VARSITY 2008
Oxford 1 - 1 Cambridge
Cambridge win 4-2 on penalties
A year after the disappointment of losing to Oxford in the Varsity match’s first ever penalty shoot-out, Cambridge must have feared history was repeating itself when the whistle blew after 120 exhausting minutes of football to signal that it would come down to spot-kicks again. This time, however, there was to be glory after all, goalkeeper Lisa O’Dea saving two of Oxford’s attempts for a well-deserved Cambridge victory.
Right from the start, the Light Blues had shown their determination to avenge last year’s defeat, and they came close to scoring early on when Nikki Hoffman outjumped Oxford keeper Katy Langley to head narrowly wide. Cambridge continued to dominate, with player of the match Leesa Haydock controlling the midfield and feeding a series of passes through to wingers Miriam Toolan and Flick Hughes, whose pace was a constant nightmare for the Oxford defence.
However, it was Oxford who went ahead against the run of play when they won a free-kick on the left-hand side. Ann Harvey’s effort was parried by O’Dea, but she was unable to hold the ball and in the resulting melee the ball was prodded over the line by the Oxford striker. Cambridge created further chances before half-time, going agonisingly close when Hughes just failed to connect with Becks Fisher’s cross, but Oxford’s defence - inspired by an excellent performance from captain Kate Roper - stood firm, and in spite of their dominance, Cambridge ended the half trailing 1-0.
The start of the second half saw a renewed onslaught on the Oxford goal. From the kick off a beautiful passing move saw Cambridge centre-back Claire Hollingsworth send a perfectly-judged ball over the head of Roper and into the path of Hughes, whose shot went narrowly wide. The equaliser seemed certain to arrive, and it did so not long into the second half when Haydock’s pass found Catherine Murphy, whose skill took her past two opponents and allowed her to fire in a low shot. She was denied by the post, but Fisher, arriving in the six-yard box, stroked home the rebound to put the sides on level terms.
Cambridge continued to dominate, with Haydock and Lisa Grimes never allowing Oxford’s midfield to take hold of the game. Strong second half displays from full-backs Lizzie Richardson and Clare Ross kept the Dark Blues’ wingers at bay, while the ever-energetic Murphy continued to threaten at the other end, but nobody was able to find a winner as the game headed into extra time.
An early Oxford break in the first period of extra time gave Cambridge a scare, but the game soon reverted to its previous pattern of Cambridge possession and near-misses. Murphy went close after a neat exchange of passes with Fisher, and a series of corners in the dying minutes raised Cambridge hopes, Hollingsworth just failing to connect as she slid on to a low ball at the far post, but by this time things had an air of inevitability.
And sure enough, penalties it was. This time, however, the Light Blues showed great technique and composure, Haydock, Grimes and Clare Longden all scoring their kicks, with Langley saving Fisher’s effort. O’Dea denied Oxford’s third and fourth takers, leaving Murphy to step up and slot the ball into the bottom corner, sending Cambridge and their travelling support wild with delight. Proud captain Grimes commented: “It was a tough game and there were a lot of tired legs out there but Cambridge were the stronger team throughout and were unlucky not to win outright within 90 minutes. Penalties are never a nice way to end a game but we
thoroughly deserved to come away victorious today.”
Oxford Furies 0 - 3 Cambridge Eagles
The Eagles retained the Varsity trophy as goals from Kristina Cammen, Liv Hanks and captain Ellie Nalson handed them an emphatic victory over a determined Oxford side in front of a vocal away support. Cambridge took some time to find their rhythm on an unusually small pitch, and although they had the greater share of possession, initially struggled with the final delivery.
The best of the early chances fell to Sophie Goodall, whose persistence found her a way through the Oxford defence before keeper Grace Buchanan pounced to smother the ball. Furies midfielder Emma Dickinson was a threat throughout, as was tricky Oxford captain Ejiro Oviri, whose skill in possession carved out several openings, perhaps the best of which was a shot that she herself dragged wide.
An assured display from keeper Alice Barnes boosted Cambridge’s confidence, and their breakthrough came just before half time when Hemali Patel’s shot was tipped round the post by Buchanan, and Lindsay Cameron’s resulting corner found Cammen at the far post for the defender to powerfully head home. This was the catalyst for a lengthy period of Eagles dominance in the early part of the second half, and they thought they had extended their lead through a long-range effort from Kate Hadley-Brown, only for the referee to judge that an attacker had strayed offside. Cambridge survived a scare when Oviri’s shot hit the post and rebounded agonisingly across the six-yard box before Emma Stones was able to clear. Minutes later, the Eagles did double their advantage in what was a mirror-image of their opening goal; this time it was Hanks whose header met Cameron’s beautifully-flighted corner after good work by Nalson on the right wing.
Although they continued to threaten down the right-hand side, Oxford found no reply, and it was chiefly the pace of Eagles captain Nalson and substitute Kate Orf that caught the eye in the closing stages. Hadley-Brown held off two Furies defenders to find Nalson in space in the area, and the captain coolly slotted past the keeper to wrap up the victory. Nalson, who was voted Cambridge’s player of the match by the Oxford team, was enthusiastic in praise of the Eagles’ exploits. “They put in another awesome performance today and deserve to come away with such a convincing victory,” she said. “Every single player today showed just how good they are. I am so proud to be their captain.”
Varsity 2006-2007
Oxford 1 - 1 Cambridge
Cambridge win 4-2 on penalties
A year after the disappointment of losing to Oxford in the Varsity match’s first ever penalty shoot-out, Cambridge must have feared history was repeating itself when the whistle blew after 120 exhausting minutes of football to signal that it would come down to spot-kicks again. This time, however, there was to be glory after all, goalkeeper Lisa O’Dea saving two of Oxford’s attempts for a well-deserved Cambridge victory.
Right from the start, the Light Blues had shown their determination to avenge last year’s defeat, and they came close to scoring early on when Nikki Hoffman outjumped Oxford keeper Katy Langley to head narrowly wide. Cambridge continued to dominate, with player of the match Leesa Haydock controlling the midfield and feeding a series of passes through to wingers Miriam Toolan and Flick Hughes, whose pace was a constant nightmare for the Oxford defence.
However, it was Oxford who went ahead against the run of play when they won a free-kick on the left-hand side. Ann Harvey’s effort was parried by O’Dea, but she was unable to hold the ball and in the resulting melee the ball was prodded over the line by the Oxford striker. Cambridge created further chances before half-time, going agonisingly close when Hughes just failed to connect with Becks Fisher’s cross, but Oxford’s defence - inspired by an excellent performance from captain Kate Roper - stood firm, and in spite of their dominance, Cambridge ended the half trailing 1-0.
The start of the second half saw a renewed onslaught on the Oxford goal. From the kick off a beautiful passing move saw Cambridge centre-back Claire Hollingsworth send a perfectly-judged ball over the head of Roper and into the path of Hughes, whose shot went narrowly wide. The equaliser seemed certain to arrive, and it did so not long into the second half when Haydock’s pass found Catherine Murphy, whose skill took her past two opponents and allowed her to fire in a low shot. She was denied by the post, but Fisher, arriving in the six-yard box, stroked home the rebound to put the sides on level terms.
Cambridge continued to dominate, with Haydock and Lisa Grimes never allowing Oxford’s midfield to take hold of the game. Strong second half displays from full-backs Lizzie Richardson and Clare Ross kept the Dark Blues’ wingers at bay, while the ever-energetic Murphy continued to threaten at the other end, but nobody was able to find a winner as the game headed into extra time.
An early Oxford break in the first period of extra time gave Cambridge a scare, but the game soon reverted to its previous pattern of Cambridge possession and near-misses. Murphy went close after a neat exchange of passes with Fisher, and a series of corners in the dying minutes raised Cambridge hopes, Hollingsworth just failing to connect as she slid on to a low ball at the far post, but by this time things had an air of inevitability.
And sure enough, penalties it was. This time, however, the Light Blues showed great technique and composure, Haydock, Grimes and Clare Longden all scoring their kicks, with Langley saving Fisher’s effort. O’Dea denied Oxford’s third and fourth takers, leaving Murphy to step up and slot the ball into the bottom corner, sending Cambridge and their travelling support wild with delight. Proud captain Grimes commented: “It was a tough game and there were a lot of tired legs out there but Cambridge were the stronger team throughout and were unlucky not to win outright within 90 minutes. Penalties are never a nice way to end a game but we thoroughly deserved to come away victorious today.”
Oxford Furies 0 - 3 Cambridge Eagles
The Eagles retained the Varsity trophy as goals from Kristina Cammen, Liv Hanks and captain Ellie Nalson handed them an emphatic victory over a determined Oxford side in front of a vocal away support. Cambridge took some time to find their rhythm on an unusually small pitch, and although they had the greater share of possession, initially struggled with the final delivery.
The best of the early chances fell to Sophie Goodall, whose persistence found her a way through the Oxford defence before keeper Grace Buchanan pounced to smother the ball. Furies midfielder Emma Dickinson was a threat throughout, as was tricky Oxford captain Ejiro Oviri, whose skill in possession carved out several openings, perhaps the best of which was a shot that she herself dragged wide.
An assured display from keeper Alice Barnes boosted Cambridge’s confidence, and their breakthrough came just before half time when Hemali Patel’s shot was tipped round the post by Buchanan, and Lindsay Cameron’s resulting corner found Cammen at the far post for the defender to powerfully head home. This was the catalyst for a lengthy period of Eagles dominance in the early part of the second half, and they thought they had extended their lead through a long-range effort from Kate Hadley-Brown, only for the referee to judge that an attacker had strayed offside. Cambridge survived a scare when Oviri’s shot hit the post and rebounded agonisingly across the six-yard box before Emma Stones was able to clear. Minutes later, the Eagles did double their advantage in what was a mirror-image of their opening goal; this time it was Hanks whose header met Cameron’s beautifully-flighted corner after good work by Nalson on the right wing.
Although they continued to threaten down the right-hand side, Oxford found no reply, and it was chiefly the pace of Eagles captain Nalson and substitute Kate Orf that caught the eye in the closing stages. Hadley-Brown held off two Furies defenders to find Nalson in space in the area, and the captain coolly slotted past the keeper to wrap up the victory. Nalson, who was voted Cambridge’s player of the match by the Oxford team, was enthusiastic in praise of the Eagles’ exploits. “They put in another awesome performance today and deserve to come away with such a convincing victory,” she said. “Every single player today showed just how good they are. I am so proud to be their captain.”
Varsity 2006-2007
The Varsity match against Oxford takes place once a year and is probably the most important match in the Blues season, with the biggest build up.
In 2006 - 2007 the blues lost to Oxford in the Varsity match - a 0-0 draw led to extra time,
and with the score still 0-0 after 120 mins, Oxford won 4-3 on penalties.
Pictures of the Blues match can be found on CantabPhotos, taken by Zoe Owen.
The Eagles won 4-3 in an exciting 90 minutes.
Pictures of the 2nds match can be found on CantabPhotos, taken by Claude Schneider.
Varsity History
Records of the women's football Varsity match go back to 1989. Of 19 encounters, Cambridge have won 13 times and Oxford 4 times, with 2 draws (before the rules were changed to include extra time and penalties to determine a winner). The second teams have met 8 times with Oxford winning 5 times compared to Cambridge's 3.First Team Results
| Year | Winner | Result |
| 1989 | Cambridge | 1-0 |
| 1990 | Cambridge | 2-0 |
| 1991 | Cambridge | 1-0 |
| 1992 | Cambridge | 2-1 |
| 1993 | Cambridge | 1-0 |
| 1994 | Draw | 1-1 |
| 1995 | Oxford | 2-0 |
| 1996 | Draw | 0-0 |
| 1997 | Cambridge | 3-0 |
| 1998 | Cambridge | 3-0 |
| 1999 | Oxford | 1-0 |
| 2000 | Cambridge | 1-0 |
| 2001 | Cambridge | 2-1 |
| 2002 | Cambridge | 4-0 |
| 2003 | Cambridge | 3-0 |
| 2004 | Oxford | 4-3 |
| 2005 | Cambridge | 4-0 |
| 2006 | Cambridge | 3-2 |
| 2007 | Oxford | 0-0 (4-3 pen) |
| 2008 | Cambridge | 1-1 (4-2 pen) |
| Year | Winner | Result |
| 2000 | Oxford | 3-1 |
| 2001 | Oxford | 1-0 |
| 2002 | Oxford | 7-1 |
| 2003 | Cambridge | 4-0 |
| 2004 | Cambridge | 3-1 |
| 2005 | Oxford | 7-2 |
| 2006 | Oxford | 2-1 |
| 2007 | Cambridge | 4-3 |
| 2008 | Cambridge | 3-0 |
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