Blackheath Bluecoat School Year 8 football team kept its dreams of national glory alive, despite losing a closely-fought London Cup Final.

Bluecoat, coached by Steve Sallis, were one of the few teams in the competition to face opposition in every round.

Despite the fatiguing cup run, the team battled through to the final, which was held in Walthamstow, in east London, last Thurday.

Unfortunately they did not return south of the river with the cup, but they certainly kept their pride and the dream of making their mark on the National Cup firmly alive.

Bluecoat, who had played seven matches to reach the final, faced a strong team from St. Thomas The Apostle.

St Thomas's took the lead only for Bluecoat to pull level.

In the second-half, St. Thomas's again took the lead and then, in the closing moments as Bluecoat pushed forward to grab a dramatic equaliser, St. Thomas's broke away to seal the game and make the final score 3-1.

Sallis refused to single out any of his players for special mention, stressing the team unity in the squad.

He said: "We are one of the few schools in London to progress this far and not have any academy players or specialist outside coaching.

"The boys at the beginning of the year were a good team, but through many hours of hard work and pure determination they have made themselves into an excellent team, certainly one of the best in London.

"I believe this is testament to the character of the boys and the new ethos we are instilling in all our pupils in the school.

"From a school that have produced such spectacular talents such as Rio and Anton Ferdinand and Paul Elliot, expectations are now set high with these 13-year-old boys, but let's not be surprised and be very hopeful that they fulfil and surpass all expectations set out."

The Bluecoat team comprised: Dafe Akpotabore, Daniel Anderson, Kimarley Peart, Mohamed Barrie, Tristan Freeman, Kai Lilly, Tunde Balogun, Leon Wright, Hamid Charm, Chuckwudi Onyeagor and Xuan Dinh.