ENGLISH Martyrs School boys beat the best of the north to win the 13th Catholic Primary Schools’ Cup annual football tournament.

The Acomb youngsters lifted the Mike McCullagh Memorial Cup following a tough day of competition at St Aelred’s Primary School in Fifth Avenue.

The six-a-side competition, open to primary school pupils at schools throughout the Diocese of Middlesbrough, was started in 1997 and has grown in popularity ever since.

A total of 88 teams from 39 schools (54 boys and 34 girls) entered the competition this time around, which was held at St Aelred’s for the third time this decade.

Playing on 12 specially marked pitches at St Aelred’s and Burnholme Community College, 24 referees from the York and Middlesbrough area took control of a total of 231 matches throughout the course of the day.

And it was York’s English Martyrs school which came out on top in the boys’ competition.

The Hamilton Drive-based outfit surged through the group stages and a tough quarter-final before seeing off St Bernadette’s, of Nunthorpe in Middlesbrough, to set up a final with St Pius Middlesbrough ‘A’ – who beat Corpus Christi Middlesbrough.

Despite a torrential downpour during the match, it was English Martyrs who prevailed. Hosts St Aelred’s made the boys’ quarter-finals.

In the girls’ competition, St Edward’s Middlesbrough, who have a proud history of success in the competition, beat St Benedict’s to take the trophy.

They had beaten St Bede’s Marks and St Joseph’s Loftus respectively to earn their places in the final.

All participants, around 600, from all the schools in the diocese received bronze medals as a memento. Prizes were also handed out for fair play, the best banner, most original pennant, along with spot prizes.

The Catholic Primary Schools’ Cup competition will be held again in Hull next May.