Boro win against all odds

Boro 7 Loughborough 5

Middlesbrough recorded an important win against Loughborough University in Sheffield on Sunday afternoon, despite having only six players available.

It was always going to be a tough game against the British University champions, even with a full squad, but the players who came through the week unscathed put in a performance to be proud of and kept Boro within touching distance of the top of the league. Goals from Mikey Roberts (4), Jason Kilbride and Matt Wootton (2) sealed the points.

With several unavailable players leading up to the game and injuries picked up by Ryon Leyshon and Jonathon Prosser during the week, Damon Shaw was left with only six fit players to take to Sheffield, three of which having only played a handful of games of futsal. Loughborough University, with a squad of 10, including three Great Britain international players, and two GB coaches, seemed like an impossible task, but once the whistle goes it’s five versus five.

Withers, Rashid, Kilbride, Roberts and Armes started, with Wootton on the bench, but it was Wootton who came on to open the scoring. An effort on goal from 15 metres took a wicked deflection and diverted past the stranded keeper. Wootton turned provider a few minutes later as he took a short kick in to Kilbride who feinted past the defender to make some space and fired into the far corner from an acute angle to double the lead.

Loughborough were limited to long range efforts and often breached the defence to have a player free on the goal line, but their final pass was lacking and it wasn’t until a mistake by the returning Lee Armes that allowed Loughborough to get back into the game. Boro were happy to sit deep and soak up the pressure, both out of necessity and choice. It’s less demanding physically, but it also utilises Boro’s lethal counter-attacks, and the third goal was just that. Mikey Roberts stole the ball, played a neat one two with Immy Rashid and slotted home. He scored his second just before half-time, but after Kilbride’s cut back, he made hard work of it as he hit the post, then the goalkeeper, before having a third bite at the cherry and scoring to give Boro a 4-1 half-time lead.

The half-time interval was a welcome rest for Boro, but the action was underway once more and Loughborough had changed to a high pressure man to man marking system. It worked for them and Boro lacked a bit of concentration conceding two as Loughborough fought back into it. The second half was constant Loughborough pressure, often using their ‘keeper to overload the play, but they very rarely created clear chances, and Boro defended resolutely. Chances for the “home” team were few and far between, but a few corner kicks and kick ins represented a bit of respite and despite the relentless pressure from Loughborough, Boro extended their lead through Wootton and then Mikey Roberts sealed his hattrick to all but wrap up the game for the Teessiders.

Futsal is a game that can change in an instant, and Boro should have seen the game out when Neil Morgan was dismissed with just over two minutes left, but Loughborough somehow managed to pull one back, with only four players to set up a frantic finale. Boro should have had the player advantage for 2 minutes, but a timekeeping error meant they were back to five players after only 45 seconds! The British Champions then scored a fifth, a soft goal for Boro to concede, but with one minute of the 40 remaining, legs and minds were getting tired. Loughborough pressed and had brought on Tom Curtis to replace their goalkeeper and were playing with five outfield players. Blocks and clearances were the order of the day and time was running down slowly, Loughborough could sense an equaliser. It was a dangerous tactic, but they threw everything forward and suddenly, after a solid tackle, Mikey Roberts found himself through on an empty goal to finish the game with Boro’s seventh and his fourth. Final score was 7-5 to Middlesbrough.

It would have been hard to swallow had Loughborough gone away with a draw, or even a win, after Boro had played their hearts out, but it could easily have gone either way. The win, a day before Middlesbrough Futsal Club’s second birthday, is certainly one worth celebrating.







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