Football report: Cambridge 2 University of South Wales 2

Plucky Cambridge hold USW to a Draw To Take First Points of the Season

Cambridge childs CUAFC draw fenners football goal Griffiths Hutton plucky Sport Tom Bennett USW

For the first ten minutes at a freezing cold Fenners it seemed very apparent why USW are second in the BUCS Premier South division and why the Blues were going in to the game without a point to their name. The side from South Wales spent the first ten minutes firmly camped in the Cambridge half moving the ball with pace and precision, winning the physical battles and dominating the game. When in the 12th minute a corner was not cleared properly and the second cross was bundled into the net by an unmarked man it seemed like the Light Blues would be in for a very long and punishing afternoon.

The goal however seemed to spark Cambridge in to life. Within a minute of the restart Chris Hutton had a volley from the edge of the area tipped over the bar by the Cardiff keeper and not long after a long throw was headed just wide. With confidence building Cambridge began to string some passes together and on the 20th minute their best move of the match won them a free-kick just outside the box. Captain Childs stepped up and calmly passed the ball through the legs of USW wall and into the net. The anguished howls directed by the USW goalkeeper at his beleaguered defence nicely summed up the pathetic excuse for a wall, it was indeed ‘fucking criminal.’

At this point USW completely lost their composure in the face of an invigorated Cambridge team running a very effective press and just three minutes later found themselves behind. The ball was won deep inside the USW half and found its way to Rory Griffiths,  who darted past his man and put a low ball across the six yard box bundled home by Chris Hutton. It seemed USW were out of the game as the hardworking Light Blues midfield swamped their opposite numbers forcing them to launch optimistic and ineffective long balls at the Cambridge back-line but the Light Blues could not get another goal.

The half time whistle saw Cambridge retreat to the warmth of the dressing room while an irate USW coach sat his players down next to the pitch and delivered a fifteen minute bollocking complete with a fine collection of hand gestures.

In the second half Cambridge came out apparently determined to continue their high-tempo defensive game. Within 10 seconds of the restart the overenthusiastic Hutton, clearly committed to the press, had flattened a USW centre back sparking anguished cries and a lot of rolling around on the floor. Unfortunately however, the half-time bollocking coupled with a change in the USW midfield at the expense of their captain – who incidentally then spent the rest of the match sulking under a tree – had reinvigorated the team from Wales. As in the first 10 minutes of the match the tempo and precision of the play was far beyond Cambridge rendering the midfield ineffective and it was only determined and desperate defending which maintained the lead as bodies were thrown in the way of shot after shot.

In such a one sided period of play an equaliser seemed inevitable and it did ultimately come with fifteen minutes of the match remaining as a USW winger hit the by-line and delivered a fine cross simply converted by the incoming striker. In the last 15 minutes USW looked likely to claim a victory as a header went inches wide of the far post another shot crashed in to the side netting, but Cambridge held on.

Despite looking disappointed as they came off the field this was a very well earned point for the Light Blues against an extremely strong team.