UCFB bow out of the Northern Conference Cup in the Round of 16 after a tough-fought loss to Leeds Beckett.
An overcast Wednesday afternoon saw little luck for UCFB.
James Bickley-Parton’s side prepared for the game with quiet confidence following the previous round’s eleven-nil win versus Leeds Trinity, a game which saw a trio of hat-tricks from Esme Critchley, Mia Wildin and Ellie Richardson.
Wednesday lunchtime saw UCFB Women’s meet a Leeds side in the cup at Belle Vue for the second successive fixture, although this time it was a closer game with frosty temperatures.
Coach Bethell places the LGTBQ+ supportive captain's armband (or later leg-band) on Sian Bradbeer.
Leeds Beckett started the game well, as an early scramble forced a clearance from the home side’s box. Soon UCFB would create some opportunities of their own, with a through ball threaded by Richardson leading to an early corner. The wings saw some positive build-up play as Wildin kept the ball in touch before she played it to Critchley, whose piercing through-ball to Cross was just a little too heavy. UCFB were beginning to show Beckett what they are capable of, although their early attempts, unfortunately, proved unsuccessful.
The away side took the lead in the twelfth minute after a lofty long ball from the Leeds right-back found their number eight out-wide, who would cut inside before poking the into the back of the UCFB net.
Spirits were high upon arrival following the previous fixture.
Leeds Beckett then continued to pile on the pressure with two dangerous chances thankfully denied by solid defensive and goalkeeping actions. These near misses showed UCFB that their own lack of attacking efficiency could come back to haunt them.
Unfortunately, the pressure was deemed too much for UCFB as Leeds Beckett doubled their lead. Their second goal came from a corner when a tussle in the box saw their number eight break lose and tap in her second goal of the game.
UCFB displayed their frustration after going two-nil down but soon generated an answer.
UCFB Women’s responded positively to the challenge ahead of them, with Katie-Leigh Scott scoring for the home team just before half-time. The Leeds Beckett defence seemed overwhelmed by coach Alisha Bethell’s set-piece tactic, which allowed the mercurial midfielder to lose her marker and nod home a perfectly weighted out-swinging corner.
Scott’s goal, and Bickley-Parton’s half-time talk, clearly ignited fires in the UCFB squad as they started far more positively. Niamh Pyne applied early pressure on the Leeds Beckett defence, earning the home side multiple opportunities from which to test their opposition’s resilience. Richardson also attempted to topple their one-goal lead via an ambitious effort from the halfway line – an attempt which would come agonisingly close to levelling the scores.
Goal-scorer Katie-Leigh Scott epitomised UCFB's fighting attitude before the half-time whistle.
Leeds Beckett restored their two-goal advantage against the run of play, when a defensive mishap from UCFB occurred, resulting in their third goal.
UCFB’s performance did not seem to mirror the result, and the home side continued to pressure their opposition. In what seemed to be a promising move, Cross cut inside and onto her left foot, shifting the ball through the legs of her defender. However, unfortunately, her shot fired just over the crossbar. This near-miss seemed to prompt Beckett to shore up their defence and close out the UCFB attack from the remaining minutes of the game, allowing their progression into the Quarter Final of the competition.
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