There was elation for sportsmen in light blue as well as disappointment on the banks of the Thames this weekend, when Cambridge beat Oxford by five goals to three in a thrilling 124th Varsity Football Match.

Craven Cottage, home to Fulham FC , stands on the first, Middlesex bend of the Tideway Boat Race course and has hosted the Varsity Match for thirteen of the past twenty years.

On a blustery afternoon the match was played in front of a crowd of 2600 which included the new Football Association Chairman, Lord Triesman.

Matthew Stock of St Catharine’s College claimed a Varsity Match record by scoring four of the Cambridge goals and making the fifth.

Premiership referee Peter Walton was full of praise for both teams on how they played the game in great spirit, hard but fair, echoing the FA’s call for commitment, fair play and respect in the national game.

The Cambridge Blue Boat did not fare so well, losing to a strong Oxford crew by six lengths, despite a heroic fight back around the Surrey bend of the challenging course.

Coach Duncan Holland said: “Well done to Oxford. They were much faster and won cleanly and well. We were just never quick enough.”

Cox Rebecca Dowbiggin added: “We threw everything we had at them in the first half of the course. Every time we put in a move it worked, but it took a hell of a lot out of us.”

In the reserves race Isis beat Goldie.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.