3/12/25 Women’s Blues 4-3 Loughborough 3s

🩵match report🩵

Blues 4-3 Loughborough 3s

Goals: Christiana x3, Martina

Assists: Elin x2, Christiana

Underneath the setting sun at Grange Rd, Blues lined up against Loughborough 3s, who had beaten us narrowly a few weeks ago but who we knew were themselves deeply beatable.

Loughborough established control from the off, playing through our high press with relative ease. After knocking on the door for several minutes and brilliant last ditch defending from our back line, they slotted one in from a buildup down the right wing. A few minutes later, their number 9 found an opening down the middle and, despite Eva’s best sliding efforts, put another unremarkably in. They were cruising.

But the first half was not altogether a wash for the Blues, with Julie hitting the post from Sakina’s cross and Christiana forcing a save after Martina’s dogged pressing.

Aaran encouraged us at the half, tweaking our press and telling us he believed in us 🥰

The second half started with more energy and control from the Blues. Subs at 55’ changed the game, providing some fresh legs after a half of hard pressing and man marking in the middle. But Loughborough won a corner, and a weak and uninteresting shot trickled in after an unfortunate deflection.

At this point, we decided to lock in. 🙂‍↕️ We created a few chances with Elin and Martina connecting down the left and two corners cleared off the line. More quick passing led to a chance at the top of the box. Elin laid off a ball which Christiana tucked in the bottom corner. A few minutes later, Christiana scored an accidental Olimpico, which Louisa would have surely headed in anyway. The crowd was rocking and Loughborough were shaking.

The press that they could so easily beat in the first half now had them sending the ball into the stands in every buildup. Fullbacks Cicely and Sakina then subs Ayesha and Lara S locked up their wingers and LB, Lucy, and Milla bodied their midfield. Julie and Martina both created more chances down the wing and their back line was at absolute sixes and sevens.

At around 70’ more buildup play from the midfield found Elin, who again laid it off. Christiana’s deflected shot looped over the keeper. It was 3-3 and Loughborough might as well have packed it up then, because a fourth was inevitable. Martina won the ball off their backline and forced a save, and then she flicked a corner in at the goal line. The comeback was complete.

We parked the bus for the final 5, with Lara S and Louisa especially locking up their top threats. Sophie commanded the goal and snatched every cross out of the air, and Eva, Milla and Lucy made their 10 miserable down the middle. After 5 minutes of suffering, absolute limbs at the whistle.

🩵 UTFB UTFCUAFC 🩵