Drawn together in the 2nd round of the competition the ties are played over 2 legs, home and away with the 1st leg having been 2 weekends ago both sides playing out a 4-4 draw to leave no clue as to which way todays encounter might go. Both teams play in the same division too, the Cambridgeshire Women's Premiership.
I also wanted to cover a Cambridge WFC Reserves game as I am sponsoring one of their players, Clara Greed through my other women's football fledgling outlet www.womensfootballeast.com this season.
Cambridge University Women play their home matches at the Fenners Cricket Ground in the middle of the city, an interesting and unique venue, as the name suggests a cricket ground, but their's plenty of room to place a football pitch away from the wickets.
I hate being late for a match, and I suppose after watching 81 without a hitch in 2014 I was due one or two, was late getting down to Bristol on Thursday night to see them in Champion's League action beating Barcelona on aggregate, due to half the roads being dug between there and Norfolk, and Cambridge was just as taxing with roadworks on the way in and the turning on of the Christmas Lights meaning it was incredibly busy and struggling to find somewhere to park. I was late.
Cambridge University Women starting XI - Janina Selzer, Rose Gibbins, Sarah Pearce, Ruth Gray, Grace Parker, Christine Lane, Claire Longden, Lynn-Jones Taylor, Elizabeth Robinshaw, Zoe Woodward-Lebihan (C), & Amanda Wainwright.
subs - Amy Binning, Fiona Carter, Katy Davyson, Maud Gibbons & Imogen Garner
Cambridge WFC Reserves starting XI - Tafadzwa Mhunduru, Emma Jenkins, Jordan Holland, Kayleigh-Anne Burt, Emma Roberts (C), Laura Mills, Gemma Clarke, Ellie Cullum, Robyn Phillips, Liz Pamplin, Sarah Mosley.
subs - Clara Greed, Emily Reed, Sarah Carroll & Tessa Shaw.
(roll on - roll off substitutes)
... with my late arrival I cannot report on the 1st ten minutes of match action, Cambridge University Women were playing in white shirts, navy shorts and sky blue socks. Cambridge WFC Reserves were playing all in red.
GOAL! I missed the opening goal. It was scored by Cambridge WFC Reserves, Laura Mills. Steve Edwards their manager gave me this quote - "Emma Jenkins played the ball into the right channel and Laura Mills outpaced the defender to slot past the keeper first time." 0-1.
GOAL! I'm on my way now having found that LAST parking space in the multi-storey. Just as Cambridge University win a corner. The ball is played in from the left, at good pace a metre off the ground towards the near post is met by Elizabeth Robinshaw who turns the ball into the net off her chest to level the scores 1-1.
Is a damp and foggy afternoon, a little rain in the air the grass on the pitch is quite short, but the surface is firm despite the moisture not cutting up or making control of the ball tricky as you might expect. First impression's having arrived late are that both sides are looking to create early opening's winning the ball and looking to play it forwards into the attackers.
Jordan Holland for Cambridge WFC takes a free kick in the middle 45 yards from goal, plays a good delivery towards the far post area for Ellie Cullum making the run she gets her head to it 10 yards out, the attempt is wide of goal.
GOAL! It's Cambridge University who take the lead and it's Robinshaw with her 2nd of the match. The home side work the ball from the back quickly the ball played through the centre the fed out to the wide left position, the cross is strong fired across the 18 yard line, comes to Robinshaw at the edge of the box on the right, she has a bit to do to bring the ball down and get it away towards goal does so sending the powerful strike past Cambridge WFC goalkeeper Tafadzwu Mhunduru to make the score 2-1.
Cambridge University continue to press forwards aren't afraid to go long with striker Amanda Wainwright a willing chaser of the ball she is put in past the Cambridge WFC back line on a couple of occasion's both times Mhunduru come confidently out of her line to clear or claim the ball.
Cambridge WFC's, Cullum plays a deft pass with the outside of her boot into the run of Mills, the ball at her feet she drives towards the penalty box, gets a strike away is blocked, the ball going away for a corner. Good pressure from the visitors, keeping it better and looking to test Cambridge University Women's goalkeeper Janina Selzer with some long balls. Almost loses the ball as it is headed on by Sarah Mosley, Selzer knocking the ball down but failing to gather first time, recovers well to dive on the ball before a red shirt can steal in.
Roll on, roll off substitutes Cambridge WFC bring on Tessa Shaw and Emily Reed for Emma Roberts and Liz Pamplin. In the middle of the park, Reed just come on decides to try her luck from distance a high looping effort is going to drop under the crossbar, Selzer has to keep her eye on it, palms it down and gathers.
Another Cambridge University attack started from the back the ball is played forwards two passes out into the not sure which white shirted player was on the ball they break into the box, Mhumduru comes racing out of her goal to close her down dives as she pulls her foot back to strike, does enough to put her off the shot is dragged wide.
Robinshaw wins a tackle high up the pitch out on the right, looks up and passes the ball central 20 yards out into Amy Binning, she does well to pull off her marker give herself half a yard to turn and shoot puts the ball straight into Mhunduru's gloves.
Rose Gibbins for Cambridge University passes the ball forwards from the back into Ruth Gray who stabs it on into the run of Wainwright the chase is on between her and Cambridge WFC's Tessa Shaw the defender puts in a good sliding tackle to win the ball, concedes a corner the ball played in from the left drops down at the near post is loose for a 2nd before Cambridge WFC clear.
Up front for Cambridge, Gemma Watson receives the ball on the edge of the area from Reed, holds it up well and looks to turn try and get a shot away is eventually crowded off the ball as three home defenders converge on her. Last chance of the half falls to Cambridge WFC as Mills puts a cross from the left into the box the ball is cleared but only as far as Emma Jenkins who running in fires a shot in from 25 yards the ball is put out of play for a corner.
Half-time Cambridge University Women 2-1 Cambridge WFC Reserves
Competitive first half with both sides looking to win the ball and start an attack early. Cambridge WFC have had more of the ball, but haven't been as effective with it in the final third as Cambridge University have, leading 2-1 and with a 6-5 agg lead it's the visitors that need to create more openings in front of goal in the 2nd half and make a number of changes with Roberts coming back on along Sarah Carroll in the centre and Clara Greed out wide left.
Getting darker with the gloomy skies a chill in the air as the 2nd half gets underway. It's the home side that start the brighter another pacey build up down their left the ball is fired into the box, no one has the legs to meet it.
A good run from Cambridge WFC's Mills down the right, charges forwards out paces her marker and strikes the ball on the run, Cambridge University keeper Selzer seeing the danger has made a good decision to come as the shot is straight into her midriff she holds on well.
The visitors gift Cambridge University a chance from a poor ball out from the back that Wainwright latches onto, peels to the left of the area and shoots from a tight angle, Mhunduru makes the save at her near post.
Wainwright is looking to find space in the channels as Cambridge WFC look to put bodies forwards to bring the scores level, with a burst of pace the no10 enters the box, coming across to defend is Robyn Phillips with a great tackle to take the ball off her feet.
Cambridge WFC's Emma Roberts with possession of the ball at the back moves forwards down the left. has Clara Greed in front of her, puts the ball into her run, Greed gets control of the ball, has pace to burn drives towards the box, is about to shoot a defender comes sliding in to thwart the strike deflected behind for a corner.
Greed looks to make another run with the ball at her feet into the box from the left, looking to beat players Cambridge University defend well, the ball comes loose out towards Sarah Carroll who has a strike from 25 yards, but the home side have the bodies back to intercept. Liz Pamplin comes back on for Jordan Holland.
On the left Lynn Jones Taylor for Cambridge University plays the ball into the run of Wainwright charging into the box shoots aiming for the near post, Mhunduru drops low pushes the ball away, the loose ball is blasted back in, Tessa Shaw is their back on the cover to make the block the ball coming back out to Claire Longden she fires her strike over the bar.
GOAL! It's the equaliser Cambridge WFC have been looking for. The build up down the left the ball is played into the area with pace at a good height, there are shouts of hand ball the referee points to the penalty spot. It's Pamplin to step up makes no mistake putting it past the keeper to level the score line 2-2.
The goal sparks Cambridge University into action having been pushed back for a spell they restart the match on the offensive, 1st Wainwright puts a fierce cross low across the goal line and out before Taylor blazes a shot wide after latching onto a poor clearance from the back.
Reed gives away a foul in a dangerous position outside the box 20 yards to the right of the D, it's Longden over the ball, is a good effort gets it up and over the wall, in the fading light it looks close but goes over the bar.
GOAL! Wainwright has looked a threat all game and restores Cambridge University's lead as the ball is put into her outside the box, turns her marker well on the right and strikes the ball low and hard across Mhunduru and into the net 3-2.
Cambridge WFC look to counter straight away the ball played down the right from the restart, the cross is played in a looping ball, falls to Greed who finds herself in a central position she hits the ball on the turn on the edge of the box, a good strike, narrowly over.
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| Cambridge WFC's Clara Greed |
Gemma Clarke with another great chance to get Cambridge WFC back into the tie, the ball is played into her feet from the left as she drives frorwards from a central position is in space, Selzer comes rushing out to try and put her off, Clarke stabs the ball past her, beaten Selzer turns to see the ball thankfully dribble the wrong side of the post.
A goal mouth scramble in the Cambridge University box late on as Mills brings the ball down and drives into the middle has he shot blocked, the ball falling amongst bodies, Clarke gets a foot on the ball is blocked at point blank range as the home side. Cambridge University defend in numbers get the ball away. The final whistle blows and Cambridge University win the 2nd leg 3-2 and win 7-6 overall to advance to the next round of the S-Tech Women's League Cup.
An entertaining cup tie between two evenly matched sides, competitive as a narrow aggregate scoreline suggests. Congratulations to Cambridge University Women and thanks to both clubs for helping me out with the squad details especially after my late arrival.
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