Bootham Ladies played their first home game of the season when the entertained title winning and now tier 1 Sunderland in the first game of the new Futsal League Cup format. With captain Ellie Whittaker, Rowan Treagus and Charlotte Broad available after missing the game at Manchester, Bootham were at near full strength. Talented goalkeeper Allegra Sellschop-Evans started on the bench for her first NFL game.

Bootham were represented by:

Lauryn Zareba-Gilbank (GK), Kim Samson, Charlotte Broad, Rowan Treagus, Ellie Whittaker, Suzy Collins, Lucy Hudson, Eleanor Walker, Jess Baker, Allegra Sellschop-Evans (GK) and Nikki Brown.

1st Half

A slow start from Bootham saw them 3-0 down inside the first 5 minutes before a good strike from Treagus got them going. In a physical game with both sides playing some excellent futsal, Sunderland grabbed another before Treagus completed her first half hat-trick. In a game that was end to end, and with Bootham starting to get on top, and against the run of play, Sunderland added a fifth just before halftime.

Half Time: Bootham 3 – Sunderland 5

2nd Half

For the second half Bootham changed to a full court press and put the visitors under real pressure. Sunderland added a sixth before an own goal and a first Bootham goal for Baker left the score at 6-5. A great finish from Samson had the game all tied and with Sunderland on 5 fouls, the game couldn’t be any tighter. With 6 minutes to go Bootham got their sixth foul but Treagus was denied by a superb save from the Sunderland keeper. A well worked goal from Sunderland saw them lead again before the goal of the game, involving the whole Bootham team saw captain Whittaker smash home at the second post to leave the game all tied again. With 90 seconds to go Bootham took the lead, for the first time in the game, when Treagus grabbed her fourth but almost immediately Sunderland equaliser.

Full time: Bootham 8 – Sunderland 8

After the game a delighted Coach Chris spoke to us, ‘I think I have got my breath back! What a game and what a spectacle for female futsal, that could have finished 20-20 with the number of chances both sides created. I have to be delighted in that result but also, I am gutted we didn’t win it, what a team performance! To come back from 4-1 down, then 5-3 at halftime to be winning 8-7 with only 90 seconds left shows the effort everyone put in today.’

He went on to say, ‘Sunderland are a class outfit with some seriously good players but we matched them in every department today. We started very slowly and were 3-0 down before we had really kicked a ball but credit to the ladies they woke up and really did give their all. We never let Sunderland get away, were always in the game, and for large parts of the second half we were the better side.’

Click here to see images from the game

He finished by saying, ‘This is the first time we have played a tier 1 side in a competitive fixture and it shows how far we have come in the last 12 months. We still have players to come into the squad, so I know we will get even stronger. It is credit to the attitude and determination of all the players to work so hard and come so close to winning the game. We have Derby, the league favourite coming to York next Saturday, so that will be a different kind of test. Huge thank you to everyone who came out today to support us, to Paul from iMAG for sponsoring the game and the amazing Ivy for being a wonderful match day mascot. Are we starting to build something here in York…watch this space!’

Player of The Match as Picked by Match Sponsor Paul Worthy of iMAG – Industrial Motors and Gears Limited – Rowan Treagus – She will score goals in every game she plays, constantly a pain for opposition players. But it is her work rate without the ball that is so impressive, she covers all the court with and without the ball and her partnership with Nikki Brown today really did scare the opposition. Top performance from a top player.