Women's Football 1sts duck out of BUCS Cup

University of Hull 1sts 4 – 1 University of York 1sts

On Wednesday, the University of York’s Women’s Football 1sts travelled to Hull to play their first, and unfortunately last, BUCS cup match. York were hoping for a successful match, however were unsure of what to expect, having not played Hull in quite some time. The loss was obviously disappointing, however spirits were still high after a good performance, by a team with a large proportion of freshers.

Due to traffic complications, York’s team arrived in Hull with only 15 minutes to spare before kick-off, so after a quick change and an even quicker warm up, the game commenced without proper preparation.

From the first blow of the whistle it was obvious that Hull were dominating the game. York initially played to their tempo and let them lead the way, but after only a few minutes the tide began to turn in York’s favour, as they took better control of their passes, and were almost always first to the ball.

The North Yorkshire defence stayed strong, with Carey Kalym organising her line well, and when a ball did fight its way through, it was cleanly saved by keeper Annalie Schutz. However, soon a fatal hole appeared in York’s defence, and Hull broke through it to score the first goal.

But York were strong in the fight back, and kept up high pressure on the Hull team, which was also sporting a high fresher intake. And the determination paid off – Sarah Milner managing to fight her way through the Hull defence, which all in all had an outstanding game, to get the ball past the weak keeper.

Morale was boosted dramatically after this goal, but Hull were still determined to take advantage of York’s weak start. And indeed they quickly managed to do so, netting another strike very shortly before half time. Consequently, the interval brought some firm words from York’s captain, Jennie England, which visibly encouraged the team to work better together.

We were simply outclassed by the better team on the day, but there are some positives to take out of the game.
York captain Jennie England

And the team talk certainly had the desired effect, as the second half saw some outstanding plays by the York squad, with their fitness level seeming even higher than in the first half. York held the pressure very well for most of the second half, but were unable to convert some pristine chances.

With Sophie Wilson subbed on for Fiona Wallis up front, and Vicky Full on for Sarah Stallard, who sustained an ankle injury, York began to lose their coherence. This loss of team coordination allowed for yet another Hull goal, by their number four, who played brilliantly throughout. And a few minutes from time, after a rare mistake in goal by Woman of the Match Schutz, Hull managed to convert one final chance to net their last goal of the game and seal the deal.

However, York were pleased with their performance, especially in the second half, as captain Jennie England summarized: “We were simply outclassed by the better team on the day, and although we are disappointed to be out of the cup, there were some positives to take out of the game. Our goalkeeper, Annalie Schutz had a fantastic game and a couple of our freshers, Ruth Welford and Katy Ballantyne in particular, are showing huge promise and give us plenty of reason to be optimistic about the rest of the season.”

Teamsheet: Annalie Schutz, Carey Kalym, Sarah Jane Stallard, Naomi Rintoul, Susana Paardekooper, Jennie England (c), Katy Ballantyne, Charlotte Bootts, Fiona Wallis, Sarah Milner, Ruth Welford, Sophie Wilson, Vicky Full.

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