A GIRLS' football team from Oldham have been hailed by the coach after battling their way through to a prestigious cup final with only 10 fit players before coming unstuck in the final to a squad packed with Manchester City starlets.

Chadderton Park FC Under 14s girls beat Manchester FA County Cup semi-final rivals Tika Taka Wolfsburg from Farnworth, near Bolton, 1-0 with the winning goal scored by Emily Parsons.

The played Droylsden Youth Centre U14s Girls Pumas in the final at Hyde United's ground on Sunday morning (May 19) and were beaten 13-2, with Annie Taylor scoring the two "Chaddy" goals.

Coach Jason Moorhouse told The Oldham Times: "To be fair, the Droylsden team were outstanding. They have quite a few players who are on City's books, and it showed. They scored in the first eight seconds, with a ball over the top.

"But our girls have done amazingly well, especially in the semi-final when they dug out a 1-0 win with a player short, so they can hold their heads high.

"They have been together as a team since they were under-12s and have stuck together through thick and thin."

The Chadderton Park have also had a highly successful season otherwise, finishing in fourth place in the North Manchester Girls League. But the team that them on Sunday are the league champions.

And it's another milestone for the club which boasts more than 90 teams - as well as squads for children living with cerebral palsy - growing from only 10 just a decade ago.

The club has also won a string of accolades in recent years, including the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2017.

And the club celebrates its 40th birthday at a big bash at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in Oldham on June 29.

Tickets are available by calling Helen on 07861 226373 or emailing her on helen@chaddypark.co.uk