Footballers aim for national student glory

Footballers at Leeds Metropolitan University are aiming to be crowned national student champions at Bramall Lane, Sheffield next week.

The University's women's football side will be hoping to put the disappointment of last year's final defeat behind them as they take on Northumbria University in the British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) Mars National Football Championship Final on 11 May.

Leeds Met has reached the final for the third successive year and will hope to regain the trophy they won in 2009 after an undefeated league season. The team has enjoyed a perfect record, winning all ten of their league games, scoring a staggering 42 goals and only conceding five to retain the league title for the fourth year in a row.

A comprehensive 9-0 demolition of Brunel University in the semi-final means the squad can be confident going into the final, but as head coach Chris Welburn explains, they aren't taking anything for granted: "The Final is an opportunity to end what has already been a magnificent season on a real high."

"We have played Northumbria twice before in the final with ourselves winning 3-0 in 2009 and Northumbria winning the title in 2010 on penalties after extra time. I fully expect the game to be a hard fought contest and I'm sure it will be a cracking final in which our players will give everything to be crowned the 2011 champions."

The Leeds Met squad is mixed with both youth and experience and boasts players from the top flight of English Women's Football with England Youth Internationals, players from the FA Women's Super League and from the National FA Women's Premier League.

The final takes place on Wednesday 11 May with kick off at 1pm. The game will take place at Bramall Lane, the oldest major stadium in the world still to be hosting professional football matches.