Birmingham University defeated Loughborough in the first of two semi-finals at Timperley LC last week. It was a great contest with Coach Dave Abini's side taking the upper hand early, turning a 1-1 score after seven minutes into a 4-1 lead just before the twenty minute mark. Jamie-Lee Lawrence scored twice in the early exchanges, and Birmingham were getting solid goalie play from England U19 goalie Catherine Gaunt. But Loughborough midfielder Hannah Barnsley single handedly dragged her side back into the contest scoring three times in the final third of the first half, including a free position shot in the last second to leave the score at 7-5 to Birmingham at the break.
After words from Team Manager John Walton, Loughborough enjoyed their best period at the start of the second half. Jemma Turner scored her only goal of the contest after 90 seconds and then the teams and then the teams traded goals until Barnlsey and Sarah Cocks scored back to back to tie the game at 9-9. But Birmingham had their own response as Roisin Baker scored 3 of the game's next 5 goals to break Loughborough's resistance. Barnsley scored her sixth goal in reply, but Birmingham captain Alice Briggs chipped in with a timely goal and Birmingham's defence did the rest, shutting out the opposition for the final 12 minutes and sealing a 13-10 win.
The second semi-final was delayed two hours as Cambridge's team coach got stuck in traffic, but a rushed warm up and floodlights did little to stop Captain Alex Carnegie-Brown's team terminally denting Oxford's title ambitions. Rosalind Lloyd set out her table early scoring the game opener just before the two minute mark. After Oxford scored in reply through Stephanie Hardwick, Lloyd scored three more goals leading Cambridge to a 6-3 first half lead, and putting Oxford in a hole from which they could not clamber out of. The second half was all Cambridge, with Lloyd and Kate Morland running riot through the Oxford defence. Morland grabbed a second half hatrick, and Lloyd finished off her game leading six-goal performance. Oxford, to their credit, never stopped running, but Carnegie-Brown was in irresistible from between the pipes and secured a second half clean sheet, allowing Cambridge to cruise to a 15-3 victory.
The final will be played this Thursday in Sheffield.
