Courtesy: North Wiltshire and Kennet Gazette & Herald


Chippenham land international prize

Thursday 29th October 2009

CHIPPENHAM Futsal Club began their preparations for entry into the national leagues in the best possible way by being crowned champions of the first-ever Errea International Cup.

The sport is a five-a-side, 40-minute game of two halves, played on smaller indoor pitch with goals sized at three metres wide by two metres high.

Manager Chris Ballinger took his squad of 12 to Middlesbrough for the four-team tournament with England team captain Luke Ballinger, from Seend, the star player.

In their first game on day one Chippenham came up against the home town club, who are reigning Northern League champions and emerged with an 8-4 victory.

After just a half-hour break they were asked to play again, this time against South American side Universidad Catolica de Uruguay who were yet to feature that day.

The result was a 9-7 defeat but the Wiltshire side rebounded on the morning of day two with a comprehensive 26-7 victory over East Coast, which saw them top the group on goal difference.

Chippenham took on Universidad in the final which proved to be a much closer affair than their earlier meeting with the scores level going into the break, before Swindon-based Brazilian Lucas Totti sprang into life after the break.

The former Swindon Town triallist, who went on to win player of the tournament, hit a hat-trick within five minutes of the restart but the Uruguayans responded with two from international player international Ignacio de Leon.

Brothers Jesse and George Nash, who plays for Corsham Town, combined to regain the two-goal lead before Ballinger and Totti wrapped up the 6-2 win the take home the cup.

“That was our best performance,” said Chris Ballinger, who help found the club in 2007. “We're all chuffed to have gone up there and won.”

Chippenham will now play a series of friendlies before they undertake their first season in the FA National Futsal Leagues, which begin on January 10. For more information go to www.chip penhamfutsal.co.uk or contact Chris Ballinger on 07785 350830.







Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com