BOLTON'S brave Young Lions FC nearly went all the way in a regional seven-a-side football tournament.
The youngsters were in great form throughout the competition but finally ran out of steam against Preston's Barmy Army in the annual Abdul Valli Cup held at the Preston Sports Arena.
After impressing in the group stages they held their nerve in a tense penalty shoot-out to beat group winners Tigers in the semis.
The final though seemed a step too far and they went down 2-0. But that didn't stop the side from receiving a rousing reception from spectators at the final whistle.
In the seniors last year's finalists Bolton Asians went out on penalties in the second round against Deepdale. Deepdale themselves suffered a similar fate in the last four as Nile set up an all Preston final with Santos.
Meanwhile, there was controversy when Blackburn Road were dumped out in the second phase. Their appeals went unheard as they went down 4-1 to Blackburn United.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article