Youngsters from St Anne’s Academy (Middleton), who were representing Dale at the regional finals of the Football League Girls U13s Cup last week, made an made an unfortunate exit from the competition after conceding a goal with just 30 seconds left on the clock in their semi-final tie against Hartlepool United.
The girls started well with a victory over Bradford City, before losing to Middlesbrough in the next game. Their final group match saw a well-deserved 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town, which was enough to see them through to the semi-final, where the exited to Hartlepool United, who went on to win the competition and the chance to play at Wembley.
Siobhan McElhinney, Assistant Community Trust Manager, commented: “The the girls played their hearts out and were a credit to their school.”
The Girls Cup is a national competition run by the Football League. It gives schools the chance to proceed via the regional finals to the National Final which takes place before the play-off final in May at Wembley.