The banks of the Thames on Sunday played host not only to swarms of tipsy Oxbridge students frolicking and occasionally watching a boat or two glide down the river, but also to the slightly more serious matter of the 132nd Varsity Football match at Craven Cottage. Having been on the losing end of a nail-biting penalty shootout last year, Cambridge were looking to return to winning ways against their Dark Blue counterparts in front of a raucous crowd.

As soon as the match kicked off, however, it became apparent that beating Oxford was going to be no easy task. Much like the unfortunate Cambridge Women’s boat later in the day, the footballers had to battle the weather as well as their opponents, as a swirling wind and rain quickly abolished any hope of putting together intricate passing moves. Oxford adapted to the conditions the quickest, and managed to score off their first chance of note. Neat work down the right by their mercurial winger, Jacob Burda, set up Alex Tsaptsinos in the middle to bundle in for the Dark Blues, sending the blazered Oxford supporters wild.

It remained 1-0 to Oxford until halftime, with Cambridge’s best chance of the first half coming from a delightful cross from the right which the head of Alex Gaskell couldn’t quite make contact with. After the break, the play became even scrappier, with both teams crowding the midfield area, much to the consternation of the footballing purists within the stadium. Premier League referee Martin Atkinson waved away two penalty appeals from Cambridge, remaining stony-faced despite the protests – being berated by Wayne Rooney on a weekly basis has evidently inured him to intricacies of fine rhetoric and structured argument.

Despite Cambridge pressing hard in the closing periods, Oxford remained the most threatening team, and duly consolidated their advantage in the 76th minute. Oxford’s number 15, Dineen, found himself unchallenged 25 yards from goal, and punished Cambridge’s error with a curling strike that looped over Warne in goal. This came after Tozer had hit the bar for Oxford from a similar range; Cambridge had been warned about the danger of allowing Oxford to shoot unopposed. This prompted wild celebrations both on and off the pitch from those of a Dark Blue persuasion, with Oxford’s players indulging in a pile-up in front of their adoring supporters. 

The final whistle went soon after, with Oxford winning 2-0. Cambridge deserve praise, however, for their ‘never say die’ attitude and resilience in the face of stormy conditions. At least parity between the two institutions was to be restored only a couple of hours later on the river, with the jubilation of the Oxford supporters destined to be short-lived.