NovaLoca – IAS 5-a-side Plate Winners 2013
On Wednesday 22 May 2013 Team NovaLoca headed to the Lucozade Power League at Wembley Stadium for the IAS 5-a-side football tournament, sponsored by SEGRO.
NovaLoca FC were making their debut in the tournament, with team manager Miranda Munn ready to cheer on the lads dressed in their fine new kit. Captain Chris Tembey led his band of merry men to the National Stadium where the Wembley arch overhead provided the perfect backdrop. What better place to show off the skills than at the home of football?
The draw put NovaLoca into Group A with all games to be played on Pitch 1. Each pitch at the Power League is a different colour and named after a football venue and Black Pitch 1 was aptly named ‘Wembley Stadium’.
The opposition in Group A consisted of Vail Williams, CBRE and Kier with the latter NovaLoca’s first opponents. In a closely fought affair NovaLoca always managed to keep their noses in front and won a tight game 5-4. Martin Fox made a number of fine saves but one in particular left a sting. Martin was not able to continue in goal after this game so those duties were shared between Chris and Robbie Reynolds. Martin was later in A&E where X-Rays revealed a break.
It was straight onto game number two where a crazy final minute saw a two-goal NovaLoca lead vanish and the game with Vail Williams ended 4-4. This was to prove a costly slip as a heavy 7-1 defeat to CBRE in the final group game meant that it was to be a 3rd place finish and no progression in the Main Competition.
Instead it was into the ‘plate’ knock-out competition and there was a determination in the group to regain the early tournament form and a belief that silverware could be won.
NovaLoca remained on Pitch 1 for the Quarter Final against Capita Symonds. Capita finished bottom of Group B with a single point from their three games and despite a late collapse – conceding two goals again – NovaLoca had done enough and proved too strong, progressing to the Semi-Final and a change of ‘venue’; it was off to Barcelona and the Camp Nou on Blue Pitch 3.
Stiles Harold Williams were the opposition but NovaLoca – with Robbie and Anthony Marshall instrumental – produced their best performance of the tournament to brush aside a decent outfit and march comfortably into the Final against Colliers International and a trip back to Britain; Hampden Park, Scotland on Red Pitch 2.
Colliers International, the 2012 runners-up of the main competition, were to be the runners-up of the Plate competition in 2013. In an incredibly tight final NovaLoca just had enough and edged it 3-2 with two goals from David Yorath and one from Michael Kennoy. Martin and Ollie Townsend already had a pint in ready to celebrate.
NovaLoca – IAS 5-a-side Plate Winners 2013
So it was onto the trophy presentations, food, a few beers and a bit of banter at the end of an excellent afternoon of football under the magnificent Wembley arch.
Congrats to the NovaLoca footie team on a fab performance.