Six-A-Side footballers at St

Augustine's Primary School, in Belvedere, won their way through to the Railtrack Play Safe regional final when they won the Bexley area title.

Fourteen teams from the borough took part in the event, played at Crook Log, and the boys from St Augustine's qualified from their group by winning five of their six matches.

In the semi-final they defeated Holy Trinity 1-0, thanks to a spectacular long-range shot from Tom Hoyne, before contesting a goal-less draw in the decider against St Michaels.

In the ensuing best-of-three penalty shoot-out, St Augustine's goalkeeper Alfie Coles brill-iantly saved the first St Mich-ael's spot-kick.

Tom Hoyne netted for St Augustine's before the next St Michael's penalty taker hit the bar.

Daniel Cooper stepped forward knowing that if he scored his side would win, but the

opposing goalkeeper saved his shot and then St Michael's converted their third effort.

But Scott Mulgrew kept his cool to net the penalty which means St Augustine's, along with Holy Trinity, Danson and St Michael's, represent Bexley against their counterparts from Greenwich and North West Kent at the Marathon Playing Fields, in Shooters Hill Road, on January 10.

The St Augustine's squad comprised: Alfie Coles, Kiefer White, Scott Mulgrew, Daniel Cooper, Ranjit Bachu (captain), John Titchner, Tom Hoyne and Matthew Manning.

David Hill, St Augustine's coach, said: "This was a great result because we have not had a school football team for some several years.

"But a lot of the credit must go to the coaches of the local

junior sides for whom the boys play for at weekends."

December 21, 2001 17:00