As the 2016 Krakow Trophy Quarter-Finals were about to get underway we were down to the elite 8 teams in the tournament with the Czech Republic, England (x3), Italy, Poland (x2) and Slovakia all represented.

We started on Pitch A with Spider Mans & Great Hawk versus Cudny Jozef. It was the winners of Group A versus the best 3rd placed finishers. On paper, this may look like a straight-forward proposition but on this occasion it was more complicated. Cudny Jozef, despite finishing 3rd, picked up 12 points in the group phase. This was just 1 point less than Spider Mans & Great Hawk secured in winning Group A.

Spider Mans & Great Hawk had reached the Cup for the first time and done it well with 4 wins and 1 draw to their name. They continued their good form by taking the lead in this one thanks to Alex Mitchell. Cudny Jozef had lost just once this morning but a second defeat was looking on the cards when Alex Mitchell doubled the lead for the English team in the second half.

It was game over not too long later as Alex Mitchell claimed a hat-trick to put Spider Mans & Great Hawk 3-0 up and book their place in the Cup Semi-Finals. We had to say farewell to Cudny Jozef.

Quarter-Final three was Tinniedad & Tobacco versus DHL Prague. Tinniedad & Tobacco had emerged from the Group Phase by winning this tournament's Group of Death and with 4 victories from 5 were looking good.

DHL Prague had started and finished Group C well with a little wobble in the middle. They were making their 3rd successive Cup Quarter-Final appearance but they lost the last two so would hope for a reversal of fortune here. Tinniedad & Tobacco on the other hand had a 100% record at this stage with 2 wins out of 2. A third here would keep their dream of a maiden title on track.

Tinniedad & Tobacco started the game at a blistering pace. Michael Wilkes scored two early goals to put them in a commanding position before Jon McKinley scored a brace to seal the tie before half-time. At 4-0 surely there was no way back for DHL Prague?

After the break the onslaught continued. Jon McKinley made it 5-0 to round off his hat-trick but he was not finished there. He scored twice more to make it 7-0 before Matt Haythorn hit a rasping drive for 8-0. Who else but Jon McKinley with his sixth of the game for 9-0. A double hat-trick.

So, it was to be 3 successive Cup Quarter-Final wins for Tinniedad & Tobacco and 3 successive Cup Quarter-Final defeats for DHL Prague. DHL Prague are set to return to action in July's Prague Tournament – we look forward to seeing them then.

The final Quarter-Final was GSF Drunkerz versus Nowa Huta Team. GSF Drunkerz had qualified as 2nd placed in Group A and were unbeaten today. They were also unbeaten in the knock-out phase of eurofootballfives.com tournaments. At the 2014 Bratislava Fives they went all the way in the Plate and at the 2015 Bratislava Fives they went all the way in the Cup – a total of 6 matches.

Nowa Huta Team qualified as the 2nd placed team in Group C and after opening game defeat they went unbeaten in their last 4 games with 3 wins and 1 draw. They fell behind in this game though when Tomas Carny's fifth goal of the tournament put the Slovakian team 1-0 up. In the second half Nowa Huta Team hit back through Jancyk – the game would finish 1-1 in normal time.

We went into penalties in what was an enthralling shoot-out. It was Nowa Huta Team to strike first….

1-0, Up stepped Karol Rzepecki with 6 goals today and converted to the goalkeeper's bottom right.

1-1, Miroslav Saga – the GSF Drunkerz goalkeeper – stepped up to equalize.

2-1, Daniel Kozien also scored favouring the bottom right corner.

2-2, Martin Volek with 6 goals in the tournament placed it in the same corner and into the back of the net.

3-2, Janczyk kept up the scoring to put Nowa Huta Team ahead again.

3-3, Daniel Badusek held his nerve and equalized by putting it to the left of the goalkeeper.

4-3, There was no let up with the scoring as Pawel Sobczyk scored his spot kick.

4-4, The goalkeeper got a hand to the ball but couldn't prevent Marek Mikolaj from scoring.

5-4, A great penalty from Grzegorz Stochman who slotted it just inside the right hand post.

5-4, Someone had to miss at some point and the unfortunate man was to be Tomas Carny – he scored in the game, he scored 5 today but his penalty was saved.

We had to say farewell to GSF Drunkerz and we thank them for making the journey from Slovakia to compete in the tournament. Nowa Huta Team were through.