Courtesy: Nouse York University




Futsal firsts on verge of Nationals

by James Grey

January 21st, 2009

The University of York Futsal first team is close to qualifying for the BUCS Championships for the first time in the club’s ten year history after two wins out of two in the initial group matches late last term. York are currently in an excellent position to be one of three teams to represent the Northern Region at the tournament held in Sheffield in March.

The second round of qualifiers are scheduled to be held on the February 8 with York needing to win two of their final four games to qualify for the national finals.

Having lost most of last year’s key players to graduation over the summer, the team faced a “difficult challenge” blending a new squad together, according to Futsal Club Vice-President Ivan Lourie. “Going into the weekend of the first round of qualifying games, we had not yet played a competitive game together,” he said.

With this in mind, friendly wins against both Lincoln’s first and second teams the day before the heats provided a crucial warm-up.

The first qualifying match saw the new squad take on a testing Northumbria University side. York took the lead three times with Anton Murphy particularly dangerous in attack, but a lack of team experience meant sloppy goals were conceded at the other end, allowing Northumbria a foothold in the game. But York proved too strong in the second period, with their attackers punishing the opposition at nearly every oppurtuity to make the final score 7-4.

The story was much the same in the second game with York pitted against Sunderland. From the start it was a very tight and scrappy affair but Sunderland’s players, more used to the physicality of the traditional eleven-a-side game, gave away a spattering of needless freekicks. York, though, overcame the aggressive approach and again took their chances well to win comfortably, 7-3.

A quirk of the fixture list saw York play one game less game than the other six teams, and it will be made up in four matches scheduled for February 8. York currently occupy the third qualifying spot in their group and Lourie described potential progress in the tournament as “an incredible step for us as a club.”

The finals will be televised by Channel 4 and are already attracting the scouts, with new England Futsal manager Peter Sturgess confirming his attendance.








Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com