Camden Elite Under-10s lift the Camden Youth League’s GoCardless Summer Cup

ONE of the capital’s most successful youth football clubs this summer have stretched their winning streak to five trophies.

Having seen Camden Elite’s Under-9s and Under-11s already pick up two cups each in the past couple of weeks, it was time for the club’s Under-10s to showcase their skills at the pitches in Bloomsbury.

And they didn’t disappoint as, with a little help from a group of players who have already toasted silverware this season, Elite’s final age group to tackle the Camden Youth League’s GoCardless Summer Cup also reigned supreme on Saturday.

Club founder and head coach Sebastian Eurico explained: “It was the final dance, and what a fantastic way to end the season. We’re all so proud of the boys for putting in an amazing performance and bringing home another cup.

“A number of our Under-10s squad was unavailable on Saturday, so we drafted in five of our Under-9s players. They had already won a couple of trophies this summer so we knew that they were more than capable of playing up a year. They did a great job.”

Ky-Mani Forest

Elite navigated their way to the final at Coram’s Fields without losing a single game. They then went stratospheric as two goals from player of the tournament Ky-Mani Forest and a deflected effort from Arthur Kearney sealed a 3-0 victory over Camden Town Youth FC.

Having added such an impressive haul to the trophy cabinet, you’d be forgiven for thinking that now was the perfect time to kick back and bask in all the glory.

Far from it, with Sebastian insisting there was plenty of hard work ahead before the new campaign gets underway in September.

“There is always room for improvement,” he said. “Technically we drew both our quarter and semi-finals because on both occasions we had to rely on penalties before getting to the final. That’s really not good enough.

“We need to be more ruthless in front of goal. We’re creating plenty of chances but we’re just not taking them, and that’s an issue that is affecting all of our age groups.

“I will take a look at that over the summer with the rest of our coaches, and next season we will find new ways to work on and improve our finishing.

“But for now, there are plenty of positives to take, and the players can go off and enjoy their summer. They all know what is expected of them, and that they should still find time to train and keep their skills sharp. Hopefully they will all be inspired by the World Cup being on, too.”

• Camden Elite will be looking to strengthen their squads next season, with teams available for players aged 4 to 11. For more information follow the club on Instagram @camdenelitefootballacademy