Tatham Fells and Halton triumph in five-a-side football competitions
Rural schools excel in football competition
Lancaster City Council held its annual five-a-side football competition for rural primary schools at Salt Ayre Sports Centre.
This year’s event proved to be as popular as ever with 26 teams from 16 different primary schools entering. Teams from as far away as Leck, Silverdale, Melling and Wray took part in two very dramatic competitions.
Twelve teams competed in the ‘Small Schools’ competition. The group stages saw Silverdale A, Yealand and Tatham Fells finishing top of their groups unbeaten. Yealand showed why they were the competition favourites by winning all three group games, scoring 18 goals in three and conceding none. The teams that progressed through to the quarter finals were Silverdale A v Glasson Dock, Yealand v Wray A, Tatham Fells v Leck and Nether Kellet A v Melling.
In the quarter finals Silverdale A, Yealand, Tatham Fells and Melling won their respective games and won through to the semi final teams.
Both semi finals didn’t disappoint as the best four teams in the competition fought it out for a place in the final. Yealand put on a great footballing display, narrowly beating Silverdale A, 2 - 1. In the other semi final, Tatham Fells and Melling proved to be just as close with Tatham Fells scoring the only goal of the game with minutes left on the clock.
The final was between a very strong Yealand and Tatham Fells. The Yealand goal machine continued and saw them taking an early two goal lead. Tatham Fells looked down and out and everyone was expecting more goals to come, but they caught Yealand sleeping at the back and scored on the counter attack.
This was then followed by another to make it 2 – 2. As the crowd looked settled for extra time and possibly penalties, Tatham Fells had other ideas scoring two more goals in the final minute to beat Yealand 4 – 2.
The winners, Tatham Fells, received a medal and trophy each as well as the Rural 5-a-side Football Competition cup that they will keep for one year. The runners up, Yealand, also received medals and trophies.
In the ‘Big Schools’ competition 14 teams from eight different schools competed.
During the group stages the main teams to watch were Halton A, Caton St Paul’s and Bolton-le-Sands B, who all finished top of their groups unbeaten.
The teams that progressed through to the quarter finals were Halton A v Our Lady of Lourdes A, Bolton-le-Sands B v St Peter’s B, Caton St Paul’s v Bolton-le-Sands A and Slyne A.
In the quarter finals Halton A, Bolton-le-Sands A , Slyne A and Bolton-le-Sands B won through to the semi finals.
In the semi finals Halton A continued their demolition by sweeping aside Bolton-le-Sands B 2 – 0. The other semi was much closer with Slyne A narrowly beating Bolton-le-Sands A 1 – 0.
The final was between Slyne A and the team that had won the competition for the past three years, Halton A. Again, Halton A proved much too strong for a tired looking Slyne A team, who despite their very best efforts were beaten 2 – 0.
The runners-up, Slyne A received medals and a trophy, which helped, console their defeat. With the defending champions, Halton A, retaining their title and the trophy to keep for another year.
Date Published: 12/06/09