Cup winners Global Radio

Plate winners Sony Y

The Plate

The plate competition is where the day’s slow starters begin to come into something resembling form. After a shaky start Konami Kickers started to show what they could do and made it through to round two by beating previous plate runners up Rodent on penalties. Konami Kickers were kicked out by Xbox 360 Elite 5-1. Sony Y played Eidos United in round one and won 4-1 and using this as a spring board went straight on to play Njays with no rest  and thumping them 8-0. The score in the quarter-finals were much closer as Sony Y knocked out Rebellion Derby 2-1, Xbox 360 Elite lost to Imagine Publishing 2-3 and another 3-2 scoreline saw Relentless FC lose out to Volatile Games.  

The semis were equally hard-fought with the Sony Y and Imagine Publishing match having penalties written all over it before Sony won 5-4. Volatile Games and Deep Silver ended their game 2-2 and then even penalties could not decide the match. In sudden death the pressure got to Deep and their opponents were put in the final.

Sony Y made it to the finals with no real rest between their matches and were up against Volatile Games. The match started with both teams holding the ball, but it was Hamilton who made the first real impression putting consecutive goals past the Volatile keeper. They proved too strong and ran out 4-0 winners, to be crowned plate champions 2008.

The Cup

This knock-out stage is usually where things get tougher for the teams who coasted their group stages. Not BGS, though, who showed no sign of relenting after dispatching Team Datascope 6-0 in the first round. The rest of the first round games were more closely contested. After an impressive morning Cock Pearl United went crashing out 3-0 to Athletico Activision, however, the rest of the group winners found safe passage into the third round.

In round three there were three games that went to penalties showing how close the competition was. CentreSoft held Sports Interactive to a two-all draw but lost out 3-2 on penalties. Travellers Tales A and Real So So Bad also ended on a draw and Travellers Tales then went through 3-2 on penalties. Technicolour’s  match with Grainger Games ended 2-2 so again it was penalties that decided it. After 20 spot kicks a huge crowd saw Grainger Games go thorough 10-9.

One team who appeared to be growing in stature as the competition progressed was Rockstar. After beating The Rivalry in the first round 1-0 they moved up a gear in round three, beating the previous plate winners Goal Barons 4-0.  They could not book a place in the semi-finals and were beaten by Global Radio a team who were similarly going through the gears as the competition reached its latter stages.

Rocksteady and Grainger Games battled it out in a hard fought semi-final drawing 1-1 after normal time. It was left to penalties, then sudden death to decide the outcome whereby Grainger Games ran out 6-5 winners. Predictably it was Global Radio who they met in the final who had overcome Pinnacle Software 4-1 to secure their place. Unfortunately for Grainger Games the final proved one game too far as Global Radio comfortably beat them 3-1 to take home the title of 2008 cup winners.

The individual awards went to Dave Grove of Technicolour who was the top scorer and Ben Wilson of Goal Barons who was player of the tournament. Very well done to both and to all who took part. Global Radio donated £1500 to the charity of their choice, Cancer Research UK.

Group stages: Xbox 360 Elite vs Nintendo

Global Radio vs Grainger Games in the final

For any further information, please email enquiries@gamesfives360.co.uk