A school football team has been crowned joint winners of the English Cup 2020.

The U14 girls team at Alder Grange School in Rawtenstall are sharing the crown with The Cherwell School from Oxford in the national football competition.

This year, the team of 14 played eight nine-a-side games to make their way to the final, winning one of their matches 13-0.

After falling short at the semi-final of the same competition last season, the Alder Grange girls were even more determined to succeed this year and are proud of pulling a win out of the bag.

The girls missed out in their 2019 semi-final match against the Priory School from Shrewsbury and incredibly ended up playing against them in this years semi-final - a real deja-vu moment for the team.

The team played their quarter final in February and after a seven month break due to the pandemic, the girls played the semi-final match where they victorious.

The girls were anxious but excited to play the final match which they had worked so hard for however a few days before the final was due to take place back in October of last year it was cancelled by the Cherwell due to tiered restrictions and concerns about growing rates of the virus.

It was then decided by the organisers of the cup that both teams should share the victory.

PE teacher and coach, Mr Spencer Bibby said: "Credit goes to such a formidable team who have therefore reached the top four and two teams within the country, two years in a row.

"They are an amazing group of girls who deserved to play in a National Cup final.

"They will try again next season to replicate this success and hopefully go one step further.

"Never the less, they are certainly creating a dynasty of football here at Alder Grange."