The
first Plate Semi-Final saw Skidmarks OGs, who
had finished third in Group A, take on The Maulers,
the fourth-placed team from Group B. The Maulers
came into the tie full of confidence, having already
beaten Skidmarks' sister side, the 4Gs, earlier
in the day. That result had given them a real
belief that they could repeat the trick against
the OGs and reach their first European final.
Skidmarks OGs, however, had been one of the most
consistent teams in the group phase, narrowly
missing out on Cup qualification, and were determined
to make their experience count.
From
the first whistle, Skidmarks OGs looked every
bit the more seasoned side and a side that had
been unbeaten in 5 of their 6 games to date. They
came out with purpose and intensity, putting The
Maulers under immediate pressure. The breakthrough
came via the prolific Richard Keeley, who maintained
his remarkable record of scoring in every game.
His goal settled any nerves and set the tone.
Before The Maulers could regroup, Iain Congdon
doubled the advantage, and Neil Taylor soon added
a third. It was a devastating spell of football
that left The Maulers reeling and Skidmarks OGs
cruising at 3–0, with one foot seemingly already
in the final.
However,
The Maulers had shown great fighting spirit throughout
the tournament and weren't about to bow out quietly.
As the game progressed, they began to find their
rhythm and forced Skidmarks OGs onto the back
foot. The ever-reliable Mark Brooksby, who had
been their key man in front of goal all day, pulled
one back to make it 3–1. The comeback was on,
and when Brooksby struck again to make it 3–2,
the momentum had swung. With five goals to his
name across the tournament, he was proving a talismanic
figure for The Maulers and had given his side
real hope.
The
closing stages were tense, with The Maulers pressing
hard for an equaliser while Skidmarks OGs dug
deep to preserve their slender lead and avoid
a penalty shootout. The experience and composure
of the OGs ultimately told as they got to the
final whistle denying The Maulers a sensational
equaliser. When the final whistle blew, it confirmed
a thrilling 3–2 victory for Skidmarks OGs. They
had survived a late scare to secure their berth
in the Plate Final. The Maulers, whilst understandably
disappointed to go out, could take pride in another
spirited performance.
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The
second Plate Semi-Final brought together Skidmarks
4Gs and FC Tpaktop — in what promised to be
a closely fought match. FC Tpaktop had already
faced Skidmarks OGs side earlier in the day,
sharing an entertaining 2–2 draw, and they were
looking to go one better here.
The
game began at a lively pace, and it was FC Tpaktop
who struck first. Their ever-dangerous number
8 found the net with a composed finish to give
the CIS team an early advantage. The 4Gs, however,
refused to panic and hit back quickly through
their number 9, restoring parity at 1–1. The
balance of play was even, with both sides looking
sharp going forward, but FC Tpaktop edged ahead
once more — again through their number 8, who
was proving to be a real handful. At 2–1 down,
Skidmarks had work to do if they were to keep
their Plate hopes alive.
Momentum
began to shift midway through the contest as
Skidmarks grew in confidence and started to
dominate possession. The equaliser came from
Jamie DeWinter, who levelled things up at 2–2.
That goal injected belief back into the English
side, and they pushed on looking for the winner.
DeWinter was not done yet — he popped up again
with a decisive strike to make it 3–2, turning
the game completely on its head. For the first
time in the match, Skidmarks 4Gs were in front,
and crucially, it came at the perfect moment.
In
the final stages, FC Tpaktop pressed hard in
search of another comeback, but the 4Gs held
firm under pressure. Their defence saw out the
remaining minutes with determination and grit.
When the whistle blew, it confirmed a dramatic
3–2 victory for Skidmarks 4Gs, who had shown
real resilience to battle from behind twice
and emerge victorious. They joined their sister
side, Skidmarks OGs, in the Plate Final — guaranteeing
that the trophy would be heading back to the
Skidmarks camp.
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