BUDDING footballers got the chance to show off their skills at Ulverston Leisure Centre last Friday as six schools from the area came together for a girls football tournament.

Penny Bridge, Croftlands, St Mary's, Sir John Barrow, Low Furness and Pennington all entered teams in the competition for pupils in Year 5 and 6, with some entering more than one side.

It was the team from Penny Bridge who triumphed in the end, going through the entire tournament undefeated and without conceding a goal.

However, they did not have it all their own way and were pushed close by many of their opponents in a tournament where all were closely matched.

"They got to play six games each and they got a good amount of time playing, and they all seemed to enjoy it which is the main thing," said active communities coordinator Hannah Paling.

"There were a lot of games which were close or 0-0, so there were quite a few low-scoring games and the team who were second only conceded one or two goals."

The teams featured a mix of abilities, from those who had little or no experience of playing football to pupils who play for established clubs in the area.

Paling was impressed with the standard on display and is eager to run the tournament again after receiving positive feedback, with plans for a Year 3 and 4 tournament in place too.

"There were some good players – some who have played before and maybe play for Ulverston or Barrow," said Paling. "But there were others who just wanted to have a go.

"It was nice it was all-girls and maybe some who weren't confident in playing or hadn't played much football before, it didn't really matter too much and there wasn't much pressure on them.

"It was a nice atmosphere and we will definitely run it again. A lot of the teachers said it was great and they enjoyed it."