Image Credit: [University of Leeds Futsal]

The University of Leeds Futsal team got off to a winning start on Sunday, with Varsity victory over Leeds Beckett.

Leeds defeated a well-drilled Beckett outfit 8-5, with goals from James Storey, Miguel Vilches and Ritwick Dutta. The result marks the club’s first ever Varsity win, with Leeds Beckett enjoying consecutive victories in previous years. The result is all the more remarkable as it was the first time many of these players have played together competitively, as the team has a mix of experienced Futsal players and players who are new to the game.

Last year, the team lost 7-3, and it was clear from the opening exchanges that it would be another tough matchup this year. The score was 3-3 at half-time, with Leeds reasserting control after falling behind towards the end of the half, pressing high and enjoying more chances than Beckett.

As the game went on, Leeds began to pull away, scoring quickly in the second half through Miguel after a lovely turn by Finlay Slater in a wide position. By this stage, Leeds had found their rhythm and were cutting through Beckett’s man for man press.

A flurry of chances saw Leeds ahead 8-4, with a fine finish from Ritwick on his weaker foot and a standout goal from James Storey, turning with his back to goal and finishing with ease. Beckett pulled back a consolation goal with an inventive flick towards the end of the game, with the final result a comfortable 8-5 victory for the University of Leeds.

Club President James Storey praised the performance after the match, “I thought we deserved to win and created some superb individual and collective moves”. He went on to outline his excitement for the season ahead, “Our coach Aidan, the committee and I will continue working hard to progress the society, drawing on the hard work and ongoing support of our previous committee members, Syd Rai, Oron Sheldon and Liam Hine”.

If you would like to learn more about the sport and keep up to date with the team, follow them on Twitter: @LeedsUni Futsal and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/University-of-Leeds-Mens-Futsal.

For the university’s other sports teams, Varsity will commence this week, with a full list of fixtures available at http://www.leedsvarsity.com, culminating in the Men’s Rugby Union Grand Finale at Headingley Carnegie Stadium on Wednesday, which attracts an audience of over 15,000 students each year.

Cian Fox