Kian Gadsby
21:30 – UoN 2-1 NTU Full-Time
UoN have done it! Snatching Varsity football victory in the most dramatic of circumstances.
21:29 – UoN 2-1 NTU 90+9
Keeper is up for Trent. This is it.
21:26 – UoN 2-1 NTU 90+6
Another corner for Trent, but UoN stand firm. 60 seconds remain.
21:24 – UoN 2-1 NTU 90+3′
Henry Swann has been knocking on the door for the last couple of minutes, and he gets a stroke of luck to finally get his reward.
A dink across the face nestles it’s way into the back of the net after a deflection from keeper Keshmiri.
2-1 UoN with mere moments left on the clock.
Is the Varsity Football trophy staying in the Green and Gold half of Nottingham?
Is the overall Varsity trophy staying in the Green and Gold half of Nottingham?
21:23 – UoN 2-1 NTU 90+3′
GYDCHDSHUDSHUZCHUZCHKZKZXHZCXHKZCKHZCXKZ
WE’VE DONE IT!!!!!!!!!
GOALLLLLLLLLLL!
21:20 – UoN 1-1 NTU 90′
Another huge chance for UoN, as a miskick falls nicely to Henry Swann. His control is immaculate – almost too good – as it gets stuck on his foot and Trent are able to recover.
7 minutes of added time to go. Are we getting a winner?
21:12 – UoN 1-1 NTU 84′
Huge chance for the Green and Gold, as Henry Swann connects to Zak Berry’s ball across the face of goal but can’t beat the keeper. His blushes were ultimately spared by the offside flag, but that was a moment where you begin to question if it’s really UoN’s day.
21:11 – UoN 1-1 NTU 83′
Corner fails to beat the first man. Are we headed to penalties?
21:09 – UoN 1-1 NTU 81′
Matt Moffat is forced to hack down Finlay Ryder with the striker bearing down on goal. It’s a free kick for Trent about 30 yards out in a dangerous position.
Straight into the wall, but now Trent have a corner.
21:09 – UoN 1-1 NTU 79′
Set piece comes to nothing, with the ball ultimately ending up in the grasp of Keshmiri. 10 minutes to find a winner.
21:08 – UoN 1-1 NTU 78′
Henry Swann tries to pull his team out of his box and up the pitch, but the striker is scythed down. Free kick to UoN and an opportunity to launch the ball into the box.
21:00 – UoN 1-1 NTU 70′
“Trent are playing like a team who want to win. UoN are playing like a side who want to go to crisis.”
I’m not quite sure who’s said that, but whichever spectator near me offered that insight isn’t wrong. UoN have been second best in this half.
Finlay Ryder is the latest to have a go, but the forward was denied by a full stretch Akers in the UoN goal. This is currently only one way traffic, and the Green and Gold have 20 minutes to turn it around.
20:56 – UoN 1-1 NTU 65′
UoN fail to deal with a corner and the ball falls to Ben Ashall on the top left corner of the penalty area.
The left-back arrows a superb effort into the far corner, leaving Akers with no chance. 1-1. Game on here.
20:56 – UoN 1-1 NTU 65′
Goal. Trent.
20:52 – UoN 1-0 NTU 62′
As soon as I say that UoN have a brilliant opportunity to extend their advantage. Swann fizzes the ball across the face, and Friend has a tap-in but can’t connect with the goal gaping.
20:50 – UoN 1-0 NTU 60′
The game has fallen into a lull for the opening 15 minutes of this half with neither team really offering much.
You still get the feeling that there are more goals coming though. Hopefully for UoN.
20:42 – UoN 1-0 NTU 52′
Tactical tweak here for UoN, as full-back Zak Berry replaces forward Fraser Geddes. Henry Swann has moved up from attacking midfield to partner Friend in attack.
20:35 – UoN 1-0 NTU 46′
Let-off for UoN immediately after the restart, as Migi Odia pulls the ball across the face but Burkey can only fire a tame effort straight at UoN keeper Alex Akers.
Akers proves that he is better than the Trent supporters behind the goal think as he holds on to the ball.
20:35 – UoN 1-0 NTU 46′
Back underway here at Meadow Lane. UoNFC have 45 minutes to go until they retain their Varsity title.
20:22 – UoN 1-0 NTU 45′ Half-Time
Half-time here at Meadow Lane, and UoN have the lead after a sumptuous strike from Jesse Friend.
However, the Green and Gold haven’t been at their National Championship winning best and will be wanting to improve after the break.
20:20 – UoN 1-0 NTU 45′
Physio Dan Spragg has been busy as there’s been a couple of injuries at the end of this half. 2 minutes added on for UoN to get to the break with the lead.
20:12 – UoN 1-0 NTU 36′
Finally there’s a breakthrough, and it’s for the Green and Gold!
The ball falls to Jesse Friend unmarked at the back stick, and he’s the man you want that ball to fall to after his National Championship heroics. He finishes with aplomb to spark jubilant scenes in the UoN end.
1-0 to UoN. Come on!
20:10 – UoN 1-0 NTU 36′
GOALLLLLLL! 1-0 UoN! Jesse Friend!
20:04 – UoN 0-0 NTU 31′
Better for UoN, as a couple of set pieces create half chances. However, there is still room for improvement, as neither a free kick nor a following corner can properly trouble Keshmiri in the sticks.
20:01 – UoN 0-0 NTU 28′
As National Champions, UoN came into this one as favourites, but the high tempo means this game is being played right into Trent’s hands. It feels like they need to take control of this game and just enjoy possession if they are to finally get some attacking success.
19:53 – UoN 0-0 NTU 20′
Finally UoN get a burst forward, and Jesse Friend gets the Green and Gold support on their feet with a driving run that is only stopped by a desperate but brilliant sliding challenge from Josh Burr.
19:43 – UoN 0-0 NTU 10′
Trent have the national champions on the ropes here, as they carve out yet another opportunity. Captain Callum Burkey beats the offside trap and gets to the byline, but his delivery across the face has no targets and is easily snuffed out.
Going up the other end, and last year’s Varsity goalscorer Fraser Geddes goes into the book early on by clattering Trent keeper Kian Keshmiri.
19:36 – UoN 0-0 NTU 3′
Pandemonium early on here. NTU get the ball back into the UoN area, and after some pinball the ball strikes a UoN arm but no penalty is given. Minutes later the NTU backline have to be fully alert to snuff out Fraser Geddes who appeared set to break away.
19:33 – UoN 0-0 NTU 1′
A calamity at the back has Trent immediately through on goal, but Alex Akers is able to smother and deny NTU the opening goal. This is going to be a feisty game, with tackles flying in early from both sides.
19:33 Kick-Off – UoN vs NTU
We are underway here at Meadow Lane!
19:30 – UoN vs NTU Team News
Your UoN Lineup:
1. Alex Akers
2. David Mensa-Bonsu
4. Jack Bostock
5. David Chapman
6. Tarun Rohilla
7. Dan Davy
8. Matt Moffat
9. Jesse Friend
10. Henry Swann
11. Fraser Geddes
15. Huw Dawson (C)
19:27 – UoN vs NTU Varsity Men’s Football
The teams are out and we’re about to get underway
Featured image courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.
