Yate heartache for brave Bulldogs (From Gazette Series)

Yate heartache for brave Bulldogs

GLOUCESTER City Ladies needed sudden death penalties to see off a spirited Cam Bulldogs side in the most dramatic of conclusions to the Yate Town six-a-side tournament.

In a repeat of the Dursley Town Sixes final, which City won by a single goal, the two sides played out a nail-biting goalless draw before deciding the match from the penalty spot.

Cam's Katie Everett and Gloucester goalkeeper Helen Wood successfully struck the opening kicks but thereafter the stoppers had the upper hand. Lucy Bennett shot straight at Wood but City failed to capitalise as Bulldogs goalkeeper Lina Elliott parried the next kick to keep the score at 1-1.

Wood then blocked a piledriver from Michelle Purse, only for Elliott to make an incredible save from the last of the regulation kicks.

However, after Bev Tanner fired the first sudden-death penalty too close to the goalkeeper for the Bulldogs, Gloucester secured the trophy with a fine strike into the top corner.

City's win was just about deserved on the balance of play but was tough on the Bulldogs and especially Elliott who did not concede a single goal in the entire competition and made three outstanding stops in the final.

In all, eight teams took part in the tournament, with all teams playing each other once and the top two contesting the final.

Hosts Yate Town entered two teams but found themselves outclassed against teams that will all be playing a division higher in the coming league season.

Yate B lost all seven of their matches including a 6-0 mauling from Gloucester in their last match, while Yate A could only add a 0-0 draw against Stoke Lane A to their 2-0 win over their clubmates.

Stoke Lane A also struggled to make an impact but Stoke Lane B looked in contention until losing to a solitary goal against Cam.

In the end, the two places in the final were decided in the last round of group matches.

Gloucester's demolition of Yate B meant that they got to the final, while unbeaten Oldland Abbotonians unluckily paid the price for drawing too many games and missed out.

Oldland won three matches but were held to one more draw than rivals Gloucester and Cam.

The other place in the final would be taken by the winner of the Cam versus Downend clash, with the Bulldogs progressing in the event of a draw.

Downend, who recovered well after losing to Gloucester in their opening game, twice shot narrowly wide and also struck a post but Cam rode their luck and got the goalless draw they needed.

The final was equally tense and with the Gloucester having conceded just one goal throughout the tournament and their opponents none at all the match not surprisingly ended 0-0 and it was left to the lottery of penalties to give City the honours.