Cambridge University Women’s Association Football Club’s (CUWAFC) second team, known competitively as the Eagles, put in a superbly dominant performance to record a 9–1 home victory over St Ives Rangers in their penultimate group match of the Cambridgeshire Women’s and Girl’s County Football League (CWGCFL) League Cup on Sunday afternoon. 

The match offered the Light Blues an opportunity to inject some confidence into the side with tough-looking fixtures on the horizon, and a chance to blood some new players against an away side enjoying their first season in senior-level football, having spent the last term competing in under-17 competitions. Yet, despite their opponents’ inexperience, CUWAFC showed no mercy and went about their business in a professional manner to demolish the youngsters in comprehensive fashion.

That said, the Light Blues were slow off the mark and, after a competitive opening 10 minutes where both sides battled to lay down a marker on the match and created a couple of decent chances apiece, it was St Ives who opened the scoring with a well-worked goal. 

But, despite the away side’s delight at registering first blood, it was ultimately to be to their detriment as the Eagles, stunned, rallied. Putting together some potent-looking moves, they drew level as Kate Ross drilled a fierce shot across the St Ives keeper from the left side of the box into the back of the net.

Dominant CUWAFC stride past DMU

Buoyed, CUWAFC set about containing their opponents and subjected them to waves of pressure. Indeed, within a few moments, they had taken – and then doubled – a lead thanks to a wonderful solo goal from Bianca Wilcox, cutting in from the right wing, and an inch-perfect free kick from Martha Geiger, which curled around the wall to nestle into the back of the youngsters’ net. 

Smelling blood, the Light Blues sought to press home their advantage further, and it took some dogged defending from St Ives to ensure that, as the referee blew the whistle to signal half-time, the score remained at just 3–1.  

And while the away side returned to the field in fighting spirit, pushing forward in search of a foothold back into the game, the Eagles were to force them back and continue to stamp their authority on the match. Five minutes after the second period began, Nina Coyle broke through the Rangers’ defensive line into the box and, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, kept her cool to guide the ball with precision into the bottom right corner. 

Moments later, Rosa Davies-Jones was in on the act in trademark fashion: her howitzer of a strike from the edge of the area arrowed into the St Ives’ goal to give the Eagles what seemed an unassailable 5–1 lead.

Indeed, with the outcome of the match apparently resolved, CUWAFC appeared to take their foot off the gas somewhat, only coming back into life as the match drew to a close. But it was in clinical fashion that they did so: Sophia D’Angelo capped off her fine attacking performance by turning in her marker with a delicate piece of skill to give herself space and time to guide the ball from six yards. 

Resolute CUWAFC refuse to yield to late UEA pressure

And as fatigue set in for the away side, the Light Blues, unrelenting, inflicted further misery in the final few moments: Davies-Jones thumped home her second with another shot from range while Ross completed her brace at the death in clinical fashion. 

It was a well-earned victory for the Eagles, who look set to progress through to the knock-out stages of the CWGCFL League Cup. And, with the dominant manner of the performance laying down a clear statement to the tournament’s other sides, there were a number of positives to be taken from the Light Blues’ performance. 

Indeed, as Shannon Horner told Varsity after the game: “Today was some of the best football I have seen from this team and the standard was incredible. Passes were on the floor and accurate and each player gave their all, making sure they were first to the ball. If we can maintain such strength in defence, skill in midfield, and that clinical edge up-front, we believe – with one more game left in our preliminary group in this competition – we can finish top of the table and progress through to the quarter-finals.”

Eagles: Woodward, Ingledew (c), Horner, Geiger, Stanmo, Jump, Gibbins Lynn-Jones, Avdoulus, Ross, Davies-Jones, Wilcox, D' Angelo, Coyle, Houiellebecq