What a way to finish your first competitive season in football!

Abbeymead Rovers Tekkers Under-8s crowned an excellent campaign by winning the Severn Valley Youth League’s mini-soccer cup final and the joy on the faces of their players tells its own story.

They overcame Lydney Town 5-2 in the final, a match that was played over four 10-minute quarters at Lobley’s Drive Playing Field, Abbeymead.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” said coach Shaun Meakin, whose son Luca is part of the team’s nine-strong squad. “I’m delighted, absolutely delighted. To be fair, I was more stressed than the players!”

Both teams were made up of five players and Abbeymead were actually leading 4-0 with five minutes to go before Lydney struck two quickfire goals.

But any nerves there may have been among Abbeymead’s supporters were soon laid to rest as they hit a fifth to claim the cup in style.

Abdul Diallo got two of their goals and the others were shared around between Noel Holmes, skipper Kodi Field and Oliver Howells.

Abbeymead came through three group games, a quarter-final and a semi-final to reach the final so their victory was certainly fully merited.

The team will step up to seven-a-side football next season and Meakin, who has been coaching the players since the age of five, is looking to work with a squad of 10 in 2022/23.

A couple of their players – Amari-Dean Golden and Abdul Diallo – are leaving to joining Cheltenham Town Academy, but Meakin and his assistant Adam Ball, whose son Kaden is part of the squad, will certainly be confident as they move into under-9s football.

And with a name like Tekkers, they are certainly easy to remember!

“We had to come up with a name a couple of years ago,” explained Meakin. All the players put forward suggestions and then we had a vote on it. Tekkers was Amari’s suggestion.”

The under-8 final was one of three mini-soccer finals played at Abbeymead.

Other results
Under-9s: Abbeymead Rovers Thunder 2 – Quedgeley Wanderers Reds 2 (2-3 pens). Under-10s: Hucclecote Hawks 0 – Lydney Town 0 (0-1 pens).