FA National Futsal Super League

Sunday 29th April 2018 (11:30am KO)

Faringdon Leisure Centre

FT: Oxford City Lions 5 – 4 Cambridge United FC Futsal (HT: 2 – 2)

Goals – Vitalii Burnus, Alberto Morcillo, Monty Bouttell, Toby Hardwick

Squad – Jose Lima (GK), Chay Jakes (GK), Angel Martinez, Alberto Morcillo, Toby Hardwick ©, Monty Bouttell, Vitalii Burnus, George Harlow, Jonathan Tofts, Greg Birch, Enrico Barnes

Head Coach – Luis Mendonca

Attendance – 25

Cambridge United FC Futsal miss opportunity to reclaim 3rd place in the FA Futsal National Super League at Oxford.

Having comprehensively won the reverse fixture 7 – 2 in front of their home crowd at the University of Cambridge Sports Centre, Cambridge United FC Futsal travelled to Faringdon full of confidence to face Oxford City Lions in the FA Futsal National Super League very own varsity match knowing that a win would take them 3rd again.

Us Head Coach Luis Mendonca knew that his side would face a sterner test this time though against a traditionally strong Oxford side playing at their home venue with several key players returning to the match day squad.

There was nothing to choose between the two sides in the opening exchanges but United raced into a 2 goal lead through a finely taken long range effort from Vitalii Burnus before Alberto Morcillo made no mistake from close range to double the U’s advantage.

If Cambridge thought it was to be a repeat of the reverse fixture then they were very much mistaken. Oxford controlled the remainder of the first half, with the Us distinctly off colour, and were soon level through two well worked goals of their own.

United knew that they were somewhat fortunate to go into the half time break level at 2-2.

Cambridge didn’t improve after the break and found themselves 5-2 down mid way through the second half.

With 5 minutes remaining and nothing to lose, Coach Luis Mendonca decided to go fly.This high risk, high reward strategy was almost immediately rewarded when Toby Hardwick picked out Monty Bouttell who finished from close range to make it 5-3.

With less than a minute remaining it was then Toby Harwick’s turn to pull another one back to make it 5-4.

It was all Cambridge now but ultimately too little too late as they agonisingly ran out of time before they could find an equaliser.

United had hit the bar and post 5 times during the match but knew they should have done better after a below par performance and Oxford ran out deserved winners on the day.

Coach Luis Mendonca now has to pick his side up again as they face three tough away fixtures against York City and leaders Reading Escolla before finishing at rivals Loughborough in the quest for 3rd place.

Location

Faringdon Leisure Centre