Staff vs Students Football Match

On a beautiful Tuesday evening, two teams – one smartly dressed in blue Wycombe lacrosse tops, shorts and socks, and the other in a hodgepodge mixture of various shades of red, burgundy and fluorescent yellow – lined up for the annual Staff vs Girls Football Match. Wild tackles flew in from the start as both teams sought to get the upper hand, with Tatty in particular ensuring that the staff's shins got a good going over.

The staff sustained an early period of pressure and after a goalmouth scramble involving Mr Ashby, Mr Jones and a host of flailing legs, Miss Davison found herself with the ball at her feet and the goal at her mercy, and finished well from close range. 1-0 to the staff.

There was no let up as the staff continued to press and a few moments later a vicious shot brought a fine Flick save – and a corner to the staff. Mr Pike whipped in a dangerous ball which eluded the defence, spun out of the goalkeeper's hands and bobbled into the net. He may deal with 1s and 0s all day, but Mr Pike had now made it 2-0 to the staff.

The girls' response was admirable: they won a succession of free kicks in good positions, most notably off a blatant Mr Rob handball, and Milly was unlucky to be closed down quickly by Mr Palmer and Mr Ledingham before she could make a shot. Seconds later Mr Rowbottom was unceremoniously bundled to the floor – a free kick surely? – but play was allowed to continue despite his protestations. With Mr Evans marauding down the left wing and now Miss Stapleton, a late addition to the team, prowling the right, the staff continued to break well – only to be continuously caught ‘narrowly' offside by a backline marshalled superbly by Alicia.

In the fifteenth minute, Mr Walsh produced some fancy footwork in midfield and passed into space for Mr Franks. His curling shot crept in at the far post and the staff had gone 3-0 up with a quarter of the match gone.

There are times in life when one is faced with important choices: either slink into the background and keep your head down or stand up and be counted. The girls wholeheartedly chose the latter – none more so that Flick who brilliantly tipped a Mr Robinson edge-of-the-area screamer over the bar, and collected Mr Pike's thumping diving header with suave nonchalance. Captain Louise moved out of defence to lead her team bravely from the front. She made an immediate impact, lashing a shot only just wide much to Mr Hadwen's relief. The girls finished the half strongly but couldn't get the goal their efforts deserved and the score remained 3-0 at the half-time whistle.

The second half started at a furious pace and the girls, inspired both by a stirring team-talk and the addition of a new player (Mr/Ms Ashby), pushed the staff right back into their own half. Imogen's pace and Sarah's close control were a devastating combination, and they fed numerous inviting balls into the area. One released Tatty – but as she swivelled to shoot Mr Hadwen rushed off his line and cynically brought her down. A definite penalty said the referee, and a chance for the girls to reduce the deficit. However, the pressure of the game can get to even the most experienced players and unfortunately Louise powered an unstoppable shot over the bar and onwards towards Clarence.

She made amends only minutes later though, as the seemingly-unbreachable defence of Mr Palmer and Mr Ledingham crumbled in the face of sustained pressure. The indefatigable trio of Imogen, Sarah and Ellie were involved in a series of ricochets, but finally one landed kindly for Louise and she wasted no time in blasting the ball into the roof of the net. 3-1. Game on.

Now the girls were playing with style. Everest and Abbey dominated the midfield battle with tight marking and constant closing-down. Emily was a rock at the back, clearing everything that came her way with feet, knees, head or a bit of all three. Alicia and Tash attacked every ball with no regard for their own safety or that of their opponents. With Louise, Milly and Mr/Ms Ashby working at a telepathic level up front, the signs were ominous.

But Mr Hadwen stood firm, made some good stops, and eventually the momentum was back with the staff. Both Mr Pike and Mr Jones went on mazy, mesmerising runs, but their fierce shots were saved once again by the imperious Flick. Mr Evans, Miss Stapleton and Miss Davison provided great width for the team and they created space for Mr Rob to try a couple of long distance efforts. Mr Walsh and Mr Franks exchanged passes in the area but both dilly-dallied too long and the chance was gone. As the game drew to a close, Mr Pike shook off a number of defenders to fire home a fine goal, and Mr Walsh put the icing on the cake with a confident close-range finish at the very end. At the final whistle, the score was 5-1 to the staff.

Overall it was a fantastic match, played with real commitment and endeavour by both sides, and was far closer than the score-line suggests. A huge thank you goes to the loyal band of supporters, the girls and staff who played, and especially to Louise for her organisation. A re-match in the near future is very much required.

Mr Franks