By Matilda Nedyalkov, Second year Medicine
Welcome to Epigram's exclusive coverage of Derby Day 2024/25. From Football and Lacrosse to Netball and Tennis, here are the stories behind the biggest day for sport at the University. Brought to you by our talented team of writers.
The cheerful Wednesday sun matched the mood amongst supporters on the 3G pitch as the Bristol Women’s Football 1st team secured an absolute victory in their final match of the season over the Cardiff Women’s Football 1st team in an 8-goal extravaganza.
Entering the game, the team, though enthusiastic and confident, was backlit with moments of bittersweet emotion - for many players, this would be their final appearance for the club – and perhaps this was what propelled them over the line from a comfortable victory to a controlled and clean-cut 7-1 demolition. The mood at the beginning was decidedly more measured, with the first 30 minutes being a comfortable tete-a-tete between the two sides, creating a pleasant atmosphere supplemented by the gathered crowd of Bristol supporters fitted in red and black face paint and home-made signs supporting their girls.
This mood was then elevated by the first Bristol goal ten minutes in, following a tremendous run from centre-back Alice Cappell, weaving effortlessly through the opposition before delivering a cross to Amy Hawkes, who brought the ball to the back of the net.
Cardiff managed to bring the tally up to 1-1 with a rapid-fire goal in the thirtieth minute, and a quick break for both teams brought about some tactical changes and a complete turnover of the ball’s possession, rarely leaving the Bristol 1’s feet for the remainder of the match. In the rare instances that possession was lost, it was near-immediately regained with clean-cut, confident tackles and complete shut-outs that left Cardiff scrambling for the ball whilst Bristol calmly guided it from player to player, culminating in a close-quarters goal in the 33rd minute from fresher Anna Williams to make the score 2-1.
From then on, Bristol’s flow of goals seemed incessant as the team made some rearrangements in formation and key players returned from the side-lines, with a further goal from Amy Hawkes, who steamrolled through the Cardiff defence with effortless finesse to make it 3-1. Next was Lilia Dempsey a few minutes later with a well-timed run, brushing off defenders and blasting the ball between the goalposts to give Bristol their 4th goal.
Niamh Carty brought Bristol their 5th with another close-quarters shot, and though the sun was blazing down and the game continued into its final third, the performance from Bristol remained energetic, seemingly knowing no bounds. Conversely, the Cardiff side slipped more into a gradual weariness exacerbated with flickers of physicality and tough, purposeful tackles, though this was ultimately fruitless as the barrage of goals continued well into the final third of the match, resulting in Anna Wiliams leaving the game with a well-deserved brace and Freya Gordon earning her name on the scoresheet and securing the nail in the coffin for Cardiff in the last few minutes of the game.
Perhaps the 7-1 victory was what the leaver-dominated Bristol 1s needed – it was certainly a valuable note to end on, and the emotion was palpable in the air as the final whistle blew and the team headed to round off their afternoons on the sidelines of the Bristol Leavers vs Bath 2s game to support the remaining leavers of UBWFC. The 1s’ coach, Bill, praised the team for their comprehensive performance, citing their win as incredibly deserved due to their superior fitness and ability, a sentiment that was clearly evident based on the team’s exhilarating performance on the pitch.
Featured image: University of Bristol Women's Football Club
