Women Footballers Win Despite Tirade of Abuse

The Women’s Blues avenged their defeat to Bedford earlier in the season with a convincing 2-1 victory.

There was no love lost between the two teams following an ugly encounter earlier in the season which saw Bedford run out 4-1 winners.

Keen to make amends the Blues came out all guns blazing from the outset, putting a rattled Bedford under all sorts of pressure.

Striker Kate Robinson was the first to make an effort on goal, her shot coming as the climax of a slick passing move initiated by winger Maisie Byrne. Robinson’s effort, however, was blocked on the edge of the penalty box.

Minutes later, sloppy marking from the Bedford defence left Blues’ skipper Leesa Haydock in acres of space; her cross-cum-shot found its way into the back of the net to break the deadlock.

Play briefly came to a halt midway through the first half as one of the Bedford players went down injured, having taken – in the words of the Bedford left back – a rather embarrassing “hit in the va-jay-jay”.

The Blues, meanwhile, continued to look the better side and the tenacious Romy Trigg-Smith and the ubiquitous Haydock were particularly impressive.

Soon after, a neat ball played by Trigg-Smith to Byrne put the petite winger through one-on-one with the Bedford keeper. Byrne’s shot was parried into the path of the advancing Winslow who duly slotted the ball home into the open goal.

The Blues were well worth their 2-0 lead going into half-time; excellent defending from centre-backs Murphy and Hollingsworth meant that the Blues keeper had not even had a save to make.

The second half was a much scrappier affair; clear cut chances were few and far between for both sides. With the score at 2-0 Bedford ought very much to have been in the game. Yet their approach showed about as much imagination as the Cindies ‘DJ’ on a Wednesday night; their route one tactics were easily snuffed out by the aerially-dominant Blues’ back four.

As time ran out an ever more desperate Bedford began to resort to foul tactics and even fouler language. After skilfully skipping past two Bedford players and being maliciously hacked down by a third, Blues right back Danielle Griffiths was subjected to a tirade of abuse including “Get up you fucking pussyhole” and “Do that again and I’ll break your face.”

Further abuse followed; quote of the day goes to the Bedford left back, whose rant, aimed at Maise Byrne, included the line “You think you’re so clever but you’ve got a shit accent!”

Despite themselves, the Blues seemed riled by their opponents’ shocking behaviour. Criminal defending at a corner left a Bedford striker free in the six-yard box to fire home past the helpless Cambridge keeper.

This proved to be the wake-up call that the Blues needed; they maintained their composure in a frenetic finish, deservedly closing out the game as 2-1 winners. The result marks the Blues’ fifth win of the season and continues their strong start to the League campaign.