Abbey FC Show Determination to Pounce on CATS College
17th May 17
On Sunday 30th April, Abbey FC traveled to North Cambridge Academy for a match against local rival CATS College.
It looked to be a serious challenge from the moment we saw they had eighteen players, and stamina could be a serious factor to determine the outcome of the afternoon. However, with a great team spirit and determination, Abbey FC started the game in dominant fashion contesting viciously and valiantly to frustrate CATS.
Around fifteen minutes in, our boys opened the scoring with Mohamed Aljundi sneaking one in past the helpless CATS keeper and granted Abbey FC the first goal after several minutes of advancing possession.
After ten minutes of intense battling in midfield, the ball fell kindly for Alex Yermelenko to break through the defence and poke the ball home. With the game at 2-0, Abbey were looking dangerous and confidence was high.
For the remainder of the first half, keeping the team as fresh as possible with multiple roll-on substitutions, Abbey’s boys in blue held a solid line. The Abbey defence caught the CATS strikers offside a handful of times, and ensured they stayed suitably trapped in midfield frustrating CATS at every opportunity.
Seconds before the half time whistle, with intense pressing on their goalkeeper by Baha Saparbay, CATS allowed another scuffling goal through giving Abbey FC a 3-0 lead going into the break.
Predictably, CATS made five substitutions at half time and their fresh legs allowed them to get a foothold in the game. Five minutes gone in the second half and CATS get a goal back, Justin Widjaja our goalkeeper unable to keep them at bay any longer. Their elation was evident in the enormity of their celebration, bringing the momentum of the game to a halt, and maybe even unsettling Abbey FC.
Ten minutes later, and the 3-0 lead had sunk to 3-2 and suddenly the field looked a very different place, hope in the CATS teams playing style reflected in their new found confidence on the ball. They kept their strikers in line with our defence, and began threading through some unnerving passes to their fresh legged attackers.
Unfortunately for them though, the Abbey eleven had different ideas and advancing at tremendous pace up the field from his own box, Daniel Kaltungo won the blues a penalty and ended the elated comeback efforts of CATS. Obehi Oriakhi calmly slotted the ball just out of the reach of the keeper’s fingertips, and the game ended 4-2 to Abbey FC.
The boys showed great sportsmanship, determination and tenacity in their unlikely victory against a larger outfit, outrunning the opposition and contesting greatly for every ball. The organisation and teamwork were paramount to the victory and their discipline saw the rolling substitutions and positional play completely subdue CATS attempts at our defence.
Abbey FC can be thoroughly proud of themselves for the victory and CATS played their part in what was a great match and enjoyed by all players and spectators alike. Let’s hope next season will bring some more fantastic sporting memories for Abbey College Cambridge and Abbey FC can kick on following a great season throughout.
