LANCASHIRE Youth Games - Girls football finals.

HOST borough Ribble Valley created one of the highlights of the Lancashire Youth Games when they won the girls under 12s football final in a thrilling penalty shoot-out.

The Valley girls, cheered on by a big crowd at Edisford Bridge, clinched victory and their gold medals after they held their nerve to beat Preston in a dramatic spot kick finale.

It was a fitting end to a day of high entertainment.

For all the girls on show turned on the style and played some impressive football in both the under 12s and under 14s age groups.

And the Ribble Valley side were no exception.

Lead by captain Bella Perrigrine, Ribble Valley went through the whole tournament without losing a game, qualifying via their mini league and a semi final win to play Preston.

Chris Hughes, leisure and tourism manager who helped co-ordinate the Ribble Valley sides, said it was a tremendous performance.

He said: "It was really excited stuff. There was a really big crowd cheering on the girls and you could not have wished for a more exciting finish."

The Ribble Valley team were made up of youngsters selected from a football festival held last month.

And they have been training hard for the competition with help of a local junior football club.

Clitheroe Wolves helped coach the side and held training sessions right up until the eve of the Youth Games.

And it seemed to do the trick as Ribble Valley were the only side to break the Central and Coastal boroughs stranglehold on the tournament.

For Central Lancashire sides Preston and South Ribble and Blackpool and Lancaster from Coastal Lancashire cleaned up all the remaining medals.

However, Pendle's under 12s team, under the guidance of Tony Holian came close to winning medals but were knocked out in the semi finals by Lancaster.

Hyndburn fielded two inexperienced sides and while they did not progress through to the knockout stages, coach Lisa Welch said it was a fantastic experience for the girls.

She said: "Only a few of the girls had played football before and while they were disappointed not to have progressed they really enjoyed themselves."

Lisa highlighted under 14s player Toni Bell as the star player but said that all the girls did well against some tough sides.

Rossendale did not enter a team in to either of the age groups while Burnley and Blackburn failed to make an impression.