Loughborough University Stadium, home of Loughborough Students FC based in Leicestershire and play their trade in Step 5 of the non league pyramid in the United Counties League Premier Division North. Nicknamed the “Scholars” as the players eligible to play have to be enrolled at Loughborough University as a student.
It’s one of the World’s best Universities!!! And very notable in this country for being a popular sporting University!! It has even helped with the making of previous World Cup Match Balls! A big test of their metal today as the Football Club face Wythenshawe Town in the Quarter Final of one of England’s most underrated football competitions, the FA Vase!! It’s simply not talked about enough!! Let’s do this!!
Hoyland John is going to be there which is ever more reason to head out there! It’s a train journey for me today as I make the journey to Sheffield station for the ride to Loughborough. 50 minutes later and here I am at Loughborough station, now for the Sprint bus service to the University Stadium. With 30 minutes to go before kick off, here I am!! A big following from Wythenshawe today and they are in fine voice before the game here!! “Wembley! Wembley! We’re the famous Wythenshawe and we’re off to Wembley!”
£6 to get in to this FA Vase Quarter Final! Spectacular! It certainly is a ground that I have had my eyes on for a while and it is great to finally step inside! The 3G pitch just outside is being used to serve food and drink, I’ll just help myself!! Those Hot Dogs look good! I’ll get one of them later! Kick Off draws ever closer and it’s time to get in. Hoyland John is here along with another groundhopper named Colin! The Wythenshawe fans in great spirits so far and they’ve brought out the Pyro!! Out come the players, it’s time!!!
Kick Off! 3 minutes in and Loughborough play forward, it’s flicked on to Fadahunsi who sets up O’Toole to strike first time from 20 yards… Wide! Good combination play there but not the shot sadly for them… “We’re the Wythy boys making all the noise! Everywhere we go!” Fantastic from the Wythenshawe faithful so far!
8 minutes now and Loughborough launch the ball forward, Wythenshawe get a head to it but Moore gets on to it in the box on the left, he goes for goal… Keeper saves and Wythenshawe clear! The keeper should have claimed the ball from the header there for me but as the late Mike Reid once said: “No no no! He got away with it! He got away with it!”
Hoyland John said early on that this could go to Penalties and as the game continues, I don’t think that prediction could be far off… Loughborough are enjoying large spells of possession and look the better side but Wythenshawe possess a good danger going forward.
34th minute and Wythenshawe play it forward to Matty Bryan down the left side, he beats his man and gets it across, it comes to Max Leonard on the edge of the box, he takes a touch… He panics and shoots it wide… Composure anyone? 4 minutes later and Loughborough come forward, it’s played to O’Toole in the box on the right, down he goes… “No!” Says the Referee! I have to agree there as it looked like O’Toole was playing for it going down that easily… But you do see them given! Loughborough not happy with that decision but play goes on.
44 minutes on the clock and Loughborough play forward, Fadahunsi gets onto it and he shakes off his man, the keeper comes for it, Fadahunsi squares it to Moore who shoots… Blocked! It comes back to Moore who squares it to Wilson… It’s there!!! Loughborough open the scoring in this Quarter Final!! 1-0!!
Straight from kick off and Wythenshawe are in the Loughborough half here, it’s played into the middle at height and it’s going towards goal… The keeper parries it straight to a Wythenshawe head who heads it back across goal towards Harvey Whyte… He can’t get his head on it and it hits his shoulder and Loughborough clear the danger and that would be the last act of the first half with Loughborough in the lead at half time.
Second half… A slow start here so far to the second half with Wythenshawe showing a little bit more fight than in the first half. 60th minute and Wythenshawe come forward, Palma has it and he races forward, he gets into the box and manages to get a cross away… But it’s a weak one and Loughborough manage to force a goal kick but this is better from Wythenshawe!
67th minute and the ball is in the Wythenshawe half for the keeper to hit forward… But he’s not connected with it properly and Loughborough get it back, it’s played to Fadahunsi in plenty of space, he drives into the box and he shoots… AND HE SCORES!!!! Loughborough double their lead!! They have one foot in the Semi-Final here!!! 2-0!! Just as I was getting a Hot Dog too…
73rd minute now and Loughborough win the ball back in midfield, it’s played through to Fadahunsi and he’s in on goal here, he gets into the box and shoots… Saved by the keeper… And the loose ball is headed back into his grasp by the Wythenshawe defence. Big moment there! 2 minutes later and Loughborough come forward down the right wing, in comes the cross, it comes to Brennan at the far post… It’s just over!
78 minutes now and Loughborough play it in to Fadahunsi from the left wing, the keeper comes out… Fadahunsi tries to go around him but he goes down… Referee not interested and Fadahunsi gets back up and plays it forward… But Wythenshawe get there and clear. Clumsy from the keeper but not enough for a Penalty for me!
Loughborough looking pretty comfortable in the closing stages of the game but Wythenshawe won’t give up without a fight! “Shall we sing a song for you!” Wythenshawe fans have been singing that one for a while… Can they sing a song for Loughborough instead now? 88th minute and Loughborough launch it forward, the keeper comes… And he gets there spectacularly but Loughborough win it back and Fadahunsi gets into the box on the right, he plays it across looking for Wilson… Wythenshawe clear.
Wythenshawe keep chasing the next goal… But the Referee has called time here!! Wythenshawe are out! LOUGHBOROUGH ARE THROUGH TO THE SEMI-FINAL!!! The Wythenshawe players show their appreciation to the travelling Wythenshawe faithful who have been incredible today!!
But look what it means to the Loughborough boys!!! Followed in their hundreds today by their University peers today and they have a fantastic opportunity now to bring the FA Vase home! Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline echoes around the ground! Good times never seemed so good for LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS FC!!
FT: Loughborough Students 2-0 Wythenshawe Town
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 6/10 – The Wythenshawe fans were outstanding today!! Did not stop throughout!! I hope they’re like that at home! Loughborough gave it a good go themselves but were out done by the Wythenshawe fans today!
- The Ground: 10/10 – An absolutely fantastic ground!! A great facility for other sports here as well! The pitch is a carpet! Very well maintained! I love the stand but it was a shame I was unable to get into it… Standing terracing all the way around the ground as well! I love this ground and it was well worth the wait!!
- Expense: 10/10 – £6 for a cup Quarter Final? Thank you! 2 goals and a great atmosphere!! And £3.75 for one of the best Hot Dogs I’ve ever had!
- Overall Experience: 9/10 – A great day here! Always a pleasure to watch games with Hoyland John and great to meet Colin here today!!
35/40