Cambridge United Women back to winning ways after second-half comeback over Hamilton
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Cambridge United’s Women’s First Team were in Hamilton on a hot summer night
that would become the backdrop for a thrilling second-half comeback victory. After
trailing 1-0 at halftime, Cambridge dug deep to find the equalizer and then the winner
in the dying minutes of the match thanks to two late goals by Jordan Lunshof and
Cassidy Hunt.
Team
Cambridge United Starting XI: Mitchell, Blazek, Fraga (Mackie 18’ [Parker 89’]),
Halley, Owen (Harris 74’), Kraja (Hunt 74’), Derry, Di Benedetto (Lunshof 74’),
Lariviere (Menjhart 61’), Voutour (Bruni 90+2’), Heyes
Unused subs: Townes
First Half
The night out in Hamilton began in hot, humid conditions , with the home side initially
dictating the offensive pace. Cambridge found themselves on the back foot early,
though chances were traded relatively evenly. A concerning moment for Cambridge
came in the 18th minute when Ava Fraga was forced to exit the game due to a head
injury after taking a ball to the face. Hayley Mackie would come on and had an
immediate influence, helping Cambridge's midfield find their rhythm.
Cambridge's first significant offensive threat came in the 23rd minute from a deep
free kick by Claire Di Benedetto, just narrowly missing a connection with Annick
Larivière arriving at the back post. While the visitors began to exert more offensive
pressure, they struggled to convert it into shots on target. A notable opportunity
arose in the 37th minute when Megan Voutour skillfully flicked a long ball from
Megan Heyes to herself, driving into the Hamilton box, only to be denied by the
keeper.
Hamilton capitalized on a corner kick in the 43rd minute, taking a 1-0 lead into
halftime despite Cambridge's late push for an equalizer.
Second Half
The second half began with Hamilton nearly extending their lead in the 57th minute.
A well-threaded ball found a runner in behind, but Cambridge goalkeeper Shae
Mitchell came off her line to make a crucial save, pushing the ball wide for a corner.
Cambridge made a substitution in the 61st minute, with Natalia Menjhart replacing
Larivière. Voutour continued to be an offensive spark for Cambridge, creating
another good chance to equalize with an individual effort to drive into the box, but
she was once again thwarted by the Hamilton goalkeeper.
A triple substitution in the 74th minute saw Mya Harris come on for Molly Owen,
Jordan Lunshof for Claire Di Benedetto, and Cassidy Hunt for Anastasia Kraja. The
changes had an immediate impact, as Jordan Lunshof netted the equalizer in the
80th minute. A long ball from Mya Harris found Megan Voutour, who skillfully held off
her defenders and dropped the ball to Lunshof just inside the 18-yard box. Lunshof
wasted no time, hitting it first-time and curling it over the goalkeeper to draw
Cambridge level at one a piece.
The visitors would not be satisfied with taking only one point from the night. In the
87th minute, a crucial giveaway by Hamilton in their own half was picked off by
Lunshof, who played it up to Cassidy Hunt. Hunt, with a touch to her left, launched a
strike into the far right corner, securing a highlight-worthy late-game winner for
Cambridge.
Further substitutions saw Hamilton native Eva Parker come in for Hayley Mackie in
the 89th minute and Sophia Bruni replace Voutour in the 92nd. Cambridge effectively
controlled the remainder of the game, maintaining possession and defending their
lead to seal a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory on the road to get back in the win
column.