A SCHOOL football team’s amazing run to the semi-final of the Welsh Schools FA Cup came to an end at Cwmbran Stadium in a hard-fought match.
Monmouth Comprehensive School’s girls’ U13s gave a good account of themselves before missing out to Caerleon 2-0 in a match played in difficult wet conditions.
The squad who did the school proud in the last four were Isabella Hobson, Myla Blatch, Seren Bowen, Elisabeth Jackson, Kacey Batty, Isla Davies, Alys Roberts, Lily Cornish, Megan Jackson, Jessica Stoddard, Demi Littleboy, Lucy Tynan, Florence Barratt and Isla Pardoe.
The cup run saw the girls beat West Mon 6-1, Tredegar 6-0, Croesyceiliog 10-0 and then Glantaf 4-2 in the last 16-stage, thanks to a Kacey Batty hat-trick and a goal from Issy Hobson.
A hat-trick from Lizzie Jackson then helped propel them into the semi-final of the Welsh Schools Cup in a thrilling 6-5 win over Ystrad Mynach’s Lewis Girls School.
The squad also represented Newport County in the Utilita EFL Girls Area finals in Bristol recently after winning the local EFL club’s regional competition last November.
They lost out 1-0 to a strong Plymouth side, but then bounced back with a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers, a 1-0 win over Swansea City and a 1-0 victory over Portsmouth, before a narrow 1-0 semi-final loss to Bristol City.
Meanwhile, a goal from Ryan Hall against King Henry VIII’s School put the senior boys’ team into the last eight of the Gwent Cup.
And a magnificent seven against the same opposition saw the Year 8 team through to the quarters, Levi Sillman and Jack Hanks firing hat-tricks and Leo Palmer the other goal.
The Year 7 boys also made the last eight of the Newport Cup with a 4-3 win over Caerleon.
And Year 10 student Kian Davies represented Newport Schools U15s against RCT Schools, coming back from 5-2 down to win 6-5.