WIRRAL Schoolboys' Under 15 beat Manchester Schoolboys on Saturday to progress to the quarter finals of the English Schools FA Inter Association Trophy for the first time in its history.

In a hard-fought game on Shaftesbury Boys ground a brace of goals for Jack Newhouse and a Declan Drysdale penalty secured victory for Wirral earning them an away tie against Stockton & District.

Wirral, having beaten Preston, Nottingham and Bury in the Trophy had lost to Manchester in the league earlier in the season.

It was the visitors who dominated much of the early possession and deservedly took the lead on the half hour.

Manchester Schoolboys could have extended their lead but had their pleas for a penalty turned down by the referee.

Shortly afterwards Kieran Holsgrove came on after an injury to Callum Robinson forced manager, Paul Rowlands, to make a substitution.

Within moments of his introduction Holsgrove received the ball through the middle before finding Jack Newhouse with a reverse pass who scored with a threaded shot past the advancing keeper.

The game's momentum swung dramatically in Wirral's favour when they were awarded a penalty after Matt Cleary was brought down in the box.

Declan Drysdale stepped up thundering the ball to the keeper’s left.

Wirral continued to pressure in the second half with Holsgrove tormenting the Manchester defence and whose audacious shot from the corner of the penalty box hit the cross bar.

Jack Newhouse eventually made the tie secure latching on to a pass into the box and scrambled the ball past the keeper.

With five minutes to go Manchester managed to claw a goal back but Wirral held on for a historic victory.