Codsall clean out Ajax for Stateside win

It was Codsall's seventh visit to compete in the annual event in Boston – the biggest football tournament in America.

More than 1,100 teams competed and they came back home with the spoils.

After two previous successes at under-17 level, Codsall's talented teenagers were tested further as they competed two age groups up at under-19 level.

Codsall safely negotiated their way through the group stages and eased into a final showdown with Berkshire Ajax from Massachusetts without losing a game.

After conceding an early goal, Codsall hit back to run out comfortable 5-1 winners, with James Weaver netting a treble.

"We were a goal down within one minute but battled back, with a hat-trick by James Weaver.

Director of sport Richard Jones said: A further two goals from Oliver Tolley and Anthony Pursall, enabling us to register our biggest win of the tournament in the final.

Codsall High School executive headteacher Alun Harding said: "We are all immensely proud of the students.

"We are thrilled that they came home with the title of champions of the Needham Memorial Day Cup."

The academy also enjoyed an impressive season on home soil, with their first and second teams both finishing as runners-up in the respective West Midlands Colleges Leagues.

They will be expanding their playing numbers next season when they add a fourth side to their ranks.

Football academy students follow the BTEC National Diploma in Sport (equivalent to 3 A-Levels) plus an extra AS/A-Level of the student's choice.

The two-year course is followed in sixth form and provides students with the opportunity to study on weekday mornings and to train with the football academy squad every day.

Any current year 10 or year 11 students interested in joining the sixth form football academy at CCHS can apply via www.cc-hs.com/football.