Varsity Football

Welcome to The Tab’s Live coverage of the Varsity Football match. Follow us live on Twitter and this site from 7:15pm as Cambridge look to avenge last year’s penatly defeat. LIVE UPDATES are below the Twitter box, and are more up to date. If the Twitter box below isn’t working on your computer, you can go directly to TabSport‘s Twitter page HERE.

Get involved by tweeting @TabSport, emailing [email protected] or commenting below. You can also listen live to our partners at Cam FM. ————————————————————————————
9:48pm Oxford go wild with their medals and trophy, Cambridge troop off looking like they want to chuck their runners up medals to the ground.

9:44pm Officials recieve their medals. They were excellent. Ward’s just been awarded the Man of the Match for his two goals, but I think that’s harsh on Griffiths, who was superb for Cambridge in the first half, and Whylly, who after a dodgy start kep t his team in it.

9:40pm A scoreline that doesn’t reflect that match, but Oxford don’t care, as they celebrate on the pitch. Cambridge boys look understandably dejected, presentations to come

9:36pm FULL TIME Oxford 3-1 Cambridge

9:34pm Cambridge free kick on the left, Baxter whips it in but it won’t fall for Day, and that’s just about that.

9:33pm The ineffectual Zagajewski is replaced by Frost. Into stoppage time by my watch, I suspect at least 3 minutes.

9:30pm Not again! Sherif gets in down the middle, lifts it deftly over the onrushing keeper, only to see it drift onto the post. It’s cleared behind and from the corner Ross broadway collects on the edge of the box and brings a top save from the Oxford keeper. Good bit of pressure.

9:29pm Was that the chance? Brilliant play from Baxter, scrapping for the ball on the floor on halfway with an Oxford man all over him. He slipped it through for McCrickerd but the final ball was blocked, with Totten free on the right.

9:26pm Despite flooding the midfield you don’t get any feel of Cambridge dominance in this second period, not like the first. Oxford have marked their strikers out of the game, and despite calls from the captain to up the intensity, there’s little going on out there.

9:24pm You’d expect it from such an experienced official, but Halsey has been quietly excellent today, allowing the game to flow and keeping a lid on everything. Not that it’s been a violent game.

9:22pm We were all saying before the game how big this pitch is, and it appears to be showing, as a Dark Blue defender goes down with cramp. He’ll be fine, but tiredness is starting to show.

9:19pm and there’s the danger. Griffiths is no wing back, he’s an out and out winger, which means Rubinstein, seeing more and more of the ball, will be afforded plenty of space. Peacock gets back to make a grea last ditch tackle, and when Oxford come again the shot is wayward. Still no sign of a comeback though.

9:17pm Sellman and Totten come on for Rutt and Hakimi. Change of formation to a 3-5-2 from the look of it. Last throw of the dice you might say.

9:15pm A bit better there from Cambridge, some pressure results in a shot from McCrickerd, just wide of the left hand post. About 15 minutes to go and Cambridge need something fast.

9:12pm The Dark Blues are pressing hard, giving Cambridge very little time on the ball. McCrickerd is becoming more and more frustrated and beginning to drop deeper and deeper, as the visitors look for a way through.

9:09pm Couple of subs to tell you about: Oxford have replaced Wright with Haigh, a defensive move, as a midfielder replaces a striker. Cambridge have withdrawn Hartley for Selwyn captain Mark Baxter. He’ll slot into the centre of the park as a straight replacement.

9:07pm Before the game James Day told CamFM that they new Oxford would be organised and solid at the back. Well that’s exactly what they look now at 3-1 up, solid. They don’t have to do any more, so they are just sitting back and keeping it tight.

9:04pm How has that not gone in??? Glorious cross from a free kick on the right is headed back across goal by Sherif, over the keeper and towards the far corner. Revell following in doesn’t know whether to nudge it home or let it go in of its own accord, and in the end watches it as it bounces tantalisingly against the post. 1 off the line, 2 off the woodwork, how close can Cambridge come to this second goal.

9:02pm GOAL Oxford 3-1 Cambridge
…and from that corner Oxford extend their lead. Again a ball into the box does for Cambridge, and it drops to Oxford’s Elliot Thomas to lash into the roof of the net. It’s a long way back now for the light blues.

9:01pm Oxford look much the better side all of a sudden. Peacock caught dwelling on the ball and Oxford break in numbers. Cleared behind for a corner…

8:59pm That’s a poor tackle by Peacock on Rubenstein, he’s lucky to avoid a booking there for a pretty cynical trip down the Oxford right. The resultant free kick comes to nothing though, Ward fires miles over as he seeks his hattrick.

8:58pm Chaos at the back there, a long ball forward causes confusion between Revell and Ferguson, the keeper eventually collects but they got a bit lucky there.

8:56pm We have a short stoppage here, Rutt and Ward collide and both need some treatment, but it looks like both will continue.

8:54pm Promising signs. A cleared corner comes to Ali Hakimi on the edge of the box, and he beats a man before lashing it towards goal. Off target in the end, but a decent effort.

8:51pm Cambridge must be careful not to overcommit too soon as they press for the goal that would bring them level. Oxford nearly got away there, Rubenstein and Zagajewski (glad this is not a spoken update!) look to link up, and had they managed to the Oxford winger would have been in, but the Cambridge cover defence is good…

8:48pm Back under way, a little late by my watch. Cambridge knocking it around at the back, and then Day hits it long for Griffiths, he beats his man, and before Oxford have touched the ball this half Rutt beats the keeper with a header, only to see it smack back off the crossbar. Inches from an equaliser!

8:46pm Just before the second half begins again, I’d like to take a moment to revel in the joy that was the Cambridge goal. Stunning run from McCrickerd and it got the finish it deserved. Will mean very nothing if they can’t overturn this deficit, but a really great moment.

8:43pm So I don’t have Opta here giving me stats, but I’d guess that Cambridge have had just over 60% of the possession and many more shots. That counts for little though, as Oxford look dangerous on the break and those Delap style throws have been the difference so far.

8:38pm Can Cambridge turn it around? Let us know your thoughts below or at [email protected]. Match report to follow at the conclusion of course, and there will be some fantastic pictures courtesy of Amy Jeffs up on the site tomorrow.

8:31pm HALF TIME Oxford 2-1 Cambridge
You will not see a more one sided half than that in which the dominant team end up behind. Two long throws, some poor defending and Cambridge are behind. In between though we saw some terrific play from the visitors, enough to suggest that they could still win this.  

8:28pm How demoralizing must this be for the light blues? All their troubles seem to be coming from down the Oxford right, where Rubenstein is dangerous, but it’s really the long throws that are doing the damage. Stoke football it may be, but Day, captain, returning Blue and central defender will be frustrated at his part in that second goal. He headed it straight up, not out, and it was from that failure that the goal came.

8:25pm GOAL Oxford 2-1 Cambridge (Ward)
Will Cambridge come to rue alla these missed chances? Of course they will. Another long throw, again not dealt with, and again it drops to Ward. 6 yards out he can scarcely miss.

8:23pm More Cambridge pressure, more chances, still level. First Sherif gets in, 7 yards out to the left of the 6 yard box, but opts to square it instead of going for goal and nothing comes of it. Seconds later a magnificent cross-field ball finds Griffiths, but his shot, cutting in on his right foot, is tame and easily saved.

8:20pm Real chance there. A corner from the right is headed back across goal by James Day and it drops to McCrickerd 8 yards out, but Whylly, who I’m told by my Oxford colleagues is a Bahamian international goalkeeper, pulls off a stunning save.

8:18pm It’s all calmed down a bit now, the game has been 100 miles an hour up to this point and you wonder if the intensity can stay this high. Hakimi has made a couple of crunching tackles in the last minute, but all fair. Meanwhile Sherif, leading the line, has been skilful and physical, but is having so hard tackles made on him.

8:14pm Off the line! Brilliant cross from Rutt catches Whylly out, and Sherif’s header from 3 yards out is going in, but Anthony Beddows, the Oxford Centre Half is back superbly to stop it crossing the line. Close.

8:11pm And the Cambridge number 10 is at it again, this time McCrickerd’s shot from 25 yards is tipped round the post. I wouldn’t quite describe Day’s men as rampant, Oxford still threatening from long throws, but this is good from Cambridge.

8:08pm GOAL: Oxford 1-1 Cambridge (Griffiths) WHAT. A. GOAL. Griffiths scores it, but it was all McCrickerd. He won the ball on the right, 40 yards from goal, and a jinking run later, slid the ball into the path of his winger. In between he beat two men and pulled off and outrageous stepover. Good finish by Griffiths too it must be said, into the top corner.

8 o6pm As we expected Cambridge are using the full width of the pitch. First Sherif heads wide, the Griffiths loses his feet at the vital moment when clear down the left.

8:05pm Cambridge still playing more of the football, and Griffiths is chopped down just outside the box. The clever free kick produces little though.

8:02pm GOAL: Oxford 1-0 Cambridge (Ward) A throw in from the right isn’t dealt with, flicked on, and volleyed home by Alec Ward from 8 yards. Nothing Ferguson could have done about that, but horror defending from the Light Blues, and a nightmare start.

7:58pm Oxford look dangerous on the break right now. First Ferguson is out sharply to clear a through ball and then from a ball whipped in seconds later is lucky that the header was straight at him. The hosts , after a poor start, are beginning to find their feet.

7:56pm I take it back…or do I. Oxford cough up possession deep in their own half, Sherif plays Griffiths in but he’s denied by a top save from Whylly. From the resultant corner however the haphazard shopstopper punches poorly and that was only just cleared off the line.

7:53pm I tell you what, this Whylly character looks dodgy in the Oxford goal. He races towards a ball which holds up just outside the Dark Blue box, and McCrickerd’s touch is just to heavy as he goes past. Encouraging for Cambridge.

7:51pm A glorious ball from Hartley releases Griffiths again, ball in low to the near post is dealt with this time by the Oxford ‘keeper. Seconds later a long ball down the middle almost catches out the visiting defence, but calm work from right-back Ali Hakimi relieves the danger.

7:49pm Griffiths’ gets in down the left again, and this time his ball in narrowly evades the onrushing Cambridge forwards. Light Blue dominance so far, Oxford can’t get out of their own half

7:47: What a start! Cambridge press forward, and Griffiths’ ball into the box should be easily gathered by Whylly in the Oxford goal, but he fumbles. The Dark Blues, just about, clear their lines

7:46pm And Oxford kick us off. The 127th Varsity match is up and running.

7:44pm Mark Halsey bows to the press box (or somewhere else near us). That’s a novel way to gain support from the media. Oxford will be playing in Dark blue and white halved shirts tonight, with Cambridge in full light blue shirts, shorts and socks. The two teams into pre-game huddles…

7:42pm Here come the teams, and there’s quite an atmosphere here, good noise being created by the crowd as they are introduced to the guest of honour, some Oxford alumnus who used to be on the Man United board I believe. 2 minutes til we get under way.

7:39pm Players are almost ready, and it’s feeling quite tense here. Lots of nervous laughter coming from the fans who are congregated below our position here. Be sure to check out CamFM’s live coverage as well as following here, link at the top of the page.

7:34pm If you’ve never been to the Kassam stadium, home of Oxford United, which I imagine would be the majority of you (but maybe I’m being presumptuous) it’s actually quite impressive. 12,000 seater I’m told, but only around 1000 in tonight. And from the sound of it, a good part of those are Light Blue fans.

7:30pm Your referee tonight, for those of you who care about that kind of thing, is Premier League favourite (ahem) Mark Halsey. The players have gone back in, just 15 minutes to go now…

7:20pm Line ups then: Oxford first: Whylly, Adebasi, Squires, Ward, Beddows, Thomas (c), Quigley, Rubenstein, Healy, Wright, Zagajewski. Subs: O’Brien, Haigh, Castro, Frost, Fellows. They have 5 returning blues, one of whom has also played for Cambridge in a Varsity Match Cambridge:  Ferguson, Peacock, Hakimi, Day (c), Revell, Broadway, Rutt, Hartley, Sherif , McCrickerd, Griffiths. Subs: Gillingham, Baxter, Totten, Sellman, Hill. 5 returning Blues start, and Baxter on the bench, whilst McCrickerd played for Oxford last year.

7:16pm And of course, a reminder of how to get in touch. You can tweet us @TabSport, email, or comment below. We’d love to hear from you, whether it’s to wish the team luck or tell us who should be in the team that isn’t…

7:14pm Not sure what to expect? Or what all the fuss is about? Why not check out our preview HERE.

7:07 pm The Cambridge boys have just come out and started warming up, closely followed by their Oxford counterparts. Full team news coming in a moment, as well as build up over the next 30 minutes

7:05 pm So, here we are. The 127th Varsity Match, live from the Kassam Stadium Oxford. Get exited….