On Saturday the hacks from St Aldates and Frewin Court laid down their notebooks and put on their football kits for the traditional end of year OxStu vs Cherwell football match.
Both papers lined up a motley crew of current staff and old guard to settle questions of tracking rules and the best way to do a cut-out.
However, Cherwell were to run out deserved winners, proving their superiority on the pitch as well as in print.
The first few minutes of the game were scrappy as the teams struggled to find their feet in the blazing sunshine. There were a number of flying objects all identifiable as a football for the OxStu players to get to grips with but Cherwell defender and Sports Editor John Citron was a giant in the air to aid his paper’s defence.
As the game began to settle, OxStu ex-Editor Rob Cookson made a number of charges up the centre, although in the two Michaels, Coombes and Crowhurst, he more than met his match.
However Cookson was not to be denied and after slipping past OSPL MD Ran Wei, he found himself one on one with the keeper and kept his cool to slot the ball low past his former opposite number Alex Stewart.
Cookson continued to threaten throughout the opening half but Wei recovered from his earlier mistake to dominate the Stu striker and his brutal defensive style managed to keep Cookson at bay.
As the first half wore on Cherwell managed to gain dominance. Dan Rolle displayed some deft footwork on the wing, taking off on a series of mazy runs straight through a bemused OxStu midfield.
Moving into midfield, Sports Editor Crowhurst began to assert his authority in the middle of the park, controlling the tempo of the game in combination with editor James Rogers.
As the OxStu defence found themselves pushed back, they became increasingly reliant on the uncontrolled aggression of ex-Editor Simon Akam to save them.
However even the blond giant could not shake off Rogers, and the midfield dynamo, who hails from Shropshire, eased past the towering centre-back and launched a blistering strike from 25 yards.
The shot deflected off a hapless OxStu defender providing Cherwell with their equaliser.
Inspired by their captain’s goal, Cherwell started to play with more fluidity and chances came thick and fast. Although a couple of good opportunites were spurned, the pressure eventually told when shortly before the break Ed Kemp struck, pouncing on a loose ball to rifle home from close range.
The OxStu came out fighting in the second half piling pressure on their opponents. Kristian Walsh worked hard up front, though lacked stamina towards the end, and along with Sports Editor, Chloe Mattison, he worked closely with Cookson but a goal was not forthcoming.
Led by Rogers, Cherwell managed to regain the dominance displayed at the end of the first half and Isis staffer William Cowell De Gruchy and Rolle had opportunities on goal but was left to rue some nervy finishing.
With the end fast approaching, an OxStu counterattack appeared to have been seen off, but from nowhere a long range effort went straight through the hands of smoking goalkeeper, and DPhil relic, Stewart, to level the scores as the final whistle blew.
Eschewing extra-time, it came straight down to penalties. The first two OxStu efforts found the back of the net and were answered by confident strikes from Cherwell.
With the shoot-out finely balanced, Crowhurst inexplicably scuffed a tame effort straight at the keeper and suddenly the game appeared to be swinging towards the OxStu.
But Stewart, who missed his penalty and lost the match for Cherwell last year, suddenly found form in goal, stopping the next two OxStu attempts with some great reflex saves.
With Citron succeeding where his co-editor had failed, OxStu were left with a must score penalty. But Stewart denied them again, sparking delirium for Cherwell and their (smallthrong of supporters.
Speaking after the shootout Rogers told Cherwell, "I’m absolutely over the moon. It was a game of two halves but at the end of the day, the best team won."
