Bishop Rawstorne Academy’s Lancashire Schools’ Cup triumph

After reaching the final last year and narrowly losing on penalties, it was the perfect response.

They faced Clitheroe side Ribblesdale High School in what turned out to be a close game.

Bishop Rawstorne went ahead through Charlie Simmons but Ribblesdale then missed two penalties.

The Croston side then made it 2-0, Simmons on target again, but Ribblesdale pulled one back within five minutes which led to a tense finish to the game.

But Bishop Rawstorne held out and even had a few chances towards the end to make the game safe. Keeper Harry Chadwick said: “The team didn’t let the absence of our captain Jack Tingle affect them and we battled well for the full 80 minutes, coming out as deserved winners.”

More than 50 teams entered the competition and on the road to the final, Bishop Rawstorne came up against some tough opposition.

They beat 
Ripley St Thomas 5-0 in the first round and followed that up with an 11-0 demolition of Unity College Burnley.

Accrington Academy were Bishop Rawstorne’s quarter-final opponents, a game which ended 2-2, after Chadwick saved a last-minute penalty.

This forced the tie to extra time, which was a nervy 20 minutes, but Bishop Rawstorne kept their nerve to win the resulting penalty shootout 5-4.

The semi-final was more comfortable with a trip to Blackburn to play St Bede’s which Bishop Rawstorne won 5-1 to book their place in the final.