WITH just two minutes to spare, Haslingden High School Centre Midfielder Ocean Flanagan struck a 40-yard ball which landed in the top corner of the net.
The 1-0 scoreline, against tough Manchester team Wright Robinson College, secured the U16s team a place in the quarter-final of the English Schools Football Association Arnold Clark Cup, for the second year in succession.
The away match was gruelling, the opponents tough and physical, and at the end several of the Haslingden players were carrying knocks.
Centre Midfielder Hattie Simpson, 15, said: “They were a tough team. When we played them in Year 9 they were a very physical side and so we knew what to expect.”
Ocean, 15, said: “Towards the end of the match, everyone was just kicking the ball everywhere trying to get a goal. The ball was near the goal and the goalie booted it out to half-way down and I just whacked it from about 40 yards out.”
Hattie said: “I thought it was going to hit the post, the goalie was caught off her line and it went into the top corner.”
Ocean said: “When it went into the top left and I just jumped around.”
The players then stampeded towards Ocean to join in the celebration.
Previous results have seen the team win 6-0, 3-0, 7-3 and 4-1.
Last year, when the students were in Year 10, the team was knocked out in the quarter-finals against South Hunsley, when the 0-0 final score meant penalties.
They are now waiting to find out if they will be playing Thomas Estley Community College, Leicester, or Lydiard Park Academy, Swindon. The match will be played at Haslingden.
Ocean plays for Accrington Stanley U18s along with right back Isabella Dunn and they will be in Dallas in March with Accrington for a 10-day tournament. They are hoping the ESFA dates don’t clash.
The school’s U12s girls’ team is also into the semi-final of the Lancashire Cup after an amazing 8-2 win at Tarleton High in the third round.
They are waiting for a date when they will face Hodgson High. The four semi-final winners will go through to a finals’ day tournament at St Bede’s in Blackburn to decide the Lancashire Football Association Trophy winner.
Manchester United player Olivia Newbitt, 11, said: “The grass was really long and the pitch muddy, but the opposition only had two good players and they were not really playing forward.”
There were two goals apiece for centre midfielder Olivia, left wing Hettie Jarosz and striker Ellie Warrell and one each for Connie Wall and Layla Jones.
At half-time the score was 4-1 and PE teacher and coach Nikki Berko gave the team a strong team talk urging the young players not to let their lead go.
Olivia added: “We are next up against Miss Berko’s friend’s team, hopefully we can win a place in the final.”