Football: Blues 5-1 Leeds Met.

They may be called the Blues, but CUAFC are feeling far from down at the moment. They haven’t lost since last year, they’re top of the league, and on Monday they booked a place in the semi-final of the BUCS trophy. This was a game that began a tight, tetchy affair but soon opened out into another commanding Cambridge victory.

Cambridge go in the search for goals

While on Monday they traveled the relatively long distance to Fitzwilliam’s pitch at Oxford Road, for the semi they’ll be making a huge trek all the way up to Edinburgh. It seems that the price of success is a heightened cost of travel, not that any of the team are complaining. They’re just delighted to continue a fantastic run that bodes well for their Varsity game in late March.

Totten runs at the Leeds Met defence

Monday’s game began scrappily, with neither side able to create many chances. Cambridge captain Ross Broadway, theatrical by name but industrious by nature, had clearly set his troops up solidly enough, but clear opportunities were not forthcoming. Despite this, the Blues managed to take the lead midway through the first period when a corner from the right bounced around in the box before being put into the roof of the net by a gleeful Totten. Despite Leeds Met’s adventurous forays down the left, they were being kept quiet enough by the Blues’ back four.

The Blues snuffed out most of the threat posed to them

The second half saw some dramatic changes. Right at the start of the 45 a neat one-two put striker Dan Forde in and he finished high into the net. Almost immediately from the restart Haitham Sherif managed to turn his marker and clinically put the away when one-on-one. And it was soon four, Childs releasing Broadway down the left, his low cross turned in by Sherif. Game over, despite some neat play from Leeds Met. They managed to pull a goal back from a spot kick, but Forde sealed the victory with a long-range effort, making it two for him and five for Cambridge.

So the Blues bandwagon rolls on, another impressive victory to add to the collection. As ever, with great success comes great expectation, and they will travel up to Edinburgh fully aware of the uncharted territory they are navigating. The Tab will be with them all the way and wishing the boys best of luck in their quest for glory.

Photos by Simon Schofield