SHOOTING stars Ebony Stinson and Emily Yeoman fired Lancashire in sight of a hat trick of National titles.

Lancashire’s under-14 girls team defeated their Merseyside counterparts 3-0 in a convincing display to advance to the English Schools FA National Cup final, a title they have won in each of the last two seasons.

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Hyndburn and Ribble Valley prospect Yeoman sealed the tie, scoring Lancashire’s third, while Stinson, from Blackburn and Darwen, netted Lancashire’s second goal.

The game began at a frantic pace with both sides trying to get a foothold in the game.

Merseyside had edged the opening exchanges, but it was the Red Rose girls who forged in front, South Ribble’s Hannah Walsh lobbing the goalkeeper with some clever opportunism after she found some space on the right hand side.

The home side looked to level and hit the bar with a header as Lancashire survived until the interval with their 1-0 lead intact.

Indeed it could have been more with Ellie Spooner seeing an effort well saved by the home goalkeeper although there had been a foul in the build-up.

Spooner also went close with an ambitious lob as the holders went into the break with a slender advantage.

After the interval, the visitors, boosted by Walsh’s stunning strike in the first half, began to dominate the tie and it was no surprise when Stinson tapped home Ellie Spooner’s assist to double their advantage just after the break.

In the final five minutes, Yeoman’s looping cross bamboozled the goalkeeper in the 76th minute, securing Lancashire’s passage to their fourth final in as many years.

It was a fine display by the Red Rose girls to secure what proved to be a comfortable victory.

The victorious Under-14 squad will prepare for the National final with a trip to England’s training centre at St George’s Park next month.

The squad are also heading on a football tour in Yorkshire in April when they will compete in the Northern Counties Festival.