Oxford have this afternoon (26/06) cruised past Cambridge 3-0 to win the 2021 Women’s Varsity Football Match.

The first half was dominated by the home side, with the majority of the game’s chances going Oxford’s way. The Dark Blues started the way they intended to go on, with Cadie Higginson putting away an accurate cross from right winger Erin Robinson within the first 10 minutes of the game. The following 10 minutes appeared to be more equal, with Cambridge looking more dangerous: a goal disallowed for offside and several shots on target looked encouraging. However, following the halfway drinks break, Oxford regained control of the game. Grace Molloy looked to have beaten Cambridge keeper Jen Atherton from distance around the 30-minute mark, but the crossbar came to her rescue.

Oxford left-back Hannah Bruce continued to terrorise Cambridge’s right flank throughout the half, delivering several dangerous crosses into the box. Unable to capitalise upon their opportunities, Oxford finally doubled their lead through an impressively cool finish from Club President Alessandra David, who took the ball round Atherton and then dummied to send two Cambridge defenders the wrong way.

Cambridge enjoyed a brighter start after the break, before Oxford increased their advantage and went 3-0 up within the opening ten minutes after Slade ploughed through the Cambridge midfield and passed out to Higginson on the right, who whipped in a sharp ball into the box for Molloy to convert.

The Light Blues certainly created more chances than in the first half, with Laura Mitchell making a noticeable impact as she played a dangerous ball over the top of the Oxford defence to substitute striker Molly Woods, who missed out on the chance to capitalise and sent a weak ball into the side netting. However, despite one or two flashes of defensive frailty, Oxford saw out the game comfortably, and had a chance to further increase their margin of victory as Cadie Higginson hit the post from around 20 yards out at around the sixty-five minute mark.

This afternoon’s victory sees the Dark Blues claim their thirteenth overall victory in the Women’s Varsity Football fixture, reducing the deficit to seven and closing further in on Cambridge’s twenty historic wins. Meanwhile the Light Blues, despite a valiant performance, missed out on the chance to build on their 3-1 victory in 2019.

Coverage of the Men's fixture will begin on our live blog from approximately 15:00 (BST), with kick-off at 15:15.

Squads

Cambridge: 1) Jen Atherton, 3) Anna O’Leary, 5) Arden Dierker Viik, 6) Ailie Rennie (C), 17) Tati Kasujja, 4) Fran Steele, 8) Belle Roston, 23) Temi Adeyemi, 11) Nia Hall, 7) Izzy Boothroyd, 9) Laura Mitchell. Subs: 14) Cara Drumgoole, 2) Molly Woods, 10) Bronte Evans-Rayward, Tamara Creswell-Wells, Polly Hipkiss, Neve Mayes, Heather Muir

Oxford: 1) Emilia Halfpenny, 2) Isabella Wordsworth, 4) Cadie Higginson, 5) Alice Nichols (C), 7) Alessandra David, 8) Taiye Lawal, 10) Rani Wermes, 11) Erin Robinson, 12) Ellana Slade, 13) Roza Bailey, 14) Grace Molloy, 15) Francisca Vasconcelos, 16) Daisy Connolly, 17) Hannah Bruce, 21) Iona Ffrench-Adam, 22) Madeleine Kowalenko

Varsity's Woman of the Match: Hannah Bruce (Oxford)