This weekend past, the Blues welcomed a previously unbeaten St Alban’s side to Wilberforce Road.

Recently relegated from the national leagues, St Alban’s promised to be formidable opposition for the Cambridge men, but a composed and disciplined performance saw the Blues ease to a 3-1 victory.

Despite the majority of the team suffering from an untimely outbreak of Freshers’ Flu, a warm-up of unusually high intensity ensured that Cambridge were primed for a focused and rapid start to the match.

This they achieved when the prolific Ollie Salvesen, having collected a saved deflection, pounced to open the scoring just ten minutes into the game. Salvensen now has nine goals in his last four games: his double hat-trick against Northampton University in last week’s BUCS fixture was the jewel in the crown of a scarcely credible 15-0 demolition.

Throughout the first half, the Blues were able to construct attacks down both flanks, thanks mainly to the amount of possession enjoyed by their half-backs: Will Harrison completed an impressive half-century of passes in the course of the game, with his fellow defenders following suit by racking up similarly impressive numbers.

Cambridge remained in control for the remainder of the half and, in time, they doubled their lead through Charlie Bennett. A slick three-man weave had opened up space in the opposition D and Bennett’s flick of pinpoint accuracy gave the St Albans’s keeper no chance at all.

The Cambridge defensive unit stood firm, too, despite the pace and skill of the St Albans’s forwards; this resolution allowed the Blues to go comfortably in the break, leading 2-0.

The second half followed much the same pattern as the first: Cambridge were dominant. Maintained superiority in midfield meant the Blues were able to find space with ease and the opposition D was frequently penetrated as a result.

From this repeatedly excellent play stemmed a glut of scoring opportunities; most, alas, went unconverted as St Albans kept the deficit to two goals.
Nevertheless the stern and watertight light Blue defence allowed the home side to control both the scoreline and possession, with which it continued to launch attacks from solid foundations at the back of the park.

Midway through the half, the consistent pressure on the St Albans defence finally told and Cambridge took the chance to go 3-0 up through a vintage Gus Kennedy goal.

Good work around the D created an opening for Mark Borsuk, who fired a quick shot upon which Kennedy pounced, deflecting the ball around the keeper.
With victory looking inevitable, a lapse in Cambridge concentration allowed St Albans a consolation goal five minutes from time. It was taken with gusto, a head high volley smashed into the roof of the goal.

Cambridge quickly recovered, though, to close out a match that finished without further excitement.

Following this impressive victory, the University Hockey Club now looks to press on in BUCS. Their next fixture comes against the University of Bedfordshire (Luton), who currently sit bottom of the Midlands 4C Division, at Wilberforce Road next week.