The girls’ tournament took place three days after former Boro and England boss Steve McClaren had officially opened Cleveland Juniors’ new £418,000 clubhouse on Mill Hill playing fields in Acklam.  

Special guest at the ‘Clevo’ girls’ competition was Redcar girl Sophy Stonehouse, who progressed from her youth days with South Park Rangers to play in goal for Durham in the Women’s Super League.

Sophy presented the trophies to the three age-group winners on behalf of Cleveland Juniors sponsors Applied Integration, whose support made it possible for both tournaments to take place.

The host club emerged victorious in the girls’ U13s tournament when Cleveland Terriers beat Skelton United 1-0 in the final, thanks to a winning goal from Jessica Tucker.

The Terriers had already beaten Skelton 3-0 on their way to winning the group with three straight victories, before defeating club rivals Cleveland Scorpions 1-0 in the semi-final, while fellow group winners Skelton had beaten Bishop Auckland on penalties after a goalless draw in the other last-four clash.   

Cleveland Juniors were represented by no fewer than three sides in the eight-team U13 tournament, with Cleveland Lionesses also taking part, along with visitors from Middlesbrough, Durham, Skelton, Redcar and Bishop Auckland.

The U11 tournament attracted teams from Stockton, Redcar, Skelton, Darlington, Durham, York and Whitby but the winning side were Cleveland Pandas, with a breakaway strike from Imogen Brown and an own goal giving the home team victory over Spraire Lasses in the final. 

The only tournament not won by the host club was the U15s competition, which saw Lumley Ladies Pink beat Redcar Town 2-0 in the final. Having topped their group, Lumley beat Darlington Spraire Lasses in the semi-final, while Redcar had come through a dramatic penalty shoot-out with South Park Rangers.

An U9 girls’ development event attracted teams from Cleveland Juniors, Norton and Stockton Ancients, Darlington Spraire Lasses and Cargo Fleet Girls. The two-day boys’ tournament – the biggest ever hosted by Cleveland Juniors - attracted 76 teams from across the North-East, ranging from U7s to U15s.

Teams travelled from Newcastle, Walker, North Shields, Washington, Heaton, Shotton, Richmond, Ferry Hill, Bishop Auckland and Whitby, while local clubs taking part included Kader, Marton, Cargo Fleet, Whinney Banks, Grangetown, Boro Rangers, TIBS, Redcar Athletic, Skelton United and Teesside Rangers.

Teesside winners included Boro Rangers (U15s), Marton (U14s) and Whinney Banks (U13s), while Newcastle City Juniors took the honours at U11 and U12 levels.

Cleveland Juniors chairman, Michelle Rush, said: “We are grateful for the ongoing support that Applied Integration continue to give the club and more than 350 children who take part in our teams or free academy coaching sessions.

“This latest piece of wonderful financial support enabled us to host two hugely successful tournaments that attracted some of the most talented young footballers from across the North-East.”

Applied Integration, a Stokesley-based systems integrator working on exciting products such as nuclear attack submarines, is continuing its sponsorship of Cleveland Juniors this season, providing kit to the club’s 26 girls’ and boys’ teams across age-groups ranging from U5s to U15s.