JOHN Hampden Grammar School will bid to become national five-a-side champions after winning the South East title in spectacular style in Norwich.

They took the crown with something to spare and will now head to Pride Park in Derby to take on the seven other regional winners for the national title.

John Hampden’s head of football and year seven coach Greg Boult said: “I had no doubt that this group of players would do well in this competition.

“However, the most pleasing aspect for me is the style and way in which they played.

“They have really bought into the ethos and possession based football that we try and coach at JHGS and I am extremely proud of them.”

John Hampden met the Cromwell School from the Isle of Ely in their first match and didn’t take long to emphasise their credentials.

Ben Wheelhen, Josh Warden, Joe Styles and Lewis Stevens all scored in a 4-0 win and the momentum continued into the second match against Decorum of Hemel Hempstead.

Stevens and Kane Patterson both scored twice in a 4-1 triumph, and John Hampden went from strength to strength in game three against the Eton Berry Academy in Bedford.

Patterson, Whelehan, Stevens, Warden, Styles, Harrison Holbrook and captain Luca Skivington all found the target in a 7-0 rout which was arguably their best performance of the day, before John Hampden wrapped up a perfect group stage with a 3-2 win over TGS from West Sussex thanks to a hat-trick from Warden.

That earned them a semi-final against Queens School from Oxford, and braces from Stevens and Styles put them in control before Queens rallied with three late goals.

But the Bucks side had done enough to book a second meeting of the day with Eton Berry Academy, who defeated Dr Challoner’s in their semi-final.

And having beaten them 7-0 in the groups, John Hampden stepped it up again in the final to romp to a 5-0 victory thanks to goals from Stevens (2), Styles (2) and Whelehan.