Last updated 19:41, Thursday, 24 April 2008

SEATON U14 girls’ soccer team competed in the Tesco Cup northern final at Manchester.

Seaton U14 girls' with their Cumbria Cup

And they won praise from Everton and England defender Lindsay Johnson who said: “They played so well and gave their all.”

Seaton reached the final by winning the Cumbria stage of the competition, beating Penrith, Carlisle City and Abbeytown in the process despite not playing in a league.

But in the group stage at Manchester they just missed out on reaching the semi-finals.

Thomas Donaghue, Seaton coach, beamed with pride after his team's never to forget weekend, competing against northern England's finest in Manchester

He said: "We were an unknown quantity in this tournament because we don't actually compete in a league at the moment.

“We won the Cumberland County Cup to qualify so totally deserved our place here.

"At the moment our side is young and inexperienced but we hope to use this as a stepping-stone to push on and join a league next season.

"We'll still qualify to be part of the U14 next year so we'll be back - don't you worry."