Stockton Riverside College added another piece of silverware to the trophy cabinet as the Football team returned from France with the top prize of the A.S Audruicq international tournament following a penalty shootout win in the final against French opponents.

The victory comes hot on the heels of last year’s table topping performance in the ECFA North East category.

An impressive run of form saw the team claim the title without conceding a goal and with six consecutive wins against high-quality opponents.

The annual tournament based in Audruicq, near Calais in North-East France, saw 20 teams from around Europe compete for the title with Team SRC coming out on top.

The youngsters from Stockton Riverside College held their nerve in the final, coming out on top against Calais Racing Union Football Club on penalties following a 0-0 draw in normal time.

The final followed a bruising encounter against fellow English opponents, Faversham Strike Force, in the Semi-Final.

Karl Johnson, Programme Area Leader for Sport & Public Services, coached the team to their victory. He said: “It was brilliant to see our team win the tournament after all their hard work this season.”

“It is a fantastic opportunity for the team to play on such a different stage and represent the college and the North-East with such integrity and commitment.”

Stockton Riverside College student, Luke Fisher, added “Absolutely so proud to be part of the team. An incredible bunch of lads who deserved to win the tournament.”

Level three sports student, Ross Nicholson, summed up the victory. He said: “I have never really felt anything like it when that final penalty went over. “

“It is something I’ll never forget. It was an amazing experience and something that will be with me forever.”

The team finished their league season on a high after a 4-3 win against Queen Elizabeth College, Darlington. Coach Karl added: “It’s been a good season for the team following their promotion last season. The team will only grow in confidence with the latest development opportunity and coaching we have lined up for them next season.”

The College has recruited former Hull, Middlesbrough and Newcastle midfielder, Billy Askew to coach the football development centre as part of the series of specialist sports programmes launching this September.

If you want to know more about studying Sport at Stockton Riverside College and the specialist football programme on offer, please call 01642 865 566, or visit www.stockton.ac.uk.

You can keep up-to-date with the latest news from our teams by following our Sports and Public Services team on Twitter @SRCSports.