Hurricanes U-12s give their all in six-a-side tournament

THERE was disappointment for AFC Henley Hurricanes under-12s who came away empty-handed from the six-a-side Radley tournament.

Despite hard work and digging deep they narrowly missed qualification for the cup semi-final.

The tournament had 13 teams in two groups, with finals for both cup and plate competitions.

The seven minute, six-a-side format was fast and furious and it was hard to come back into the game if you went behind. The Hurricanes started brightly, with victories in their first two games.

Will Lindsay opened the scoring with the only goal against AFC Newbury Reds, while Ed Tucker was on the scoresheet with a fine long shot against Purley Jubilee Leopards, the eventual winners of the Plate competition.

Despite some solid defending from Dominic Ellis and Gabriel Robins-Cherry, Harwell and Hendred Blues went ahead in the third game from a corner. Will Goulden equalised from Oscar Robinson’s corner but a last-minute break from the Blues gave them the points. The fourth game against hosts Radley United was also lost by a single goal, despite shots from Robbins-Cherry, Robinson and Nicholas Hernandez St Clair.

The Hurricanes found winning form again in their fifth game, creating plenty of chances including a goal for Will Lindsay. Goalkeeper Harrison Carpenter Buckett made a key block to keep the team ahead.

The Hurricanes ended the group phase in third place, two points away from the cup but qualified for the plate semi-final against Radley Youth. They quickly found themselves two goals down following two powerful strikes. Will Goulden pulled a goal back with a persevering move, but despite giving everything the Hurricanes could not go any further.

The Hurricanes finish their season with another tournament tomorrow..