell Park, West London Free School, Wormholt Park.
You can see a gallery of pictures from the day here.
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