Sheffield University Old Boys gave the current crop of students a rare taste of defeat on a glorious South Yorkshire afternoon, finally running out 12-9 winners at Norton Playing Fields.

2009 has seen the current university side sweep past all before them, in a season which has seen them scoop the North Division 3 Title, Stockport Cup and BUCS Championship.  However the Old Boys had arrived in plenty of time with a strong squad of 15 graduates from recent years in order to make the most of the occasion and immediately threw themselves into a rigorous warm-up led by their captain Dave McCulloch.  This left Gareth Roberts and his all-conquering side under no illusions about the task ahead and it proved to be a harsh wake-up call as the Old Boys raced into a strong lead at half-time.

The Old Boys had no trouble in gelling, rolling back the years and some slick work from the front three of Mark Reynolds, Richard Wilson and Dave Alcock helped to pile on the pressure on the students’ goal.  With midfield possession sewn up thanks to James Morrison’s sterling work at face-off, the tangers had to make the most of any breaks they could muster and Tom Leahy’s constant running kept them in the hunt throughout.

The second half saw a spirited fightback from the university who were in no mood to be embarrassed on their own turf, eventually taking the final quarter by a healthy margin.  Goalkeeper Simon Gill and the Old Boys defence managed to see out the onslaught despite numerous man-down situations to ensure victory for their side.

Referee Peter Nadin kindly presented the trophy to McCulloch and the victory was celebrated way into the night by both sides. All involved were keen to come back in a year’s time for a re-match and potentially an expanded format featuring more teams representing different eras. 

By Chris Fitzgerald

Scorers

Old Boys: Dave McCulloch 4, Mark Reynolds 2, Richard Wilson 2, Dave Alcock 2, Mark Wagstaff, Robin Foster.