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Football


Sandwell are partnered with West Bromwich Albion so have a full team of excellent academy footballers.


But Shenfield (pictured below) dug deep to keep the score goalless at full-time where another even-more epic penalty shoot-out ensued.


Incredibly, all 20 outfield players stepped up and converted their spot kicks so at 10-10 it was down to the keepers.


Shenfield’s Martin Wicher stepped up and smashed his shot into the top right hand corner then pulled off a brilliant save to seal the title for his team.


Team manager Garry Sapsford said: “2020 was a difficult time for everyone so we are so grateful to the ESFA for getting the finals organised and each of our players will have memories for life from our day up at Lilleshall.”


Twenty-six teams and 13 finals kicked off an exciting seven days of schools’ football at Lilleshall as the 2019/20 season finished just days before the 2020/21 campaign started.


Due to Covid regulations, spectators were not permitted at any of the matches but each fixture was streamed live online via the ESFA’s YouTube channel, ESFA TV – with the videos, so far, reaching over 60,000 views and including live, interactive ‘player of the match’ votes, via the ESFA’s Twitter account (@SchoolsFootball).


In the U14 boys’ cup, Bishop’s Stortford High School pipped Bolton’s Turton School 2-1 thanks to a brace from Joe Nardelli.


Head of PE Pete Harris said: “It would have been easier to not have them, but I really appreciate the ESFA giving our students the opportunity to play, as it brought back a little bit of ‘normal’ playing a schools’ cup fixture. My students had a fantastic day and it has given a real buzz to the school.”


There was success too for Derbyshire’s Repton School who defeated Surrey’s Wilson’s School 3-0 in the U18 boys’ final and Solihull’s St Peter’s Catholic School, who edged Essex’ Emerson Park School 5-4 in the U13 boys’


competition.


Devon’s Ivybridge Community College performed admirably to get two teams through the finals of the U15 cups – with mixed results.


While the boys were pipped 5-3 on penalties against Cheshire’s Wade Deacon High School after drawing 1-1 in normal time, Ivybridge’s girls sealed victory in style with a 6-3 win against Manchester’s Walkden High School.


Wade Deacon’s Cai Jones scored the all-important equaliser and head of PE Matthew Campbell said: “Over 600 teams entered this competition so to come out and be ranked as the best U15 team in the country is an amazing achievement and one that is so difficult to achieve.”


For those teams unable to take part in the delayed finals, joint winners were declared by the ESFA.


These included St Francis Xavier’s College, Liverpool and Toynbee School, Winchester in the U12 boys’ final, Rossendale’s Alder Grange School and Oxford’s


Cherwell School in the U13 girls’ final and Thomas Telford School and Barking Abbey School in the U18 girls’ final.


ESFA spokeswoman Sarah Kearney: “We took the step to complete the national cup competitions for 2019/20, rather than abandoning the season, once it was clear that there was a positive appetite from those schools remaining in the competitions to continue with fixtures.”


“It’s a good news story, amongst so much negativity, and demonstrates how the staging of national finals has allowed hundreds of secondary schoolchildren to return to some brief normality in playing their schools' cup finals and claiming their titles.”


And ESFA chairman Phil Harding added: “Our national finals have again showcased all that is unique and special about schools' football - lifelong memories, with young people demonstrating that they can be competitive, considerate and truly enjoy their football.”


Issue No.81 January/February/March 2021 SCHOOL SPORT


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