FA National Futsal Super League

Sunday 15th October 2017

FT: FC Salisbury United Futsal Club 8 – 5 Cambridge United FC Futsal (HT: 4 – 2)
Five Rivers Leisure Centre, Salisbury

Goals – Angel Martinez (2), Vitalii Burnus, Alberto Morcillo, Toby Hardwick

Squad – Lino Ceby (GK), Chay Jakes (GK), Alberto Morcillo ©, Angel Martinez, Justo Lopez, Monty Bouttell, Toby Hardwick, Tim Henery, Vitalii Burnus, Chema Cruz, George Harlow, Enrico Barnes

Coach – Luis Mendonca

Sunday saw Cambridge United FC Futsal travel south to Salisbury for their second fixture of the new FA National Futsal Super League.

FC Salisbury United Futsal were somewhat of a unknown quantity with the two sides having not met before. But Salisbury had proved to be the surprise package of the new FA National Futsal Super League season so far, winning their opening two games against Tranmere Rovers and Birmingham, putting them level at the top of the early league table along with favourites Helvecia and Reading Escolla.

Cambridge United FC Futsal have enjoyed a rapid rise to the top tier of futsal in England. Just 2 seasons ago, the Us were crowned champions of Divison 2 Midlands and secured promotion to Super League North by winning the Midlands v North play offs whilst also reaching the Futsal FA Cup Semi Finals in Manchester. Last season saw United finish 4th in Super League North which secured their place in the inaugural, single, larger FA National Futsal League this season.

United had suffered an opening day defeat against former Super League North Champions Birmingham who in turn lost to Salisbury in the surprise result of last weekend’s fixtures. So The Us were in doubt that this would be a stern test in front of a large and vocal home crowd at the excellent Fiver Rivers facility in Salisbury.

Cambridge United travelled with a squad comprising six experienced Europeans and six young English players, five of whom were 18 or younger.

United knew they had to start well to silence the partisan home support and Coach Luis Mendonca had ensured that his players knew exactly what to expect from Salisbury in the two weeks of preparation leading up to the game.

However, United endured the worst possible start when a mixture of individual errors and some clinical finishing saw them 2-0 behind after just 3 minutes delighting the home crowd!

However, Cambridge regrouped and played their way back into the game with good patient futsal and were rewarded 8 minutes into the half when a smart diagonal pass from captain Alberto Morcillo split the Salisbury defence open and found Vitalii Burnus who made no mistake from close range for his first of the season. The Us were back in it at 2-1.

Cambridge United continued to dominate possession although Salisbury were always dangerous on the break and two excellent reaction saves from the Us stopper Lino Cebey half way through the first half kept the scoreline at 2-1. Then with 5 minutes of the first half remaining a fine individual goal from Angel Martinez deservedly squared the game at 2-2 with his powerful shot going in off both the crossbar and the post.

This should have been the signal for United to stay solid and see out what remained of the half but instead a fine Salisbury team goal and then a finish from an impossibly tight angle made it 4-2 to Salisbury and the Us instead found themselves 2 goals behind again at half time.

Cambridge knew they had to start the second half well but were again undone 2 minutes into the 2nd half when United youngster George Harlow was judged to have been the ‘last man’ denying a clear goal scoring opportunity with a fairly innocuous foul and shown a straight red card. To compound matters, Salisbury scored direct from the resulting free kick making it 5-2 and giving United a mountain to climb.

Despite the set back, Cambridge continued to play their patient brand of possession futsal and the introduction of the impressive Tim Hennery gave them fresh impetus. United were finally rewarded after 8 minutes when captain Alberto Morcillo found himself in space and finished from range to make it 5-3. However, United’s game management let them down again when Salisbury immediately responded with a long ball that found them 2 on 1 and they made no mistake with a header from close range to make it 6-3 and restore their 3 goal cushion.

But the Us weren’t done yet and summoned on all of their fighting spirit. First, a sublime one two between Angel Martinez and Alberto Morcillo gave Martinez a simple finish for his second of the game to make it 6-4. Then, just a minute later more good play saw Tim Hennery, after some great work down the right flank, find Alberto Morcillo in the Salisbury area who cleverly in turn played in Toby Hardwick to finish and make it 6-5 with 8 minutes of the game remaining.

With just a 1 goal deficit now, the momentum was firmly with Cambridge, the home crowd had been silenced with the away support lifted and United pressed for a deserved equaliser.

However, again Cambridge were their own worst enemy when with 2 minutes remaining Salisbury scored again to make it 7-5, captain Alberto Morcillo was went off for a second yellow card offence before Salisbury added an 8th at the death against the depleted United ranks.

So, a disappointing 8-5 defeat against a strong Salisbury side, who will trouble many this season, and the second defeat of the new season for United who remain winless at this early stage.

Coach Luis Mendonca and the CUFC squad will take this experience straight back into training for the next two weeks as they prepare for another tough away game against the former Baku United, who have been newly rebranded as London City Futsal for this season, at the fantastic Copper Box Arena at the Olympic Park in East London on Sunday 29th October. This is sure to be an intriguing challenge but United will be aiming for the win and their first points of the new season to get off the mark in what will be an intensely competitive league.

Cambridge United FC will next be at home on Sunday 12th November when they face last season’s champions London Helvecia Futsal Club at the Cambridge University Sports Centre. The last meeting between the two in the Futsal Super League Play-Offs ended in a 5-5 draw so it is sure to be a fantastic game.

Location

Five Rivers Leisure Centre, Salisbury