URN

The 2012 Varsity Series heats up to boiling point on Friday night as the University of Nottingham Women’s Football team seek to undo the heartbreak of a penalty-shoot out loss last year to their archrivals, Nottingham Trent.

With the overall Varsity scores standing at 7-5 in Uni’s favour, a win for the girls would seal an emphatic Uni victory in the Series. Hopes for the Uni ladies are certainly high, with them coming fresh off the back of a hugely successful league campaign which saw them crowned BUCS Midlands 1A Division champions.

Trent, meanwhile, faced the ignominy of relegation from the BUCS Premier North Division and will be hoping to compensate for a thoroughly disappointing season with a win on Friday. Either way, the pressure is high on both teams, as Trent fight to keep their Varsity hopes alive and Uni seek to tie up what could be a resounding victory in the series.

The electric atmosphere at Meadow Lane stadium is sure to provide an unforgettable experience for the players on both sides, who will be giving everything to try and claim glory for their university.

Be sure to follow our live text updates from the game, which kicks off at 5:15pm, at urn1350.net: Your Number One Varsity Source.

Michael Gaffney

The University of Nottingham Women saw their varsity dream end at the hands of a penalty shootout after a battling display against their Nottingham Trent counterparts.

UoN looked to be heading for their first defeat of the season, until Sammy Conroy’s spectacular late equaliser meant that Women’s Varsity Football 2011 would be settled on penalties; where Trent were able to handle the pressure and retain their varsity crown.

Despite their hugely successful season, UoN still went into the game as underdogs, as was reflected in their 4-1-4-1 formation, but they were certainly not overpowered. In the opening stages at Meadow Lane both teams looked nervous and neither could gain control on a pitch suffering the consequences of an early downpour.

After a tense opening with few chances created, Trent came closest to taking the lead. A long range effort from Lauren Plummer appeared to catch everyone off guard, including UoN keeper Rachel Aldred, who was relieved to see the ball rebound from the crossbar.

UoN heeded the warning signs and responded by creating the best chance of a tight first half. Captain Stephanie Smith found space and in midfield and played a delightful ball to put Anna Mawston clear of the Trent defence, but Mawston could only put her shot well wide of the target.

After the disappointment of last year's relegation, we had to make sure that we bounced back as individuals and as a team. At the start of the season, we still seemed to be struggling. However, our current coach Chris Kavanagh, has shaped us into the team we are. By the time we had reached our third game of the season, we were a changed side; we looked like a team, played as a unit and individuals were playing with the confidence and quality needed to make our season such a success. With an undefeated season, the league title and cup victory under our belt, we are going into this varsity match with a huge point to prove! The whole season has been built up to this game, and if there was ever a season where NUWFC are victorious, it is this one.

Steph Smith

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Goalkeepers

Name: Rachel Aldred
Course: Theology
Age: 20
Position: Goalkeeper
Highest level represented: Uni Football
Games this season: 14
Favourite player: Van der Sar
Favourite sports brand: Adidas
Favourite team: Brighton
Favourite film: The King’s Speech
Last downloaded track:
Dream sporting date: Iker Casillas
Biggest team joker: Sinead
Captain's Comment: Great hands and controls her box, Fantastic kick which will prove useful on such a large pitch

Name: Kimberley Bates
Course: Envrionmental Management
Age: 23
Position: Bench warmer
Highest level represented: University
Games this season: 0
Favourite player: Helen King
Favourite sports brand: Nike
Favourite team: Bolton
Favourite film: X-Men
Last downloaded track: E.T
Dream sporting date: Aaron Ramsey/ Gianluigi Buffon
Biggest team joker: Stephanie Smith
Captain's Comment: Fantastic reactions, quick off her line. Safe hands and a long kick
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Defence

Name: Helen King
Course: History
Age: 21
Position: centre back
Highest level represented: County
Games this season: 10
Favourite player: Kristina Maddox
Favourite sports brand: Nike
Favourite team: Spurs
Favourite film: Borat
Last downloaded track: ET Katy Perry