On Saturday, 15 November, Bootham Ladies travelled to Nottingham for their second match in the Tier 2 National Futsal League campaign, facing Dorset for the first time. With teams from across England taking part, the fixture was held at a central venue to minimise travel time for both sides.

Facing a selection crisis, with nine regular squad players unavailable for various reasons, Bootham were delighted to welcome new signings Steph Hughes and Elisabeth Craven into the match-day squad.

Squad: Nikki Brown, Elizabeth Craven, Suzy Collins, Steph Hughes (GK), Heather Smith, Ellie Whittaker (C), Jess Baker, and Natasha Eustance.

A very special shout-out to our match-day mascot, Emily, who travelled all the way from York—not only to cheer on the ladies’ team, but to watch her mom, Elisabeth, make her Bootham Ladies debut. What an incredible family! Thank you both for your amazing support.

1st Half

Bootham, playing at a new venue against unfamiliar opposition, knew the importance of a strong start, and Brown delivered exactly that with an early goal. She soon doubled her tally with a superb long-range strike after excellent build-up play from Baker and Smith.

The pressure continued, and Bootham added a third when more fine work from Smith forced a Dorset defender to turn the ball into her own net. Smith then got on the scoresheet herself with a well-taken finish, before chances for debutant Craven, Baker, and Smith went narrowly wide. Bootham might have scored several more were it not for an outstanding performance from the Dorset goalkeeper.

Just before halftime, Bootham claimed their fifth, with Eustance starting the move and expertly finishing it off.

Half Time – Bootham 5 – 0 Dorset

2nd Half

The second half began with Bootham pushing hard for more goals, urged on by Coach Chris to keep the tempo high. Whittaker struck first, rounding off a player-of-the-match performance. Brown followed with two more before Dorset finally earned the goal their play deserved.

Eustance then crashed a shot off the post after more good work from Baker, but soon grabbed her second from close range. Dorset responded with another goal, before Baker got her first of the game. Smith had a goal strangely ruled out, and Brown powered in her fifth soon after.

The scoring still wasn’t done. In a chaotic final five minutes, Dorset added two more, Smith hit the post, Baker scored her second, Smith finally got her second, and, with seconds remaining, Eustance completed her hat-trick.

Full Time – Bootham 14 – 4 Dorset

In conversation after the game, Coach Chris reflected on a dramatic finish, ‘It felt brilliant to get back in the goals today and the win was fully deserved. On a small court you have to move the ball quickly and make the most of every bit of space. We did exactly that and it was fantastic to watch. The players worked so hard to play with fewer touches and it made a real difference.’

When asked about Dorset he added, ‘Huge credit to Dorset. They never stop battling and they were rewarded with some excellent late goals. I really hope they keep pushing because we were in the same position when we started and we had plenty of tough days on court. You learn from every single match and you grow stronger because of it. Their team spirit was brilliant and their manager was incredibly supportive, so I am sure they will come back even stronger.’

He finished with a smile, saying, ‘There were more than eighty shots in the match today. When was the last time you watched a football game with that kind of action? We had great goals, slick moves, goalmouth scrambles, disallowed goals and quality play from both sides. I genuinely do not understand why futsal is not on TV because it is nonstop excitement from start to finish. Just look at the team photo. Both teams loved every minute and the smiles say everything. If I could give one piece of advice to any parent with a football loving child, get them into futsal. And if you are a business looking to support a local club, sponsor a futsal team. You will never regret it.’

Match Highlights:

Player of the Match — chosen by Coach Chris, was Ellie Whittaker. Captain Fantastic was back to her brilliant best, producing five assists and a goal to cap off a superb all-round performance. She worked tirelessly in both attack and defence, and her intelligent pivot play caused Dorset problems all game long. A top-class display from one of the very best!