The
second Plate Semi-Final brought together two English
sides, RSC Andylecht and Just A Boy FC, both of
whom had battled hard through competitive group
stages to reach this point. Just A Boy FC had
enjoyed success at this level with victory in
the Plate at the 2016 Riga Tournament. With a
place in the Plate Final at stake, the match promised
to be a tight and tactical contest — and so it
proved. It was RSC Andylecht who struck first,
with Chris Bishop continuing his fine form in
front of goal to give his side a first-half lead.
That goal proved the difference at the break as
the two teams went in with the score finely poised
at 1-0.
The
second half saw Just A Boy FC dig deep in search
of an equaliser, and they found it through the
in-form Ben Charles-Williams, who scored his fourth
goal of the tournament to make it 1-1. He was
now just a couple shy of his 6-goal haul from
the 2016 Riga Tournament. Both teams traded attacks
in a spirited final few minutes, but neither could
find a winner before the full-time whistle. After
a well-fought draw, the semi-final would be decided
by the drama of a penalty shoot-out — never an
easy way to separate two committed sides, but
always guaranteed to provide excitement.
In
the shoot-out, Just A Boy FC stepped up first
through Charles-Williams, but despite his scoring
streak earlier in the day, his luck ran out as
Tim Smith produced a fine save to deny him. Charlie
Wade and David Mobbs converted their penalties
for Just A Boy FC, but it wasn't enough. RSC Andylecht
showed perfect composure from the spot, with Josh
Thorp, Patrick Coulter, and Chris Bishop all finding
the net to secure a 3-2 victory in the shoot-out.
It was heartbreak for Just A Boy FC, who had played
their part in a superb semi-final, but jubilation
for RSC Andylecht as they advanced to the Plate
Final. We offer our commiserations to Just A Boy
FC who were unable to repeat their Riga success….don't
leave it another decade before we see you on tour
again!
|
