HOCKEY - Women's Varsity Match
Friday 5 March 2010
Cambridge University 2 -3 Oxford University
Cambridge lined up for the anthems looking confident and it was apparent from the start that this was going to be a close encounter. Both teams started brightly and the first ten minutes saw a midfield battle and very few chances on goal, save for a few squandered short corners by each side. Strong offensive running from forward Becca Langton pumped up the crowd early on and helped to build an excellent pitch side atmosphere.
It was Oxford who made the first breakthrough, slotting home from a short corner. The initial shot was well saved by Vicky Evans in the goal but a Dark Blue striker stole in behind her and tapped the resulting loose ball into an open goal.
Almost immediately Cambridge began to pile on the pressure and it wasn’t long before the scores were levelled by substitute Jenny Hall and confidence restored to team and spectators alike. This was to become the pattern of the match though and with time running out on the first half Oxford struck again. They took their lead in to the changing rooms at half time only for Cambridge to score quickly after the restart and erase the deficit. Strong link-up play from captain, Charlotte Brearley, and returning Blue, Mel Addy, worked the ball in to Jenny Hall deep inside the attacking circle. With her back to goal, the striker dazzled the defenders with her stick skills before taking everyone, including the diving Dark Blue keeper, by surprise as she slipped the ball under her shoulder and inside the far post.
The second half then fell into a pattern of attack and counter-attack with neither team looking likely to break the deadlock. Cambridge striker, Jess Hume, was in determined mood as she made a scything run through the Oxford midfield but strong defending from both sides stifled such moves for much of the period.
The closing stages of the match were a tense affair with both teams keeping it tight and tidy, Kirsty Elder and Rachael Barraclough were marshalling the Cambridge defence and both made key interceptions, making another Dark Blue goal look increasingly unlikely. By now the supporters had all arrived and Cambridge began to dominate the pitch-side chanting. Then, with just three-and-a-half minutes to go and the game looking likely to end in a draw, the Dark Blues slid a quick ball towards the penalty spot and temporarily silenced the Light Blue crowd with a third goal. Undeterred, the Cambridge players brought the ball quickly back for the re-start. There then followed 180 seconds of Cambridge pressure with the forwards pushing straight into Oxford territory. The crowd, excited by a pacey tackle-breaking run, rediscovered their voice, calling out individual players’ names as the team passed the ball swiftly from stick to stick. The dying seconds of the game saw a determined circle entry by player of the match, Jenny Hall, and a fleeting glimpse of goal on the reverse stick. Cambridge held their collective breaths as the opportunity came and then, with a desperate lunge, was smothered by the last defender. The buzzer sounded on probably the closest Varsity match in recent memory and the faces of the teams said it all. Oxford knew they had been taken to the brink this time and the Cambridge players could still barely believe how the result had slipped from their grasp.
