League Champs Mauled By Caius

Sunday’s game between Trinity and Caius will probably just be remembered for the result, for the final score was the only remarkable thing about this match. Last year’s champions came into the game fully expecting a win despite a mixed start to the season; last week’s 2-2 draw with Fitz was a setback after an impressive win at Emma. Despite the absence of captain Matt Cole through injury, Trinity should have had enough talent to get past a well-drilled but ultimately beatable Caius side.

After 20 minutes an upset seemed unlikely, with the lively Dany Gammall going close shortly before Mitch Bibby drew a good save from Caius’ keeper Junfeng Liu. Indeed, for the whole first half Trinity seemed the more threatening side. Caius had the lion’s share of possession but the pace of Gammall, Bibby and Henry Husband looked to be troubling the opposition’s defence more than Caius threatened the champions.

Unfortunately for the home side, all their energy disappeared at about the same time as Gammall, who only lasted half the game before succumbing to what looked like a groin injury. After half time, Trinity lost their structure in attack and Caius finally capitalised on their domination of possession. After Trinity goalkeeper Ognjen Ivkovic flapped at a corner, a habit that caused his defence problems throughout the game, Caius’ “flying Dutchman” Pieter Fritschy hammered home from the edge of the area.

Although Liu, who had an excellent game between the sticks, was forced to make good saves from Bibby, Chris Scott and substitute Martin Lesourd, Trinity looked frustrated after the goal and never quite looked like staging a comeback. The champions’ misery was compounded when Fritschy, having missed one golden chance when one on one with Ivkovic, coolly finished off a slick counter-attack.

A chance goes begging

Caius’ players were quick to stress to The Tab that teamwork had been the key to the win, with the impressive Liu saying that his clean sheet was “all up to the defence,” and two-goal hero Fritschy calling the victory “a real team performance.”

Trinity’s stand-in captain Alex Lunn was understandably unhappy with his team’s performance and cited a “general fitness issue” as the cause for the defeat (some say this is the exact excuse that some Newnham girls gave when they stood up the Trinity side at their swap last week).

One thing is certain: Trinity have been hurt by the defeat and will be putting blood, sweat and tears into preparing for every game from now on. The league is, in the words of Caius captain Martin Iacoponi, “there for the taking.”

Photo by David Ponting