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The final game of the 2009 FA Futsal League North season is upon us, and it couldn't be a better game to end the season as the top two go head to head for the title. Both sides have qualified for the playoffs and now aim to avoid Helvecia and take home the £1,000 by taking top spot in the North. BoroFutsal.com previews the biggest game of the season so far.
Loughborough University v Middlesbrough
FA Futsal League
Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Sheffield, S6 2AN
27 September, KO 13:15 GMT
FREE ENTRY Form Guide: Loughborough, behind Helvecia, are the top form team in the country with five wins out of six in the league as well as reaching the FA Futsal Cup final in July. Middlesbrough have also won five from their last six, but didn't do so well at the FA Futsal Cup finals. Loughborough have scored 42 goals in the last three games, defeating Sheffield 19-3 in their last game, although Sheffield had no recognised goalkeeper and only six players. Head to head: Middlesbrough battled to a win over Loughborough early in the season with only six players, which many regard as Boro's best win this year, especially against one of the best teams in the country. 27th April 2008 Loughborough University 4 University of Teesside 3
22nd February 2009 Middlesbrough 7 Loughborough University 5 Ins and outs: Lee Armes and Jonathon Prosser are back after holidays and Pablo de Oliveira is fighting to return from injury to play a part and make his Boro debut. Rui Fernandes is available for the first time since the FA Futsal Cup and Robbie Bettson is fit again after missing the Barsa game with a groin strain. Amos and Boswell are the only players definitely out with injury, while Nacho de Leon and Saif Al-Harthi are both out of the country in Uruguay and Oman respectively. The team will be from: Russell, Herbert, Armes, Prosser, Payne, Hamblin, Kilbride, Roberts, Leyshon (c), Wootton, Withers, De Oliveira, Rashid, Bettson, Fernandes. Star man: Adam Jones. One of Loughborough's star performers in the FA Futsal Cup. Organises the defence well and orchestrates the team going forward. Other matches: Barsa v Sheffield & Hallamshire and Sheffield v Manchester. Barsa are playing to stay off the bottom and need to avoid defeat by six goals and Manchester will want to hold on to third place, a respectable finish, despite their indifferent season. Clubs Middlesbrough 1. Only lost one match in the league all season, to Manchester. 2. Have won five and lost one of their last six league games. 3. Have had seven players sent off against them in the league this season and have not received a red card in the league. 4. Reached double figures for the first time in the league last time out against FC Barsa. Loughborough University 1. Finished runners-up in the FA Futsal Cup to Helvecia, losing 2-1. 2. Won the BUCS Futsal Championship in 2008 and reached the semi-finals in 2007 and 2009. 3. Had several players in the Great Britain squad for the 2008 World University Championships and their coaches, James Ellis and Tom Curtis were involved as well. 4. Are the top scorers in the league thanks to their demolitions of Sheffield and Grimsby. 5. Have conceded the most out of the "title contenders" with 54 concessions.
Players 1. Ryon Leyshon is the all-time top goalscorer for Boro in competitive matches with 82. 2. He has scored 109 in total, including friendly matches and University games. 3. Matt Wootton is this season's leading scorer with 33 goals in all competitions. 4. Jason Kilbride is the only ever-present for Boro in FA Futsal League matches - 21. 5. Eleven different players have scored in the FA Futsal League this season. 6. Mat Payne is the leading goalscoring in England with 20 goals in the league. 7. Pablo de Oliveira will become Boro's oldest player if he plays at 33 years. 8. Wootton will play his final game for Boro against Loughborough before moving to Italy to play for Cosenza. |
