Loughborough 3 - 1 Bees (390069061)

29278 spectators arrived at Outwoods Park, where weather conditions were pretty good for football. Abdoulatif Niang was the appointed referee. Loughborough tactics involved an interesting 4-4-2 combination. Starters: Álvez - Panapun, Aguinaga, Quiroga, Provenzano - Hector, Croitoru, Kreitmaier, Miranda Martins - Serpa, Wahlfeldt.

Bees had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. The following players had been chosen: Guldberg - Pastor, Jones, MacDougall - Glorioso, Barr, Tenniglo, Neff, Schäffenacker - Rocha, Windsor.

Today, Loughborough's strategy involved concentrating on the flanks for their attacks. Using their counter-attacking abilities was the strategy of choice for Bees. The home side put themselves ahead 1 - 0 after 5 minutes courtesy of a breakthrough from B. Serpa, who scored with a stunning volley following a cross from the right wing. After 7 minutes a well-practised indirect free kick routine by Bees was easily anticipated by the defenders. The players forward were so well marked, they were left with few viable options. With 26 minutes played, C. Jones came in from the right and could have evened the score, but the defenders successfully repelled the attack by Bees. B. Serpa struck a 30 metre free kick home 38 minutes into the match. 2 - 0 for the home team. Bees fought on and, after 39 minutes, J. Schäffenacker was able to reduce the deficit to 2 - 1 after some excellent moves on the right side were finished off with an incredibly clever chip. 2 - 1 was the score after the first half. Possession in this half belonged to Bees, who controlled the ball 54 percent of the time.

Bees were close to putting the equaliser away after 48 minutes as the opposing defence lost control of the ball to N. Rocha in a scuffle towards the left of the goal, but in the end the ball was cleared over the dead ball line. Loughborough put themselves up 3 - 1 when M. Aguinaga broke through on the right, leaving the entire defence trailing in his wake. The players of Loughborough now seemed to think the job was done and acted more defensively, just waiting for the ref to blow the final whistle. After 56 minutes, Bees switched H. Windsor with A. Antonenko, hoping for a quick impact on the pitch. A penalty 69 minutes into the game gave the home side a chance at adding to the score, but an overconfident B. Serpa shot the ball wide trying to put it away in the top corner. H. Kreitmaier wanted to play on, but the Loughborough coach had other ideas, and he was replaced 72 minutes into the game by K. Ledieu. Although the whole team were struggling to impress, Bees's P. Pastor was singled out as being the problem as he was called off the pitch after 74 minutes. N. D'Agostini was given a chance to change things around. A. Tenniglo was the new captain of Bees - handed the armband by the departing player. B. Serpa left the field with a smile on his face as he was substituted 76 minutes into the game, as his team was in the lead. V. Nešković was the replacement. Bees needed a fresh pair of legs on the field, and after 81 minutes P. Neff made way for N. D'Avack. N. D'Avack had a couple of good opportunities to reply, but the home team's keeper J. Álvez was simply unbeatable. Loughborough's É. Hector had to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines, after twisting his ankle with 83 minutes having been played. E. Oxén was the replacement. Bees had most of the ball, with 54 percent of possession.

The most dominating Loughborough player was without a doubt R. Croitoru. K. Ledieu on the other hand, had a terrible day. Most important Bees player was N. Rocha. N. D'Agostini was a disappointment, however. The match ends 3 - 1.