Cambridge’s northern stars

3 Oct 2024 • By Roy Pilott

Snap! The women match the men

Roy Pilott was at John Kerkhof Park to see the club’s premier women emulate the men and win a home and away playoff to secure promotion to the Northern League.

For the second weekend in a row a team from Cambridge Football Club won promotion to football’s Northern League – and boy did they celebrate. Six days after the men won promotion, the club’s women won a home and way play off against Onehunga Māngere 4-3 – having been held to a 3-3 draw at home in front of a large crowd on Sunday.

They were singing “we are going up” thanks to Emma Sherburn’s 63rd minute header.

But Cambridge made another full house of football fans at John Kerkhof Park sweat on Sunday as the hosts were held 3-3 by Onehunga Māngere United in an exciting second leg of a Northern League promotion playoff.

It was a result good enough to secure promotion because Scott Bult’s team had won the first leg 1-0 a week earlier. But it was a nervous enough clash for him to ask if The News camera was picking up audio given he may have employed some Anglo Saxon to issue instructions.

The club has done things in pairs this season – the men also won promotion to the Northern League courtesy of a 2-0 aggregate win over Waiheke United eight days earlier.

Striker Caitlin Varcoe – named Cambridge’s player of the day – hopes visiting keeper Emily Calf will spill possession during the second half. She didn’t. Photo: Roy Pilott

But in truth they do it in fives – the men’s winning goal in Cambridge came in the fifth minute, the women’s winner in Auckland last week was in the fifth minute – and Brooke Suisted’s goal in the fifth minute on Sunday gave Cambridge the perfect start.

But not the perfect finish. For each goal Cambridge scored the Onehunga Māngere United Scarlets scored one of their own.

Quoting legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Bult told the after-match gathering in the clubrooms the closing stages of the second half had been “squeaky bum time”.

As gracious as the visitors were in congratulating Cambridge, so too was Bult – he acknowledged his young side had been second best for much of the second half.

The winner: Emma Sherburn (right) gets her head to a corner to send the ball looping into the Onehunga net for what proved to be the goal which sent Cambridge up. Number 17 Zoe Fon (obscured) scored Cambridge’s second. Photo: Roy Pilott.

It was a nervous final 45 minutes of squandered possession and one defensive mix up which resulted in keeper Aimee Archibald being booked, but her foul being ruled as outside the box.

The host’s major threat came out wide – none more so than through Charlotte Harries whose pace down the left in the second half was a welcome outlet. But more often than not it was route one football with Archibald launching punts up field.

There was one confusing hold up in the second half as referee Mark Orchard – who had an excellent game – negotiated a misunderstanding on what defined a substitution window.

Charlotte Harries gets a cross in during the second half. Photo: Roy Pilott

Blame a process introduced by FIFA designed to introduce more drama.

Having turned what once took a matter of seconds into a ceremony, FIFA decrees how many times during a game substitutions can be made.

That was all of no concern in the clubrooms to Peter Martens QSM who was celebrating an “historic” end of season for the club he joined in 1957. At the club’s annual meeting next month he will retire after 35 years as president

It was a great few days for the president. From England, Watford manager Tom Cleverley sent a video message congratulating Martens – who supports Elton John’s favourite club – on his contribution.

And on Friday night it was announced at the Cambridge prizegiving that the club would now refer to the newly developed fields at their home grounds using Martens’ name.

See: Cambridge on the up