Chester-le-Street schoolboys have reached the finals of a national soccer tournament for the second year running.

Last year, Chester-le-Street District Schools shared the honours in the finals of the under-11 Adidas Predator seven-a-side competition at Wembley, drawing 0-0 with Oxford before an under-18 international game.

The team has done it again with a new set of players.

The team and three other sides, including Oxford, will contest the national final at a Premiership ground later this year.

The side became County Durham and then Northern champions, competing against ten county winners from Northumberland to Merseyside.

It topped the league section of the competition with nine points from three wins.

Then the lads won the semi-final 2-0 against Tameside before drawing 0-0 with Leeds then winning on penalties.

Team manager Tom Baker said: "It is a very big competition.

"To get to the final once is very difficult, but to do it twice is beyond out expectation.

"It is a wonderful achievement, particularly as we have a different set of players."

The successful team were Christopher Ryder, Carl Smith, Mark Peck, Ben Davis, Christopher Travena, John Morris (captain), Luke Darwin, Scott Fenwick and Gary Lee Medine.