Students from West Thames College took part in Community Education Football Alliance (CEFA) League Regional Cup Final at Griffin Park last week. The national league, which is run by the EFL, offers young players in a post-16 education pathway the opportunity to play in a highly competitive league amongst other club representative teams. The players take part in a football and education programme run by Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, which enables students to study for a BTEC Level Three sports diploma while enhancing their football skills.

The young Brentford side took on West Bromwich Albion at Griffin Park last Friday morning. The Baggies took the prize and Sara Hussain wrote the following report:

West Brom score six against Brentford in the CEFA league Regional Cup Final

On Friday 10 May, students from West Thames College took part in the CEFA Regional Cup Final at Griffin Park.

The national league, which is run by the English Football League, offers young players in a post-16 education pathway the opportunity to play in a highly competitive league amongst other EFL Club representative teams.

On this mildly sunny Friday afternoon, students from West Thames College played against West Brom’s under 19s team. West Brom scored six against the Brentford side who failed to find the net.

The 1st half was relatively lively, with West Brom scoring within the first half an hour. The ball was coolly slipped in, the Brentford keeper had a hand to the goal, but it was too much power for the keeper to contain. Brentford came back with optimism and scored a goal that was declared offside by the referee, in the midst of objection from the Brentford side. The offside goal was tucked away in the bottom corner where the keeper couldn’t get to it, would have levelled the score line, but the referee was quick to make the judgement.

Thirty-five minutes into the first half and  drama unfolded as four players received yellow cards.

The second half began with Brentford getting back into the game and scoring. Number 12 thundered it in, with the keeper unable to get a hand on it. While Brentford looked like they were defending better, the baggies scored again making the score 3-0 to West Brom. Early into the second half, Brentford made two substitutions. Number 12 wanted to make a mark but missed an open goal. After the miss, West Brom bagged another goal, Number 12 for West Brom crossed it in, Brentford defence was lacking, and they seemed to have missed the mark on that goal.

Shortly before the final whistle, West Brom changed their keeper and saw one of their shots block by Number 10 for Brentford. However, the efforts of number 10 didn’t last as West Brom scored their final goal.