HARTSHILL Strollers have sensationally won walking football’s equivalent of the FA Cup.

The club’s over-60s team triumphed in the Walking Football United (WFU) National Tournament at Cirencester Arena, Gloucestershire.

They beat hot favourites Seaton Carew, from County Durham, 2-1 to lift the cup.

It was an amazing achievement for the Strollers who play at Summerhill School, Kingswinford, and were founded only two years ago.

The victory has been compared with lowly Wimbledon beating high-flying Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup – and second-tier Sunderland’s 1973 win against then-mighty Leeds United.

Even the competition organisers conceded the Strollers had ‘come under the radar’ to achieve cup glory.

Barry Geyton, player-manager of the over-60s squad, said: “It is an absolutely fantastic achievement.

“I am full of praise not only for our winning team on the day, but for all the squad members who took part in the earlier rounds of the competition.”

In the final, Strollers went into a 1-0 lead with a blockbuster goal from John Green and the unlikely victory seemed assured.

But Seaton Carew struck back with just two minutes to go. However, in the final seconds, Strollers super striker John Cooper rammed home the winner.

Steve Rich, head of the WFU, said after the trophy presentation: “This was a very well deserved victory for Hartshill Strollers who came from under the radar during the competition to lift the cup.

“This is the first year there has been an Over 60s category in the national tournament – so the Strollers will forever have their place in the competition’s history.

“They played exceptionally well and deserved to lift the trophy.”