Dulwich College hosted a semi-final thriller last Sunday in the Selkent U16 Cup II, as Dulwich Village U16 White overcame Footscray Lions U16 from the penalty spot. The away team have been a force to be reckoned with this season with their performances in the league, which gave Dulwich Village a preview of the tricky match ahead of them.

The cagey affair boiled down to a Ben Fender equaliser for the U16 White, with two minutes left on the clock, levelling the game to 1-1 in regular time. A sigh of relief followed for the Dulwich Village camp, and they had been granted a second opportunity from spot kicks in South London.

Despite such a nervy match, it was Dulwich Village that kept their cool from the spot. Once again, captain Ben Fender popped up to tuck the winning penalty home, propelling Dulwich Village through to the final. Pure elation pursued, as trophy hopes sunk in for the team in orange and black.

Congratulations to Footscray

Everyone at Dulwich Village would like to congratulate Footscray Lions U16 who offered a brilliant match last weekend. One that was extremely tight and taken down right to the wire. We wish them all the best in the final games that remain towards their title ambitions.

Dulwich Village U16 White coach Stephen commented:

“Footscray are a great team - who may well win the division title, and I hope they do because they are a good bunch.”

Words from the coach

Coach Stephen spoke on the match…

“The team were 1-0 down but showed some real character. When being in a difficult situation, they can usually dig themselves out of it.”

“I am really proud of the boys. We have not won anything yet, but we have given ourselves a good opportunity to do so”

Stephen also touched on the penalty shootout…

“Penalty shootouts are a bit of a lottery. It is hard for boys at 16-years-old because they may not have been in that situation before.

“I did not feel nervous in that situation because if they score, they score and if they miss, they miss. It is all part of the experience we give them playing football in a competitive environment like this.”

The prospect of a potential trophy…

“The approach we take he is that they should enjoy the game, and they should develop their skills. If they can win something – fantastic.”

“Most sports are competitive; you do go in it to win. However, it is fundamentally important that they enjoy it and that they develop their skills at the same time.”