Spirited Blues Edged Out in Women’s Football

The women’s football Blues lost narrowly on Saturday in their Varsity match against Oxford in a game which had everything: controversy, a brilliant goal and a spiky atmosphere.

Several hundred supporters, including an unusually large number of vocal Oxford fans, turned out to see Cambridge try and defend their Varsity title from last year, and the game got off to a rapid start, with a very high tempo.

Cambridge’s key playmakers, Leesa Haydock and Maisie-Rose Byrne, were marked tightly, and  struggled to run the opposition’s defence ragged as they normally do. Byrne did beat her marker in one-on-ones on several occasions, and in one heart-stopping moment crossed the ball in brilliantly only for left midfielder Emma Eldridge to head just over the bar.

The Light Blues went into the break 1-0 down, however, as in one piece of high drama, Cambridge’s game plan was nearly destroyed. As the ball came in from an Oxford corner a goalmouth scramble ensued, with the Dark Blues having several shots on goal saved.

When the ball broke for Oxford midfielder Roni Yadlin, she fired in a shot out of the goalkeeper’s reach. A Cambridge defender, standing on the line, flapped the ball off the line with her hand, in a manner reminiscent of Luis Suarez .

Confusion followed. All of the players were convinced she would be sent off and a penalty given, but the referee, Ian Pacsu, decided to award the goal, and not show any cards. It took a good few seconds for everyone to realise what had happened. Cambridge heads went down – this was far from the game plan that had been set out before the match.

At half-time, Coach Dave Mosley, in his first Varsity match, gave a stirring team talk to try and get the team to up their performance and effort levels. The side needed to improve their passing, and find more of a cutting edge in front of goal.

Mosely gives the team a dressing down at the break.

What happened next will be ingrained into the memory of every Cambridge footballer for years to come. Bursting out of defence, Danielle Griffiths came forward with the ball. From twenty yards inside the Cambridge half, she launched the ball forward, over the top of the Oxford defence and, incredibly, over the Oxford goalkeeper.

While the Cambridge team ran from all over the pitch to celebrate, the supporters went wild. One fan, forgetting she was on crutches, leapt in the air to celebrate, and promptly fell down. Griffiths had scored a goal like the one which saw David Beckham announce himself to the world, but from even further out.

The team mob Griffiths after her spectacular goal

But the delirium was not to last long. Soon after, Oxford scored on the counterattack, and suddenly a game that had seemed in the balance was slipping out of Cambridge’s grasp. The Light Blues’ attackers were being bullied and harried on and off the ball, as the Oxford defence used rugby-like tactics, sometimes even bear-hugging the front two. A few words were exchanged between the two sides, egged on by the crowd.

As time slipped away, the Light Blue girls were getting nowhere. Unable to find space and time on the ball, Cambridge’s dynamic centre midfield duo, Haydock and McGhee were unable to find their customary dominance.

With fifteen minutes to go, Clarkson was replaced by Carr and McGhee went up front, as the Light Blues played three at the back in their desperation to find an equaliser.

Cambridge pushed forward in the final minutes, but to no avail.

But it was not to be, and the final whistle went, Cambridge losing 2-1 to the Other Place. Oxford launched their usual Klinsmann celebration as ever, and Cambridge gathered in a huddle.

The Light Blues’ supporters cheered them off, appreciating the effort that they had put in. Cambridge will get their revenge next year.

Photos by Hannah Copely