A West Lothian soccer staff proved they've what it takes to reign in Spain after profitable a prestigious worldwide event.
Blackburn United under-18s girls’s staff got here out on prime on the current Soccer Cup Barcelona, profitable the 2006 class and sweeping apart groups from Eire, Sweden, Norway and Spain alongside the way in which.
To make the success all of the extra outstanding, the aspect travelled to Spain with out a goalkeeper with star striker Kodie Bell scoring one then saving two penalties within the closing.
The ladies, most of whom had been experiencing their first worldwide event, began issues off with a commanding 4-1 win over Eire’s Evergreen FC Metropolis earlier than shedding 2-0 to Evergreen FC United within the subsequent match.
That may be their solely loss as they defeated Taby FK of Sweden 1-0 and Spain’s Atletico Polinya 4-0 earlier than a goalless draw with Norwegian aspect Remyra IL.
These outcomes ensured a closing showdown with Evergreen FC United and the West Lothian women had been in a position to achieve revenge for his or her group stage loss as a nervy affair completed 0-0 earlier than Kodie’s shoot-out heroics in purpose noticed them to victory and allowed skipper Abi Cowan to elevate the trophy. United turned the primary women Scottish staff to win the distinguished event.
There was double celebration for Kodie, too, as she was named Participant of the Match.
Talking to the Courier, proud coach Stephen McGuigan admitted profitable the event was the furthest factor from his thoughts previous to the journey.
He mentioned: “We completed second within the group which put us into the ultimate. It was undoubtedly a wee little bit of revenge as a result of they’d overwhelmed us within the group recreation.
“There was a good bit of emotion and tears on the finish. We actually went on the market with the concept we’d take pleasure in it and something we did could be a bonus.
“We actually had no expectations apart from having fun with the environment and the chance to play in such an incredible event.
“It wasn’t till after the third recreation that we realised we would be capable of do one thing after which we received the primary recreation the next day 4-0 and knew we simply wanted to keep away from heavy defeat within the closing recreation.
“I’m massively happy with everybody on the membership. Each single one in all them was sensible on the park and carried out themselves properly off the park, too.”
Stephen reserved particular reward, although, for Lucy Hamilton. Regardless of struggling a current leg break, she travelled with the staff and was ‘integral’ to their success.
He mentioned: “Lucy suffered a nasty leg break however she came visiting realizing she wasn’t going to play and he or she was integral to us profitable.
“She performed an enormous function and stored everybody going. Lucy was protecting me proper on the sidelines, I feel she was most likely the true gaffer throughout the weekend to be trustworthy.”
He additionally paid tribute to all of the mother and father in addition to membership workers who both joined the staff on the journey or helped with the fundraising to make sure the expertise was doable.
He commented: “Numerous the mother and father had been there they usually offered a great deal of assist to the ladies.
“It’s an enormous enterprise financially to go to those kind of occasions.
“Sonia, our staff secretary, put in a great deal of work and the mother and father and households did an enormous quantity of fundraising to permit the ladies to participate.
“The ladies went on the market and acquired the outcomes on the park but it surely wouldn’t have been doable with out all of the laborious work from dozens of individuals off the park.”
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