Following their victory in the reserve Cuppers final last weekend, Keble’s first team and women’s team (Hertble, a joint team with Hertford) looked to make history this week in a double-header of finals at Iffley. No college had ever managed the feat of winning all three trophies in the same year: doing so would be unprecedented.
In the first game of the day, Hertble faced a strong Summertown team from LMH, St Hugh’s, and Trinity. The first half was end-to-end; both teams were up for the occasion and defensively solid. However, disaster soon struck for Summertown. One of their defenders gave away a penalty via a handball in the box, and Hertble’s Megan King made no mistake from the spot, slotting it away expertly and separating the sides as they went in for the half.
After the interval both teams started strongly, with Hertble sticking away a scrappy goal to double their lead before a quick reply from Summertown ensured Keble and Hertford nerves couldn’t be settled just yet. As was the case with both games though, the fans were the 12th player, and Hertble’s excellent support relative to the low numbers brought by Summertown were crucial in pushing the team on through these nervy moments. Two further goals from Hertble sealed the game, including an incredible half volley which flew into the top corner to make the score 4-1. By this point, the Hertble support was justifiably going wild, with players from both teams deservingly given hero’s welcomes as they returned to the side of the pitch at full time. Though they lost, Summertown had every right to be proud of the performance they had put in, admirably fighting until the final whistle.
For fans of Keble however, the job was not done. Two down, the college had its eyes on the final prize – the men’s trophy. For the dream to become a reality though, the team would have to beat a Teddy Hall team which looked to be a physical presence on and off the pitch. Supposedly, there is a historic rivalry between these two colleges, driven by the two teams being dominant in college rugby for a period decades ago. Regardless, neither set of supporters needed much excuse to direct insults at each other, and both sides quickly pulled out the classic ‘what do we think of [insert college name here]’ chant. Soon enough though, it was time for the fans to turn their attention to the pitch as the captains led their teams out to roars from the packed-out Iffley crowd. Following a quick swap of ends after a coin toss, the referee blew his whistle, and we were off.
Teddy started on top. Their physicality was visible, and it took Keble a while to grow into the game. A stroke of luck befell Keble though, as after a nasty 50-50 with Keble’s striker the Teddy goalkeeper was forced off injured. His replacement appeared to be selected to go in net simply because he was the tallest player on the bench and given his struggles later on in the game it is safe to assume he wasn’t a natural goalkeeper. For now, though, Teddy continued to play well, and were generating the better set of chances. They looked particularly dominant from set pieces and were rewarded for their efforts with a goal scored from a corner at around the half hour mark. The remainder of the half was a cagey affair, with few chances to either team. Teddy roared their team off the pitch at the half time whistle, whilst the shell-shocked Keble support did their best to spur on their players, who themselves looked stunned.
Following the break, the second half started in much the same fashion as the first had ended. Few openings appeared for either side, and the crowds began to grow frustrated with repeated cries of ‘shoot’ every time Keble came within 30 yards of the Teddy goal. Eventually, this strategy paid off. Keble club president Ryan Smalley took down the ball just outside the box, made himself some space, and drove a shot on goal. It took an admittedly lucky deflection, but this was enough to ensure that the goalkeeper (once again) was caught in no man’s land, and could do nothing to prevent the ball trickling into the back of his net. At 1-1, the tension had risen a notch higher, and Keble were eager for more.
Luckily for the fans, Smalley wasn’t content with just a singular contribution. With around fifteen minutes remaining, Keble were awarded a free kick forty yards from goal. From such a distance to score directly would have to be an incredible strike – and he delivered. A rocket into the top corner sent the Keble fans wild, and the entire team ran over to celebrate with their supporters. Cue limbs. The Teddy support fell silent; it was now their turn to be shell-shocked.
With the game so tight heading into the final ten, it was sure to be a nervy ending for all involved. Teddy did all they could to try and get back into the game, including having goals disallowed both from kick off while Keble were still celebrating and a tight offside decision. The final moments also saw a vital save from Keble’s goalkeeper which was met with an eruption of cheers from the Keble support, and though Teddy continued to push, they just couldn’t find an equaliser. After a seemingly never-ending period of added time, the referee eventually blew the whistle and sealed all three Keble teams’ place as history makers. The Keble support had yet another fresh set of heroes to welcome, and they did so with unmatched passion.
