In spite of a heroic performance by goalkeeper Misha Gaur, Leeds were powerless to prevent the Met sweeping to a resounding victory at the North Pavilion. From the moment Gemma Bonner picked out the unmarked Becky Kendell to slide the visitors into a fifth minute lead, the BUCS Premier North outfit were never in danger of losing their 100% record against these opponents, which stretches all the way back to the very first Varsity tournament.

In the aftermath the home coach bemoaned ‘a few niggles’ but admitted that the biggest thorn in his team’s side had been the Met’s imperious Jodie Redgrave, who shone in central midfield and deserved a goal to go with her numerous assists. The playmaker was untouchable at times, playing a key role in the best move of the match after 23 minutes. As if determined to make amends for her two near misses in the opening stages, Redgrave picked up the ball inside her own half and didn’t look back, riding four challenges before playing a quick one-two with a teammate and finally teeing up an onrushing attacker, who made no mistake.

A miserable first half for Leeds was complete when Ellie Christon ghosted down the left and lobbed the keeper, leaving an easy task for another lurking Met striker. It spoke volumes that Leeds hadn’t managed a single shot on goal by half time and had conceded the lion’s share of possession to the visitors.

Given that Gaur had to pick the ball out of the back of the net a further five times, it may come as something of a surprise that the hosts improved markedly in the second period. The Leeds custodian was kept busy, most memorably when she flung herself to her left eight minutes after the restart to deny Lucy Bronze, but her teammates certainly had more joy after the break, albeit without breaching Carrie Simpson’s goal.

Just after the hour, seven minutes of sustained pressure yielded three Met goals with Kendell, Bronze and Christon converting, the latter somewhat fortuitously. It was not all one-way traffic, though. Not even a second goal for Bronze, almost an exact replica of her first, could deter captain Rosie Stone or the strikers Tessa Miller and Lauren Griffiths from subjecting the Met goal to a veritable bombardment of long range efforts.

Nevertheless, it was fitting that the match should end with yet another Met goal. So good was their attacking play that it was hard to begrudge the visitors the victory.

Author: Jack Arscott