FEMALE footballers at Haslingden High School are just a few matches from cup success at a national and county level.
The U14s and U15s girls’ teams are waiting to find out who they will be facing in the quarter-finals as they are now one of just eight teams remaining in the English School’s Football Association Cup competitions.
Both Haslingden sides have won six rounds posting impressive results. The U15s have scored 35 goals and only conceded six, while the U14s have scored 40 and only conceded five.
Several of the players represent both teams, including goalkeeper Holly Thomas.
To earn the quarter-final place, the U14s played at home against Rainford High Technology College, Knowsley, in a tough match which they won 3-2.
It was another home match for the U15s against Wirral Grammar School for Girls which they won 4-1 with a hat-trick for centre midfielder Hattie Simpson.
Lily Metcalf, 15, who also plays for Bolton, was the other goal scorer.
She said: “After Hattie scored the first, they pulled a goal back and I then scored the second before Hattie went on to get another two in the second half.”
Defender Hannah Derbyshire, 14, who plays for Haslingden Girls and Junior Hoops, said: “It was a bit stressful because just before half-time they scored and I wondered if we were going to get it back.”
As well as looking forward to the national quarter-final, Lily and Hannah are also members of the school’s U16 team that beat Clitheroe Grammar School 3-1 to secure a semi-final place in the Lancashire Cup.
The school’s Year 7 girls’ football team also won through to the semi-final of the Lancashire Cup after they defeated Preston’s Archbishop Temple side 5-4.
Left wing Ella Collinson and centre midfilder Miriam Aliouane both scored two of the goals with Kate Wilde adding one.
Ella and Mirian both 12 play for Blackburn and Junior Hoops and train every day, apart from Friday.
Ella said: “It was a really bad pitch and it was like playing on sand and was very slippy.”
Both teams are still waiting to find out who they will face in the semi-final of the Lancashire Cup.