Champions not blown over in Durham

• Durham 2nds 0
• York 1sts 2

York University men’s football 1st team showed why they are BUSA champions with a distinctly professional performance away at Durham last Wednesday.

Goals from O’Shea and Murrills sealed the 2-0 win against Durham’s 2nd XI, and left York on top of their league with 25 points from 30 in a very impressive BUSA campaign.

After seeing off Leeds the previous weekend, and in doing so sealing the BUSA 3B title, Durham may have expected a half-arsed York team who were only there for a day out.

York, however, were ruthless in ensuring Durham wouldn’t escape relegation easily. Captain Dom O’Shea had encouraged players to enjoy themselves, but another 3 points was the priority and would make their back-to-back promotions even sweeter.

This professional approach was not adopted by everyone, with goalkeeper ‘Calamity’ Cooper Emmerson living up to his latest nickname by forgetting to pack shin-pads but including some Carlsbergs in his kitbag.

If Carlsberg did football teams, they’d struggle to make one to challenge York in their current form - 6 wins in their last 7 games, conceding only 4 goals in that period – and York continued this form by beating Durham at a canter.

Two changes saw Murrills replace York’s own Hitman (Witherwick) and Gardner playing the holding midfielder role in place of Ramsden. O’Shea dropped into midfield, allowing Murrills to lead the line alongside BUSA veteran Mark Gouland who was making his 50th BUSA appearance, with the prospect of a few more if his legs hold out, considering he is only marginally younger than most BUSA referees.

York were straight out of the traps, and inside 5 minutes a precision through ball from Wilson found O’Shea bursting through a static Durham defence and the captain slotted home confidently. The celebration raised some eyebrows, as York’s captain seemed to be wiping his arse as he returned to the half-way line, but the team didn’t let this show of arrogance put them off the task at hand. 1-0 gave the team some freedom to express themselves and York played their way through Durham with some liquid football in difficult conditions.

Although Durham needed a result in their fight against relegation, they found it difficult to break out of their half against a solid defensive unit in the form of Rixon, Evans and birthday boy McWilliams, not to mention a blustering headwind. The York midfield broke up attacks effectively whilst Smith’s incisive runs in from the right flank, combined with great hold up play from both Gouland and Murrills, meant there was little respite for Durham’s backline.

Despite the pressure, chances weren’t converted into goals, as Wilson blazed a few optimistic volleys over the bar, an in-swinging Gouland corner caught the keeper out but rebounded off the bar and an O’Shea free-kick sailed over. What is becoming to be his trademark saw McWilliams whip a deep free kick onto the head of Saturday’s hero Gouland, but the experienced striker saw his goal-bound effort blocked by a defender.

Durham probed and occasionally found space on the wings, but didn’t trouble ‘keeper Emmerson in the first half. It stayed 1-0 until half-time but York were disappointed not to have capitalised on the strong wind which they would now have to defend against.

The first ten minutes of the second half saw the York defence stretched for the first time as they weathered Durham’s attacking storm. Despite the onslaught, midfield harrying from Gardner and composed sweeping from McWilliams among others meant Durham were yet to have a shot on target.

O’Shea had a strain in his ‘gluteus maximus’, or backside, muscle (apparently his excuse for the aforementioned outrageous celebration) so pulled himself off and was replaced by Ramsden, whose fresh legs made him look far from his usual shaggy self.

Indeed, great running from Ramsden saw him let loose with a left foot drive from 25 yards, that would have surely flown into the top corner were it not for the powerful wind taking pace off the shot. Further chances were few and far between as York looked to calmly see out the match.

Tactical changes from Durham saw them throw men forward and York’s resolute defence was outnumbered at one point as the left winger volleyed over when he really should have tested the bored Emmerson.

It was man-of-the-match Wilson who notched up another assist when he showed a sudden burst of pace - that shocked his teammates as much as the Durham defence - to open up a crossing opportunity. Wilson calmly picked out Murrills, who dinked his shot over the onrushing goalkeeper to seal victory with 6 minutes to go. At 2-0 the match was over and the game fizzled out as the sun set on York’s victorious BUSA campaign.

The professionalism shown by York’s players underlined why they won the BUSA league and their form will strike fear into the heart of future opponents in the NUL league, NUL cup, and as a result of winning their league, the BUSA Plate. If the 1st XI can get a cup run going, then it will not only be a message of intent for Roses in Summer term, it will also keep the squad fit; a key component of their success thus far this season.

As the team bus pulled away, the team fully relaxed by cracking into their beers and tucking into some of Johnny McWilliams’ birthday cake. Despite the unsavoury sights of Middlesbrough’s industrial sprawl and Emmersons’ old haunts as the team picked up the netball team, the refreshments guaranteed the squad had a great day out and still managed to dominate the BUSA table. Gouland may not have added to his 25-odd BUSA goals and McWilliams may have turned his nose up at the saturated fats in his chocolate cake, but the day was a success as all the players made sure the birthday boy got the 21st birthday present he’d always wished for: 3 points and a clean sheet.

Line-up (3-5-2): Emmerson, Evans, McWilliams, Rixon, Smith, Cooper, Gardner, O’Shea (Ramsden 60), Wilson, Murrills, Gouland.

Goals: O’Shea 3, Murrills 84

Man of the match: Tom Wilson

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