YORK Schoolboys Under-11s are closing in on the chance to represent England in the English Schools’ Football Association Danone Nations Cup.

The Minster city boys were joint winners of the North of England regional finals in the seven-a-side competition, held at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.

That meant the squad became the first York side ever to reach the national finals at Barnet’s training ground on May 11.

Five teams will then go forward to battle it out in June for the right to be Team England in the Danone Nations Cup World Final in September.

York, who qualified to represent North Yorkshire by beating Scarborough earlier in the season, took on 12 teams from areas like Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and Newcastle.

They went 1-0 down early on in their first game to Northumberland, but James Hanson levelled with a 20- yard strike and Joe Crosby and Dominic Jackson wrapped up a 3-1 victory.

York then gained 0-0 draws with Yorkshire rivals Leeds and Sheffield, before they came from behind to draw 1-1 with Sunderland thanks to a last-second free-kick from Jackson.

A win in their final game against Hartlepool would put York in the semi-finals, and Charlie Ward scored the crucial winning goal.

As group winners, York faced the Cumbrian representative team in the last four and a 0-0 draw led to a penalty shoot-out.

York ‘keeper Aaron Burn made a crucial save, while spot-kicks were converted by Joe Crosby, Dan Allinson, Jackson, Charlie Cresswell and Hanson.

Wirral and York cancelled each other out in the final and the 0-0 draw meant the two sides qualified for the national finals as joint winners.