Teenagers with special needs from Wood Green came within a whisker of winning a London-wide football tournament for the third year in a row.

Students from Riverside School had battled through regional qualifying to represent their area in the Panathlon London Football Finals at Wembley Goals Centre on Tuesday (November 29).

The school had won the competition for the last two years, but lost out to a group of youngsters from Hackney in the round-robin event by a single goal.

Haringey captain Matthew Halliwell, 16, who has autism, said: “I have been trying to get us to work as a team by giving everyone instructions.

“Our teacher has told us it’s not about winning or losing, we accept the result and enjoy the day.”

Students from West Lea School in Enfield also took part in the grand final, finishing a respectable fourth in the table out of eight teams.

Robert Zawislak, head of PE at West Lea, said: “It is a brilliant day for our students. Last year we came second, but fourth this year is still a good achievement.

“They love the social aspect of Panathlon events, they develop their communication skills and it really boosts their confidence.

“The level of competition Panathlon have provided here is perfect for our school, it is competitive enough that everyone can try it out, but at the same time doesn’t exclude anybody.”

Panathlon is a charity which offers competitive sport opportunities to more than 10,000 young disabled people every year.

Some 140 children took part in the final of this year’s football competition, scoring 125 goals scored in 48 matches.