YOUNG football stars of the future are celebrating after becoming runners-up in a keenly-contested national competition.

Players and supporters of Esh CE Aided Primary School, in Esh, near Durham City, were disappointed at losing in the final minutes of their cup game final, but are proud that they managed to make it as far as they did.

The team travelled to London for the finals of the English Schools Football Association (ESFA) Danone Nations Cup - after county and then regional champions, having trounced teams from Northumberland, Liverpool and Carlisle.

The team played four games in their league at the weekend, before taking on Essex’s Rickling Primary School in the final.

Esh headteacher and coach Roger Ward said: ““It was 0-0 at full time. We could have won it at the last free kick - it was just touched over the bar. If it had bounced differently it would have gone in.

“Then we were beat 2-0 in the dying moments of the second half of extra time.

“The children went through every emotion – from elation to disappointment.

“But it is probably one of my proudest moments. It is the first time a County Durham team has got this far in the competition.

“I am proud at the children having got so far and having shown such a fabulous attitude at every stage of the competition.”

This season the side, which is made up of year five and six pupils aged nine to 11-year-old, are also the Durham Schools League winners.

Mr Ward said: “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to money toward the trip.

“Local councillors and the Durham City School Sport Partnership provided money for us to go to London.”