FA Beach Soccer Cup

[Wycombe Fox]

Ryde Harbour Beach on the Isle of Wight yesterday hosted the 2008 FA Beach Soccer Cup tournament.

Eight teams were entered and split into two groups of four teams with the top two teams going through to the semi-finals. Two twelve-minute periods in the group and semi games, three twelve-minute periods in the Final.

My team (apparently I'm the longest serving beach soccer manager in the UK!), WKR Santos, were drawn in Group B to play against Ryde Sports, Ryde Saints Rangers and finally, the arch nemesis, Sandown Sociedad.

Our first group game kicked off at 10.00am and finished in a fairly comfortable 8-5 victory despite not really playing very well.

Having beaten Ryde Saints Rangers 11-3 in a recent league encounter I think some complacency crept in and we were beaten 4-2 in our second game. We peppered the goal but sadly their keeper decided to have the game of his life to deny us almost certain qualification for the semis. Sandown Sociedad next which always ends in blood, guts and a constant flow of abuse and subsequent cardage from the refs - and we needed to win.

The constant supply of free Red Bull certainly gave us wings for our third game, racing into a 5-0 lead before the end of the first twelve-minute period. The auld enemy clearly demoralised, we added a further two goals before making some changes to save energy for the semi-final. Sociedad pulled back a couple of goals before the refs put them out of their misery. Final score 7-2 to WKR Santos and a place in the semi-final assured.

Other results meant that we won Group B, thereby avoiding The Bees who won Group A. The Bees are the Man U/Chelsea of the beach soccer world and have a squad containing several England players and a guy who is England's first professional beach soccer player, playing for an Italian club side (it's BIG money over there!).

All we had to do was beat the Appley Allstars in the semi to set up the final that everyone wanted - WKR Santos v The Bees - currently second v first in the Beach Soccer Premier League.

Our semi kicked off at 4.30 yesterday afternoon. We controlled the game from start to finish having taken a 3-0 lead in the first period and then returning any goal that the Allstars scored to win 6-3 and set-up the final. We were getting better and better but would it be enough to beat the mighty Bees?

Then the rain started and OMG did it rain!

In the league encounter earlier in the season The Bees beat us 7-4. They came back from 4-1 down. A catalogue of poor refereeing that nobody could understand, especially the 200 people watching.

The final kicked off at 5.15 in pouring rain and in a level of darkness not previously seen at this time of the day. The dignitaries from the FA were huddled together under a gazebo, too afraid to brave the conditions.

WKR Santos scored the first goal and were proving to be a handful. We were on top until one of the two refs gave an incredible handball decision in The Bees' favour. A classic case of ball-to-hand. In beach soccer a free-kick is a clear shot at goal, one-on-one with the keeper. Up steps the pro-player and drills it home from nine metres.

Our heads go down knowing that yet again the refs got it wrong. We concede another four goals before the end of the first twelve minutes to end the first period 5-1 down. The refs came over to me in the break to ask me to calm my players down otherwise there were going to be some red cards.

I got them together, had a chat and sent them back out for the second period. WTF??? Whatever I said worked - we scored four goals to The Bees' one in the second period to go in at the break 6-5 down with heads up, momentum and twelve minutes left to play.

The last period started and within a minute we were on level terms, 6-6 with eleven minutes left. The atmosphere was electric.

We hit the post four times in the next three minutes before - **** me - we took the lead!!! 7-6 ahead with six minutes left.

Get another - PLEASE! By this point my voice had long departed to be replaced by a raspy croak. Four minutes to go and The Bees get an equaliser! NOOOOOO!!!!! 7-7.

Into the last minute, still end-to-end, until finally, sadly, The Bees got the winner they didn't deserve (I would say that wouldn't I!) with just 30 seconds left with penalties looming.

Gutted!

Have to snatch the league off them now then!!