Charlie Wood, Charlie Gadd, Ollie Stevenson and Kian Gadsby
The University of Nottingham won the Men’s Football Varsity match 2-1 after a dramatic encounter.
Henry Swann was the hero for the Green and Gold, striking in the 92nd minute to seal a feisty 2-1 victory and round off a superb season for the recently crowned National Champions. UoN had taken the lead through Jesse Friend, before NTU Ben Ashall levelled to leave the contest seemingly headed for penalties.
But just as spot-kicks looked inevitable, Swann produced the decisive moment. His cross-shot looping over NTU goalkeeper Kian Keshmiri and sending the UoN supporters into delirium.
An electric Meadow Lane crowd had set the tone for a contest brimming with anticipation. Frantic opening exchanges saw goalmouth scrambles in the UoN penalty area as tensions flared early in the derby.
The adrenaline quickly dissipated and underdogs NTU, a team that have lost to UoN’s second and third teams this season in the division below UoN 1’s, looked the stronger of the two in the opening 30 minutes.
Yet it was the newly crowned National Champions who broke the deadlock. David Mensa-Bonsu’s lofted ball into the area dropped kindly for Jesse Friend, who opened the scoring with a composed, placed half-volley. His ear-cupped knee slide in front of the NTU supporters did little to endear him to the Trent faithful occupying the Jimmy Sirrel stand of Meadow Lane.
With the final action of the half, UoN goalkeeper Alex Akers was called into action for the first time. In a crowded penalty area, NTU captain Callum Burkey’s corner curled towards the top right corner and needed a strong hand to avert from goal.
Immediately after the restart, Akers was called upon again. Migi Odia’s mazy dribble and subsequent cross found Burkey on the penalty spot, only for the goalkeeper to comfortably catch the tame effort.
In the 63rd minute, UoN were inches from extending their advantage. Quick interchanges in the midfield carved open space for Henry Swann, whose low-driven cross just missed Friend’s studs as he searched for his second of the evening.
Three minutes later, NTU punished that missed opportunity. Ben Ashall’s arrowing strike carried through a sea of bodies into the right side-netting of the UoN goal, drawing Trent level and shifting the momentum firmly in their favour.
As the game entered its final 20 minutes, Finlay Ryder had a golden chance to give NTU the lead for the first time in the tie. He squeezed through the UoN backline and went one-on-one with Akers but was denied by a strong reaction save.
Ryder would come to rue that missed chance. In the second minute of stoppage time, Swann found the back of the net with a looping effort that evaded Keshmiri, sealing a dramatic 2-1 victory for the National Champions.
The contest was far closer than many might have anticipated, with NTU challenging the National Champions across the pitch, and pushing them deep into the final moments. However, their effort was in vain, and the Green and Gold held out to clinch yet another Varsity triumph.
The Varsity series now stands at 7-3 to UoN, with four events still to come.
Charlie Wood, Charlie Gadd, Ollie Stevenson and Kian Gadsby
Featured image courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.
