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10:30 AM 18th December 2019
sports

Match Report: York Futsal v Oxford City

 
On Sunday York Futsal played National League leaders Oxford City in a top of the table clash with the home side looking to close the points gap.

Both teams had chances in the initial exchanges, but it was Oxford who took full advantage with two goals in quick succession after only two minutes.

Miguel Carrera scored first with a low and hard strike beyond keeper Karel Batha from a free kick conceded ten metres out by Fabinho.

Eduardo Tijerin scored the second almost straight from the restart after Oxford pressed high with Denilson Da Silva stealing the ball before Tijerin tapped in at the back post.

Although behind, York had the biggest share of possession and chances, but lacked a clinical edge to their play.

Oxford, no doubt helped by their two goal cushion, managed York’s efforts well and they made the home side pay the price for their profligacy in front of goal by increasing their lead to 3-0 after Da Silva pounced on a mistake by Daniel Pedras in the York half and played in teammate Tijerin again who coolly slotted the ball past the keeper.

York, undeterred, continued to pressure Oxford and finally got their reward with a cool left foot finish over keeper Carlos Acosta from Mahamadi Ceesay on ten minutes after he intercepted a pass and combined with Rolando Donoso to make it 3-1.

York had further chances, but it was Oxford who extended their lead from a free kick that lofted over the wall and onto the head of Luis Audibert who had made a great run to the back post.

Still, York created chances with the pick of them being a cleverly worked free kick saved well by Acosta and an acrobatic volley from wide left from Fabinho.

As the first half drew to a close, the fouls began accumulating and York were almost punished again when a ten metre penalty was conceded, but was superbly saved by Batha.

Coming out in the second half sitting on a 4-1 lead, Oxford regularly employed a more direct approach to their tactics to try to alleviate the pressure York applied as they chased the game.

Just as York were showing some dominance, an individual mistake by Fabinho allowed Tijerin to steal the ball and brilliantly round the stranded keeper to give him his hat-trick and make it 5-1

York kept the intensity high and hit back after Fabinho brilliantly dealt with a long clearance from Oxford before playing in Ceesay on the right who crossed for Bulmer to knock the ball in at the far post.

With time running out, York went fly keeper and it quickly paid dividends as Donoso was fouled by the keeper in the box and Pedras converted the penalty making it 5-3.

For the first time in the match it was now Oxford’s turn to feel the pressure as their lead began to look slim.

This was short lived however as the game began to open up and Oxford, having missed a second ten metre penalty just before, won a corner on the right which was played in low and cleverly back heeled by Julio Ramon into the net.

With only two minutes left on the clock York once again played fly keeper, but it was not enough and Oxford added two further long range efforts from Audibert and Cesar Esteves into the unguarded net to take the final score to 8-3 to the visitors.

A great game of futsal that York were always in with a chance of winning, and who come away rueing missed chances and individual mistakes.

Head Coach Junior Roberti had this to say after the game:
"We made too many mistakes today, and you can’t do that against a team like Oxford. They scored three goals in the first part of the first half that completely changed our behaviour and the dynamic of the game. After that it was a very close game and we did manage to get back to 5-3 and had the majority of chances. It’s a good lesson now for us to see how we can improve before we meet the top teams like Oxford and Cambridge again."

York Futsal play their final game of the year away to Cambridge on Saturday 21st December, before returning to the York Sport Arena on January 12th against Sheffield FC.