Lancashire Schools FA Girls U16s team have advanced to the quarter finals of the ESFA Inter Counties National Cup and the final of the Northern Counties competition after storming back to beat Northumberland.

Played at Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy in Chorley, the visitors raced to a 2-0 lead within seven minutes.

But Lancashire, with five East Lancashire players in the squad, were level by the quarter hour mark in a pulsating opening 15 minutes.

ESFA England International Natasha Fenton drilled home a splendid free kick to pull one back and an unfortunate own goal saw the Red Roses draw level.

But there was no stopping the talented county team and it was 4-2 by half time as Blackpool’s Georgia Lambe finished clinically twice after the half hour mark to put Lancashire in command.

The second half saw Lancashire up the tempo and some great football allowed West Lancashire’s Alice Adams to grab a quick fire hat-trick and Blackburn with Darwen’s Alicia Johnson ended the game with a super strike.

Other local girls in the side were: Girls in the squad from East Lancashire are: Katie Maher (Ribble Valley), Katie Samuels (Blackburn with Darwen), Neeve Hulton (Blackburn with Darwen), Alicia Johnson (Blackburn with Darwen).

Lancashire now face a tough away trip to Nottinghamshire in the National Cup in February and a Northern Counties Final away to local rivals Greater Manchester later in the year.

The County Schools U14s girls side have been drawn away to Surrey in the ESFA National Cup semi final – a competition they won at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsbrough Stadium last season.

n Lancashire U16s: Meghan Pope (Blackpool), Emma Hickson (Blackpool), Thea Mallett (Preston), Neeve Hulton, Jessica Riley (both Blackburn and Darwen), Katie Samuels (Hyndburn and Ribble Valley), Natasha Fenton (Blackpool), Sasha Rowe (West Lancs), Sarah Chadwick (South Ribble), Georgia Lambe (Blackpool), Mayumi Gillam (W Lancs), Ciara Boylan (South Ribble), Katie Maher (Hyndburn and Ribble Valley), Alicia Johnson (Blackburn with Darwen), Olivia Askam (Preston), Alice Adams (W Lancs).