Selwyn I were agonisingly denied their first victory of their CUAFL Premier League season on Saturday afternoon, as a late equaliser from table-toppers and last season’s champions Queens’ I saw a tense match end in a 2–2 draw. 

Nonetheless, coming off the back of three consecutive defeats, Selwyn will undoubtedly be the happier of the two teams at sharing the spoils, despite leading for much of what was a frantic second half where – with the wind behind them – Queens’ pressed hard for an equaliser.

Yet it was the home side, Queens’, who – hoping to maintain their 100 per cent record – opened the scoring very early on. Making a characteristically slow start to the game, Selwyn allowed Queens’ to establish their authority through intricate passing and incisive through balls. And, as a slick move resulted in a corner, it was from Ali Marshall’s sublime delivery that the home side deservedly took the lead, with the ever-threatening Nick Hope capitalising on a goalmouth scramble to drive home a half-volley from six yards.

And Selwyn could have had no complaints when, minutes later, Queens’ looked to have doubled their lead. A pinpoint freekick from co-captain Marshall was headed against the post, smashed against the bar and subsequently bundled in. But, much to the home side’s disbelief, the lineman’s flag was raised immediately, with the initial header controversially deemed to have been offside.

This let-off seemed to thrust Selwyn into action, who took advantage of the wind to put some pressure on the Queens’ backline. Veteran Dave Hawes produced a rasping drive that narrowly missed the target, while Higgins Toon — in for the unavailable Sam Makin — could only volley straight at Queens’ keeper Henry Cunnison. 

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Yet the away side were not to be denied. The equaliser came when winger James Massey beat his man with a superb piece of skill, before sending in a dangerous cross into the famous ‘corridor of uncertainty’, and a ricochet off Hope resulted in an unfortunate own goal that drew Selwyn level. 

Surprised to be on a level pegging, Queens’ surged forward in a bid to regain the advantage, with a Hope drive superbly pushed away by Selwyn goalkeeper Keir Baker. However, the half-time oranges were sweeter for the away team as they took a surprise lead five minutes from time: Cunnison could only parry a stinging free kick from Selwyn left-back Simon Fox, leaving Hawes with a tap-in.

Bringing on reinforcements after the break, Queens’ started the second half in much the same fashion as they did the first, taking control of possession and pushing Selwyn back into their own half. The excellent Luke Sefton out on the wing was a constant threat, whipping a series of penetrating crosses into the Selwyn box. But heroic defending from the away defence, marshalled by influential skipper Joe Hudson — back in the side after picking up a knee injury against Fitzwilliam — kept Selwyn’s lead intact.

Selwyn managed the occasional shot on goal and Pablo Lemos Portela could have made it three, rising well to a corner from Massey, only to be denied by Cunnison. However, as the half drew on, Selwyn had to rely more and more on a virtuoso performance between the sticks from their goalkeeper: a rare foray upfield from captain Ben Farrar saw a curled drive tipped round the post by Baker, pulling off a save subsequently described as ‘outrageous’ by the Queens’ centre-half. 

With 25 minutes left on the clock, Selwyn brought on fresh legs in the form of Eman Goriola and Adam Parkins, replacing Higgins Toon and attacker Charlie Stone, both of whom had cramped up during the onslaught. But their impact on the game was to be largely defensive, as Selwyn remained camped in their own half and Queens’ continuing to up the pressure. Hope fired just wide of the goal, and last-ditch tackles from Hudson and Roweth strived to protect Baker in goal, who was then called upon to deflect a shot from Hope onto the post and turn over a fierce shot from 18 yards in acrobatic fashion.

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The Selwyn goal was living a charmed life, with the woodwork coming to the rescue on at least two occasions. And just when it began to seem as if it was not going to happen for the frustrated home side, Baker was to undo all of his hard work, spilling a powerful drive onto the feet of Drago Plecko, who could not miss as he turned home a hard-earned equaliser. 

It could have been heartbreak for the team in yellow as Queens’ searched for a late winner, with Marshall firing over from close range, and Baker pulling off a Gordon Banks-esque save to tip over a header from corner. 

But Selwyn clung on in what was a frenetic finale to a very intense game in which both teams had chances to secure all three points. Queens’ will (with some justification) bemoan their goal being given offside, but the Selwyn side will place all the plaudits on a superbly resolute defensive performance and a goalkeeping masterclass.

Selwyn I: Baker, Robertson, Hudson (c), Roweth, Fox, Lemos Portela, Brocklesby, Massey, Higgins Toon, Stone, Hawes

Substitutes: Comb, Goriola, Parkins

Queens' I: Cunnison, Remo, Payne, Farrar (c), Weller, Shalom, Ward, Plecko, Marshall (c), Sefton, Hope

Substitutes: Dixon, Pozas