Several hundred spectators descended on Trungle Parc last weekend for a great exhibition of competitive football played the modern way, as the inaugural Endorsed Cup tournament got off to a flying start, featuring the talented under-18 youngsters from Newcastle United, Huddersfield Town and Bolton Wanderers, together with hosts Mousehole AFC.
Newcastle United proved too strong for Huddersfield Town in the opening match on Friday afternoon, as The Magpies won 4-0 with a composed performance to reach Saturday’s Final.
On Friday evening Bolton Wanderers defeated Mousehole 4-1 with a scintillating display of creativity and speed, Steven Ziboth grabbing a late consolation goal for The Seagulls from the penalty spot.
Less than 15 hours later, Mousehole were back in action against Huddersfield Town in the Saturday morning third-place contest, gaining a somewhat unexpected but highly creditable 2-0 win with another Steven Ziboth goal and a second from a trialist striker.
The showpiece Final on Saturday afternoon saw Bolton Wanderers pick up the handsome Endorsed Cup by overcoming Newcastle United 3-0 in another brilliant 90-minutes of spellbinding football, impressively orchestrated in midfield by influential captain Luca Connell – surely a name that will come to prominence in future years.
The visiting teams were chaperoned by members of the Mousehole committee and enjoyed visits to some of the West Cornwall attractions. The teams’ coaches and managers said they were delighted to play their part in a first-ever tournament of its kind in Cornwall, and viewed the tournament as a valuable opportunity for the youngsters to bond together as they spent time together away from their home areas and play in a genuinely competitive tournament.
For Mousehole’s player-manager Calum Elliot, this was a useful exercise in assessing his promising new squad and developing The Seagulls’ trademark passing style, as the preparations gather pace for the new SWPL West Division season, which starts with a home match against Plymstock United on Saturday 18thAugust.
