Oldham Athletic were crowned the Kinder+Sport League 1 Kids Cup champions after a 1-0 win against Crawley Town at Wembley Stadium.
Youngsters from South Failsworth Primary School represented the Latics under the arch and Kyle Carnell scored the only goal of the game midway through the first half to guide them to glory.After a bright start, it was in fact Crawley - represented by children from The Oaks Primary School - who had the first chance of the game through captain Josh Hallard.
But Oldham found their feet and grabbed the opening goal courtesy of Carnell, who steadied himself before firing home from just outside the box.
After they gained their lead, the Latics defended well, marshalled by the towering Mekhi Armstrong.
Oldham stopper Joe Lawton was called into action a number of times in the second period but he was equal to efforts from the impressive Hallard and Harry McKnight.
The Latics could have stretched their lead in the closing stages as they applied pressure but they didn’t need to, as Carnell’s strike was enough for them to lift the trophy.
“I’m speechless,” triumphant defender Armstrong said.
Mike Jones, the teacher who accompanied the South Failsworth youngsters at the national stadium, spoke of his pride after the final whistle.
“This is the third time I’ve been here and we’ve lost the last two, so it’s third time lucky.
“These boys always had the belief that they could get this far. I’m absolutely delighted, and I’m so proud of them.”
The 2015 Kinder+Sport Kids Cup has seen over 16,700 children take part in the nationwide competition which is an increase of more than 1,000 from previous years. The competition, for children under the age of 11, culminates in a final at Wembley before the Sky Bet Football League Play-Off Finals this Bank Holiday Weekend.
The Kids Cup falls under the Kinder+Sport Project, which is a key part of Ferrero’s global CSR activity and in the UK sees Ferrero partner with The Football League Trust to increase the levels of physical activity, promote nutritional education and build awareness of the importance of a balanced diet and active lifestyle amongst children.
In the UK Ferrero also support the + Sport Move and Learn Project which is a schools-based programme targeting nine to 10-year-olds. It sets out to move over 21,000 children and deliver over 190,000 hours of activity and education over the 2014/15 school year across the UK and Ireland.
Crawley Town (represented by The Oaks Primary School): Archie Fuller (GK), Josh Hallard (Capt), Jayden Bow, William Sharpe, Callum Chesworth, Harry McKnight, Alessio Pagnani, Oliver Cooper.
Oldham Athletic (represented by South Failsworth Primary School): Josh Lawton (GK, Capt), Kyle Carnell, Lewis Eaton, Tommy Ferris, Mekhi Armstrong, Ryan Frost, Ben Yates, Leo Dockray.