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Champions! Schoolboy footballers lift the cup after final thriller

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Goal!: the Croydon under-15s team became the first from the district to win an English Schools’ cup final in Sunday’s final played at Worcester

Croydon Schools’ under-15s have been crowned national champions, after winning a tense English Schools Inter District Cup final against Chester-le-Street 3-1 on Sunday.

The game, played at Worcester’s rugby stadium, Sixways, was evenly matched from the start, with Chester-le-Street’s strong and skilful centre forward posing a constant threat to the Croydon defence.

Croydon gradually got more of the ball and took a 1-0 lead from a shot from the edge of the area on 30 minutes by Xavier George, who was not even on the team sheet for the start of the match, as he was a late replacement just before the first whistle.

In the second-half Chester-le-Street came back into the game and equalised after a fine run and fierce shot from their threatening centre forward, Donaldson, who was later named Man of the Match.

Remember these names: the original line-up before Sunday’s final – might one or two of these youngsters end up playing in the Premier League one day?

But it was Croydon who eventually took their chances, with two more goals in five minutes.

It is Croydon’s first outright victory in a national competition – last year’s under-15s Trophy was shared with Sefton when the final could not be played because of covid.

“So it could be said that we retained the trophy,” according to one of the teachers in charge.


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