Sheffield United lifted the Sky Bet Championship Kinder+ Sport Cup at Wembley Stadium after a 1-0 win over Peterborough United.
MacKenzie Maltby scored the only goal of the game, and it was a strike in fitting with the Wembley setting.Represented by Norton Free Primary School, the Blades started proceedings on the front foot but were denied by some resolute defending by the Peterborough youngsters.
Ben Kemp flashed an effort across goal, while Danny Church found himself free but was denied by a last-ditch block.
Kemp again went close before the break as the Posh, represented by Eye C of E Primary School, tried to hit the Blades on the counter using the blistering pace of Luke Simpson-Morris.
It was a similar story in the second half and Peterborough's defence remained solid. That was until Maltby took aim.
A good 20 yards out, the Blades' number 10 shifted the ball onto his left foot and let fly, with the ball rocketing into the top right corner.
That was enough to settle what was a tight, well-fought Kids Cup Final and the youngsters from Sheffield celebrated their triumph in style, lifting the trophy in Wembley's Royal Box.
Mr Smith from Norton Free Primary guided the side to the national stadium, and has been delighted with the performance of his players throughout the duration of the tournament.
"It’s been absolutely amazing. The boys have been absolutely fantastic from the first moment of the tournament to the last," Mr Smith said.
"They played absolutely brilliantly today, they’ve done the school proud, the club proud and themselves proud. And it's the first time Sheffield United have won anything at Wembley so we’ve broke the curse! We just needed one moment of magic, and Mackenzie pulled it out the bag!"
And Maltby was understandably ecstatic following his match-winning display, adding: "It’s a really big achievement and it’s my dream come true for this to happen.
"I fancy my chances from long-range sometimes but not really on my left foot, so I was a bit surprised to see it fly in! It’s been a really good tournament which gives a lot of kids the chance to show what they can do, and it's great to have won it."
The Football League Kids Cup, alongside the Girls Cup for under-13s, is sponsored by Ferrero’s Kinder+Sport programme. Encouraging children to be physically active and embrace the joy of moving is one of Ferrero’s key aims and core corporate social responsibility principles, both in the UK and globally. The Kinder+Sport programme is designed to promote active lifestyles through dynamic play and sports among children and their families, and has reached 15 million children in 27 countries to date.
In the UK, Kinder+Sport includes a number of initiatives. The Kinder+Sport Move and Learn programme is a national, school-based education programme delivered in partnership with The Football League Trust that helps children learn about the importance of a balanced diet and regular physical activity. Ferrero also partners with The Football League Trust to deliver two more national competitions, the Kinder+Sport Futsal Cup for the under-16 age group, and the Kinder+Sport Challenge Cup for the under-18s group.
Both competitions encourage children to get involved with sport and physical activity, whilst giving them a unique opportunity to play at football stadiums. Overall, in the academic year 2015/16, Kinder+Sport together with The Football League Trust will reach more than 47,000 children, helping them to be more active and learn about the benefits of an active lifestyle.
Sheffield United team (represented by Norton Free Primary School): Danny Church (captain), Ben Gaskell, Bradley Taylor, Jack Copley, Frankie Hirst, Alfie Songjam, Mackenzie Maltby, Ben Kemp.
Peterborough United (represented by Eye C of E Primary School): Hayden Brown (captain), George Whiteman, Sam Johnson, Matthew Mills, Riley Taylor, Luke Simpson-Morris, Ellis Young, Cameron Broomfield.
Kits provided by Mitre.