Herefordshire FA celebrated hosting The FA Peoples Cup for the first time this year. We were chosen by the FA to host the Adult Male (16+) Category for the 2019 Cup.

It was a really great environment created by all teams and we were greeted from teams not only from Herefordshire but Mid-Wales and Gloucester. Both leagues were extremely tight in the end as the top two teams automatically qualified for the semi-finals. Interestingly it was the two runner ups in the groups who ended up in the final.

HLP FC won Group 1 and claiming wins of 1-0, 5-0 & 1-0 only drawing 0-0 with Welsh outfit, Baker’s Half Dozen, to prevent them from a clean sweep. Gloucester team Blink One Eto’o were pushed into second spot after wins of 1-0, 3-2 & 3-0, only losing to HLP FC 1-0 in the group. The other teams to bow out at the group stage were Hereford based Average At Best, You’re Nothing Special We Lose Every Week and Bakers Half Dozen.

Group 2 it was extremely tight with all four teams still in with a chance of reaching the semi-finals by the last round of fixtures. In the end the winners were Waste of Space from Hereford with a couple of wins 3-1 & 3-0 and drawing with fellow Hereford outfit I Don’t Know 1-1. I Don’t Know finished second with a record of 1 win (2-0) 1 draw (1-1) and one loss (1-0). The other two teams to just miss out on the semi-finals by one point were You Kantes and The Fluffy Tailed Scamperers both from Hereford.

Into the Semi-Finals and it was to be both the teams who finished second in their Groups who would eventually win a place in the final. Unbeaten Group 1 winners HLP FC losing 1-0 to I Don’t Know and in the second Semi-Final Blink One Eto’o coming out on top of a great match 3-2 against Group 2 winners Waste of Space.

The 3^rd/4^th Place Playoff match was played in a friendly manner with Waste of Space taking the chances they missed in their Semi-Final match to come out comfortable winners 7-1 against a tired looking HLP FC.

In the Final and nothing could separate both teams with the result finishing 0-0 at full time but there were chances for both games during the match. So it was left to penalties to decide who was to win The FA Peoples Cup 2019 (Round 1). Only one penalty was missed in the shootout, with the score 3-3 it went to sudden death, both teams scored to make it 4-4 only for I Don’t Know to step up and hit the post after sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. That meant it was left to Blink One Eto’o player to win it for his team... with one step he delivered a cracking penalty giving the goalkeeper no chance!

Congratulations to Blink One Eto’o who now go into Round 2 over at Goals Bristol North on the Sunday 24^th March to fight out with other Round 1 winners for a place to play in the Finals at St Georges Park on Sunday 28^th April.