Last week, The New Saints Academy U16s enjoyed a memorable three-day trip to Somerset as they travelled to compete in the Millfield Invitational Cup, taking on a number of sides from across the UK.

The tournament provided the squad with a valuable opportunity to test themselves against different opposition, including several professional academies, while also enjoying the experience of spending three days together away from home.

Here’s how the trip unfolded.

Day One

The three-day trip began with the squad departing Park Hall at around midday. After a few stops to collect players and make the usual service station visits, the group arrived at Millfield School at approximately 5:30pm.

Following a quick check-in, the players headed for their evening meal. The food throughout the three days was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone, with a great variety of options available.

All accommodation was situated on the school grounds, and the squad were surprised by the sheer size of the facilities. The walk from the accommodation to the canteen alone took around 10 minutes!

After returning from their evening meal, the players had some time to relax, watch football on television and enjoy a few games of table tennis before settling in for the night.

Day Two

An early start awaited the squad on the second day, with breakfast scheduled for around 6:45am - something that didn’t go down particularly well with the players!

The team then headed to the tournament pitches for their opening fixture against Queens Park Rangers.

QPR provided a tough test, taking the lead shortly after half-time. However, the team showed excellent resilience to turn the game around and secure an impressive 3-1 victory.

Their second fixture saw them take on Brighton & Hove Albion in a game played at a very high technical and tactical level. The Saints created several good opportunities and performed extremely well, but unfortunately came away with a narrow 1-0 defeat. Despite the result, the coaching staff were very pleased with the performance and the positive signs shown against a top-quality opponent.

The final game of the day was against Southend United. The Saints secured another victory, winning 1-0 against a difficult opponent who caused plenty of problems, particularly in possession.

Overall, the coaching staff were delighted with the team’s performances throughout the day. The opportunity to compete against three clubs they wouldn't normally encounter made the experience particularly valuable for the players.

Day Three

Going into their final group-stage fixture against Millfield School, the Saints knew they could finish anywhere between first and third, making the game an important one in determining which competition they would enter next - the Gold, Silver or Bronze Cup.

The team produced another strong performance, securing a 2-0 victory. Results elsewhere in the group meant that the Saints finished top on goal difference, earning themselves a place in the Gold Cup semi-finals.

Their reward was a meeting with Leeds United, and the players produced an outstanding performance against a very talented side. The Saints were excellent throughout and secured a fantastic 5-1 victory to book their place in the final.

It was undoubtedly the standout performance of the tournament, with the coaching staff feeling there was little more they could have asked of the players.

The final saw the Saints come up against Sheffield United. Unfortunately, they were beaten 3-1, with Sheffield United causing problems out of possession and ultimately proving deserving winners. The Blades had remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, highlighting the quality of the opposition.

Despite the disappointment of the final result, the coaching staff were incredibly proud of the players and the way they had performed across the three days. They also represented The New Saints brilliantly throughout the trip.

Understandably, the players were disappointed not to finish the tournament with a trophy, but their overall efforts were something to be proud of.

As the squad began the long journey back to Park Hall, spirits remained high, with plenty of laughter and good memories being shared on the bus.

It brought an excellent three days to a close, and everyone involved deserves huge credit for their efforts.

Reflecting on the team’s experience at the Millfield Invitational Cup, U15s-U16s Lead Coach Liam Kelleher said:

“We were really excited and proud to be invited to this prestigious tournament. Many thanks to Jaume and Danny from Coaches’ Voice for making this possible.

"As a group, we set out to be defensively solid and to ensure we represented TNS to the best of our ability, both on and off the pitch. I believe we achieved these goals by the end of the tournament.

"Our aim as an academy is to expose our players to tournaments like this because of the high-intensity games and the different challenges they provide. They put us in situations where we have to defend leads or push for winning goals late in games, while also helping to build a togetherness that can benefit the team throughout the season.

"Tournaments are brilliant opportunities for players to spend time together and create memories they can cherish for a long time, and this tournament certainly provided plenty of those.

"As an academy, it was great to play against teams we wouldn’t normally face due to geographical location, and these opponents provided some excellent challenges for our players.

"The players were an absolute joy to take away over the three days, and as staff, we couldn’t have asked any more of them in terms of their performances and how they conducted themselves.

"Congratulations to all the players involved. Well done!”