Good Friday saw Northampton Town enter the Friendship Cup held at the joint facility of GVVV and DOVO, fantastic facilities and a great opportunity for the boys to experience the pressurised environment of tournament football against different opposition.
All three Cobblers teams started well in the glorious sunshine and finished top of their group stages, ensuring qualification to the semi-final stage. The two Under 11 age groups were drawn together in the semi-final, ensuring a Cobblers team in the final but it was a shame that they were to meet a game earlier than would have been ideal! The game was keenly contested with the lead changing hands three times, the clarets eventually emerging victorious 3-2in what was an interesting challenge for the boys to play a competitive knockout game against their friends and team-mates. The Under 12’s also qualified through to the final with victory over DOVO.
This placed the Under 11 whites in a third placed play off, which they won, playing some excellent, attacking football in the process. The Under 11’s clarets and Under 12’s were set for chances to claim some silverware. They both managed to achieve this with 5-1 and 1-0 wins respectively. This sparked scenes of celebration at the final whistle, with the boys having earned victories without either team dropping points on their way to lifting the trophies. The only defeat for a Cobblers team came against their own team mates!
The boys thoroughly deserved their success and their attitudes and professionalism to achieve the targets they set for themselves in the first team meeting on Thursday night was excellent. Hopefully the boys will remember this experience for the rest of their lives and look back on itwith fond memories.
Friday finished with a quiz put on by the coaches for the boys. Some impressive (and less impressive) knowledge skills were on show before all headed to bed!
Saturday sees us travel to the Philips Stadium for a tour followed by games against PSV Eindhoven (U11’s) and FC Eindhoven (U12’s). Another full day of new experiences and challenges.