Junior Academy East Mallorca Cup Day Five

Day Five, finals day for those in the Gold, Silver and Bronze Competitions.

A slightly shorter activation this morning, and understandably so. With the possibility of three games ahead for both squads and with the inevitable accumulation of niggles beginning to nip at Leigh Brown and Lloyd Hickton’s group the cotton wool was out and the load‑management dial turned up.

The Whites, faced a new kind of challenge: onboarding a coach for the first time since the airport just to fulfil their Quarter Final against Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon. A curveball nobody needed, but exactly the sort of chaos that seems to follow this age group around Europe.

But before all that drama unfolded, it was the Blue Team who stepped into the spotlight first.

CD Bellamar 0-0 (1-2p) Chippenham Town Blues

Chippenham Town Blues booked their place in the next round of the East Majorca Cup after a tense goalless draw with Bellamar, eventually progressing 2-1 on penalties thanks to two superb saves from Arijus.

Isaiah produced the first spark, weaving through midfield on a mazy run before being tripped from behind, only for the referee to wave away appeals and indicate a dive.

Moments later, Isaiah’s attempt to win back possession resulted in a Bellamar free‑kick, but the effort drifted harmlessly over the bar.

Chippenham began to grow into the contest, as Harry drove forward and forced a save that led to a corner although the resulting delivery came to nothing.

A neat exchange between Rohan and Harry released Rohan down the right, and his cut‑back found Alex, who fired narrowly wide.

The midfield battle continued, with chances limited. A long free‑kick from Harry caused problems as the Bellamar keeper spilled it, but he recovered before any Blue shirt could capitalise.

Bellamar remained a threat on the break, and a misplaced Chippenham pass gifted them a rare opening. Only for Arijus to produce a full‑length diving save to keep the scores level.

Barney then burst down the right flank, outpacing the full‑back and drilling a low ball across the box, with Lamar sliding in just inches away from converting.

The 25 minute match would end level, with CTFC the happier side heading into the spot-kicks.

FT: 0-0

Bellamar – saved by Arijus (0-0)

Rohan – scored (0-1)

Bellamar – scored (1-1)

Harry – hit the bar (1-1)

Bellamar – saved by Arijus (1-1)

Tyler – scored (1-2)

A disciplined defensive display, two crucial saves from Arijus, and composure from the spot ensured the Blues progressed to the semi‑finals after a tight and tactical contest.

POTM Arijus‘s crucial saves to keep the Bluebirds in the game followed by two penalty saves in the shootout.

Meanwhile, the Whites – who had surprised the Blues by turning up to support them at kick‑off – embarked on a two‑stage coach journey to Son Servera. The first bus took them to the wrong place entirely, because of course it did, but eventually they arrived to face the breeding academy of one Cristiano Ronaldo.

SC Portugal (Lisbon) 2-1 Chippenham Town White

Having already played Sporting CP before the tournament began, there was at least some familiarity with what awaited them.

The first action came inside two minutes. Jaxon’s free‑kick had the keeper scrambling, grateful only that it dipped just over the bar.

Sporting struggled to play out from the back as the relentless Jonas pressed their back three into panic. His work led to a chance for Jude, who could only lift his effort over the goal.

The Portuguese responded on six minutes with some sharp footwork and combination play, ending in a shot that drifted wide. Moments later another effort followed, also off target.

Freddy A was then called into action, standing tall in a one‑on‑one to keep the scores level. Sporting continued to grow into the game, and on ten minutes a floated corner caused chaos. The initial effort bounced away from goal, but a Lisbon striker reacted quickest, powering the loose ball into an unguarded area of the net.

Their lead didn’t last long. Lucas pounced on a loose ball, shifted it onto his right and calmly slotted into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.

Freddy A produced another strong save soon after, and while Sporting’s shots became less frequent, Chippenham’s pressing continued to cause real problems.

Bobby came agonisingly close just before the 20‑minute mark, his strike inside the area blocked unknowingly by a defender who knew very little about it.

With two minutes of normal time remaining, Lucas burst through again, pulling away from the last defender, only to see his shot slide the wrong side of the near post.

It always felt like the game would be decided by a single moment of class, and so it proved. A midfield turnover of posseion allowed a Sporting player to weave through and set himself for a well‑struck finish into the corner in the dying minutes.

From the restart, Jaxon rattled the crossbar with a thunderous effort, but Sporting held on to book their place in the semi‑finals.

A valiant effort from Chippenham, who on another day could easily have been the side progressing.

POTM: Lucas

CD Serverense 2-1 Chippenham Town Blue

Chippenham Town Blue bowed out of the East Mallorca Cup in heart-breaking fashion after a spirited, high‑tempo semi‑final that hinged on fine margins and a late surge from CD Serverense.

The Bluebirds opened with real intent. Barney set the early tempo, bursting down the flank after a clever through ball from Rohan and squaring across goal just behind the arriving Isiah. Sustained pressure forced a corner, with the ball ricocheting dangerously around the area before Serverense finally scrambled it clear.

Chippenham continued to carve out chances. Barney slipped a perfectly weighted pass into Rohan, who found himself one‑on‑one. His first strike was blocked by the keeper, and the rebound sat up invitingly, only for his follow‑up to crash against the crossbar. Tyler then weaved through midfield to release Harry, as the Blues maintained their dominance.

Serverense, however, remained dangerous on the counter. Arijus was called upon to make a strong save to keep the scores level. At the opposite end, Barney repeatedly stretched the defence-denied once by a last‑ditch challenge, then forced wide for a corner, and later brought down with the referee waving play on.

Harry tested the Serverense keeper again, while a rare long‑range effort from the hosts was also parried away.

The breakthrough arrived through a moment of individual brilliance. Rohan glided past three defenders down the left before coolly slotting home for a deserved 1-0 lead.

But Chippenham’s advantage was short‑lived. Temporarily down a player, the Bluebirds were immediately exposed down the left, allowing Serverense to square across goal for a simple equaliser.

Minutes later, a free‑kick conceded on the edge of the box proved costly. The dead ball was drilled low into the bottom corner, turning the game on its head at 2-1.

With time running out, Harry unleashed a thunderous strike that rattled the bar-agonisingly close to forcing extra time. But the final whistle confirmed a cruel exit for the Bluebirds, who had played with heart, intensity, and no shortage of quality.

POTM: Barney

Heartbreak for both sides, yet absolutely no doubt about the pride they’ve brought to the club. Every player and staff member has represented Chippenham Town FC with maturity, resilience and a level of professionalism far beyond their years. They’ve been stretched, challenged, and thrown into situations they’ve never faced before and they’ve met every single one head‑on. A true credit to the badge, and the club’s motto of Pride & Passion

The evening agenda offered a welcome change of pace. Players and staff were joined by a cohort of parents for a gentle stroll down to the beach, where tired legs somehow found the energy for countless ad‑hoc games of beach football. Nottingham Forest were also on the dunes next door, recovering from their own demanding tournament, but the two groups kept to themselves as both sets of players enjoyed some well‑earned downtime.

Day Six brings the finals of the main competition, the closing ceremony, and most importantly the End of Tour Evening. A final chance to celebrate a fantastic week for the Bluebirds before heading home.

With big thanks to Phil for producing the stellar match reports from the teams’ time abroad!💙