FIVE-A-SIDE VICTORY TAKES FOUNDATION STUDIES TEAMS THROUGH TO THE FINAL

IT WAS a battle of two counties as Foundation Studies students from Exeter College as they worked their way through games with opponents from five colleges in the South West, only to be pipped to the post at the eleventh hour by Cornwall College during the recent BSC South West Ability Counts Five-A-Side Football Competition held at Torquay.

In his first competition as a Five-A-Side football tournament coach, tutor Andy Whitt admits he was as nervous as some of the members of the two Exeter College teams entered as the tournament began.

In the event, however, the Vocational Studies team, coached by himself, and the Skills For Living team, coached by fellow tutor Nick Couzens, excelled.

On the day, they scored 27 goals in the seven matches they played against Bridgwater College, Weymouth College, Weston College, Bicton College, South Devon College and the day’s overall victors, Cornwall College.

Andy says: “Nick and I motivated the teams with bags of energy, excitement, enthusiasm and get-up-and-go beforehand, so they would have the confidence to show the rest of the football teams from across the whole of the South West that we were best.

“The first match was against Cornwall College. We thought it was going to be easy, but we soon came crashing down to Earth with a 5-2 loss. After a team talk, however, we went on to win the next three games – one of them 10-1 – only to be beaten in the final one by Cornwall again.”

Andy says: “I was so excited on the day that I couldn’t take photos because I was shaking so much. The tension was incredible. The students gave it their all and we came a magnificent second. It was a great day for both teams and for Nick and myself. It was a proud day for Exeter College.”