A BLACKBURN doctor led the British medical football team against the world as they took part in the Medical World Cup football tournament in Manchester.

But after reaching the final on home soil, they paid the penalty and lost the tournament on a shoot-out.

Dr Paul Fourie, of the Witton Medical Centre, helped organised the tournament and hosted 11 teams from around the world in an exciting tournament and medical conference.

The week started with an opening ceremony where the various team captains from Brazil, USA, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, South Korea, Australia, Sweden and Catalonia introduced their players and were welcomed to the competition by the Lord Mayor of Manchester.

When the matches started the British team initially met a team made up of players from Stockport called the Barbarians who had to step in a short notice due to the late withdrawal of the team from Switzerland.

British medical team won this game 6-1 and then went on to meet Brazil in an exciting match equalising in the last minute to draw 1-1.

The final group game was against Lithuania, who had already qualified for the knockout stages fielded a weaker side, and were beaten comfortably 2-0 by the British medical team with Fourie scoring a header at the back post from a corner kick.

The British team then faced a strong Australian contingent in the quarter-finals and for the first time seamed together a very strong performance winning comfortably 2-0.

They then successfully carried their form into the following day when they faced Brazil – and recorded another emphatic 2-0 victory to secure their place in the final.

The finals were held at the National Athletic Stadium in the shadow of Man City’s Eitihad Stadium – and this venue staged the matches throughout the day starting with the 11th/12 play-off.

Five matches later the Catalonian and British teams lined up for the national anthems in front of the enormous Feran Morrell Medical Trophy as they got set to contest the final.

The British medical team started strongly and within 20 minutes scored two wonderful goals in open play to find themselves sitting comfortably on a 2-0 lead.

As so often happens in this situation, the Spanish team started to push and the British team ended defending deeper and deeper and the two-goal lead was cut by one and then with one minute left of play a scrappy goal with the ball bouncing around in the goal area allowed the Spanish team to equalise from the restart the final whistle was only 30 seconds away.

The British team lined up for the penalty shoot-out and in a dramatic end lost with the second penalty being missed by the British team the Spanish converted all there is to win 5-3.