York Men’s 2nds 4 – 1 Hull Men’s 2nds
The earlier match, between the 2nds, was one of several results coming it at once to push York over the threshold and win Varsity.
An intense first half saw York take the lead through a James Offord goal. The home side looked to improve their lead; Will Taylor blazed over the bar after a sleek one-two with Bruce Starkey, and Luke Gardener took the ball around the Hull goalkeeper, but lost his balance at a crucial moment as he attempted to cut the ball back into the open net. Hull found an equaliser at half-time against the run of play, and were lucky to go into half-time level.
The journalists barely had time to get back from the half-time chip van visit when James Offord scored his second; bombing forward into the box and firing across goal into the bottom-corner. Hull almost found another unlikely goal, but their number 6 missed a free header. A big let off for York.
York’s third goal was a true champagne moment; Will Dodgson cut the ball back to Ash Daly from the left wing. Daly took a touch, spotted the keeper ever-so-slightly off his line and chipped him from 25 yards with great finesse, bringing back memories of Fabio Quagliarella vs. Slovakia in the World Cup.
Offord completed the rout (and his hat-trick) towards the close of the second half, with a mazy run and a cool finish.
York Men’s 1sts 2 – 0 Hull Men’s 1sts
The overall Varsity result had already been decided when the men’s firsts kicked off against a depleted (and frankly disinterested) Hull eleven on a boggy 22 acres. The tone of the game, and indeed the result, was decided in the first 10 minutes, York going 1-0 up when a routine back-pass produced a complete air-kick by the Hull keeper, the ball rolling towards the goal before Ali Prince, with true strikers instinct, tapped it in from a yard.
Not 3 minutes later, York went 2-0 up, head tennis in the box from a Tom Clarke finally paying dividends as the excellent Josh Baines nodded in off the crossbar to extend the lead. York dominated the rest of the first half, Tom Clarke (who should have scored 7) somehow missing an open goal from 6 yards out when it was easier to score while Seb Clitheroe touched the ball once all half.
The officious and frankly ridiculous referee provided the first half entertainment, cautioning the linesman before completely missing the most blatant sending off as Tom Clarke bore down on goal only to be lumped down from behind by the Hull centre half. Clarke produced the best moment of quality in the game, a wonderful Rooney-style overhead kick from the edge of the box just going over the top. The scored remained 2-0 at half time, York controlling the game with ease.
At the start of the second half, York were put under considerable pressure by Hull but without any end product from the visitors. Dan Atherton had an effort cleared off the line, Phil Taylor had an effort saved by the keeper and Tom Clarke went close multiple times, all from inside the box.
The result was never in doubt, and when the final whistle went and the score ended 2-0, York wrapped up Varsity with consummate ease, although the score could have been a lot, lot more.