X11 season 45 - de rigueur Mortis

[SouthdownRebel]

Sometimes I enjoy this game.

Swanbourne FC's Cosmopolitan League cup tie today was a case in point. 0-0 after the home leg, I thought we were up against it. Charlie Fender was ref, I decided against playing bruise but my opponent did. He lost two players to injury, one just after making his third sub so played the last half hour with 10 men. We sneaked it in the 92nd minute through an own goal. 1-0.

I've had too bad a day to feel sorry for their manager.

[Sits]

Good!

Meanwhile the pigs got spawny in a game of two chances over the Dragons.

[Wouter D]

Tactics set for tonight's cup final. Now I'm going to need all my strength to stop tinkering with it.

[Wouter D]

[SPOILER]

Respectful salute to Larry Leyton.[/SPOILER]

[Sits]

[spoiler]Congratulations VA - yet another tight one. Bad luck Ico, you'll be back.[/spoiler]

[Various Artist]

Tactics set for tonight's cup final. Now I'm going to need all my strength to stop tinkering with it.

As ever, I avoided such temptations by not doing mine until about eight minutes before kickoff.

If I had, I'd have realised sooner that your only goalkeeper is a 20/7, and would have mentioned this remarkable fact in my official preview PRs for the game as it makes IKK's performance in this season's Cup that much more impressive. Considering we were marginally outperformed over 90 minutes and definitely second-best throughout extra time, I was just lucky that we held out for penalties – at which point, considering our goalie Larry Leyton is in contrast now a 30/14, there was only one likely winner despite your best efforts. Bad luck Wouter, you deserved it more than we did.

Can't believe Underground are trophy holders again, it's been a while. Last night's result continues our surreal run of having only gone past the Cup last-16 three times since Season 2, and each time (S3, S6 & S12) we've won the thing. In fact, it only struck me this morning that our exits in the previous five tournaments having gone L16, L16, L16, L16, R2 equated to us going out immediately after the two-legged ties were over every single season – i.e. there were two legs in R1 & R2 until last season, and just R1 that time and this season. So our lucky R2 victory over Kakanui KuneKune this time (2-1, shots 2-5) was our first win in a straight knockout Cup tie since the Season 6 final.

[SouthdownRebel]

Congrats again VA. Third Cup triumph for the Underground - as now reflected on the MLX Honours Board on Google Sheets.

As I've mentioned on the scribble, there's a cock-up ongoing with the VIP which means I can't yet award you the 1 month prize. It's rather like having the cancel the trophy presentation because the engraver forgot his chisels, but what can you do? Of course, the silver lining to this particular cloud is that the presentation hasn't been hijacked by a certain fully-kitted-former-England-captain-and-all-round-numpty (FKFECARNJT).

[Sits]

I thought for a moment you were suggesting Hank Hammersmith had got his old kit on and turned up.

[Sits]

I think I know the answer to this, but I'll mention it anyway. I have a team (the new Duroc-Jersey Reds) in the Under23s Premier League. Pretty simple concept, three players over 23 allowed, that's it. They recently lost their Admin for health reasons and a new novice is in the chair. They currently have eight vacancies in a league of 32 teams.

So the league could shrink/fold, but if anyone fancies a new/extra challenge, an OTF influx (especially if someone fancies a stint Adminning) could revitalise it. It's quite an enjoyable challenge and a bit different.

As I say, I think I know the answer.

[Various Artist]

My roster's certainly a bit full already Sits, sorry! Thanks for the mental image meanwhile from the Kevchenko Cup award ceremony, but please don't impugn Hank Hammersmith by putting him in the same category as John Terry; I feel The Hammer would be mortally offended by that...

SdR, as already suggested by my comment on the Scribble, I (quite by accident) have a bizarrely Corinthian spirit when it comes to X11 – i.e. I tend to forget entirely that there's VIP or even econs on offer for winning things, no matter how often I've done so. I was completely surprised by your reference to the delayed award as it simply hadn't crossed my mind, just like I genuinely had no plan for how Underground were going to cope financially after spending 235 of our last 270k on the Cup Final, until the 1m winner's money dropped into our inbox overnight. So I'm certainly not waiting impatiently on the prize; as and when wayne can wrangle things for you is absolutely fine.


Catching up with 7 other games last night I discovered to my frustration that Royal Atlantis had blown the last unbeaten record in the top 7 tiers of the Heineken on Friday, losing 1-0 at home to lowly-but-resurgent Eruption in HLC2 via a direct freekick – from a striker 2 skillbars worse than my goalkeeper. I'm not sure I've ever that happen before, so it was extra galling it meant yet another stab at an undefeated campaign slipped through our fingers, as well as slashing our advantage at the top to 1 point over Starchaser who will now probably overhaul us on the run-in.

On a brighter note, there were celebrations last night in the J4GL as Mars Rovers clinched Division 2b with room to spare in the end, thanks to a 15-game unbeaten run and the final flourish of a 3-0 win at downwards-departing Ashness Bridge, after drawing on each of our previous four Saturdays – our only draws of the campaign. Closest challengers Conquerors of the World and Leg Manglers FC (who both beat us near the start of the season) cancelled each other out yesterday to leave us 8 points clear. It's the first title in the club's 15-season history, extra pleasingly. Friendlies already set against Bignor Roman Villa and Granthamian's Ropsley Rhinos, whilst we could potentially face Bignor and/or De Stroppendragers next season in Division 1 for some derby action.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Into the last round of the MLX and somehow we've got a chance of survival. We need to win our last game of the season and hope the other sides drop points. Unfortunately we're away to Sits and I don't think we've ever beaten him in the MLX.

Edit: I've just checked, 8 games, 4 draws and 4 defeats. No hope then.

[SouthdownRebel]

In the last 11 games, Hornville's record is: W1 D8 L2. We've trailed in only one of those drawn games, and in that game we turned 0-1 into a 2-1 advantage only to get pegged back again. In total we've taken the lead in five of the eight draws in that spell.

[spoiler]On the other hand, I'll take today's result as a point gained and we do at least cut the deficit to 9th place down to a single point.[/spoiler]

We need to change our fortunes if we're to survive, and quickly.

[Janik]

X11 Ladies League matchday 11 report.

Division 3d

Mighty Aphrodite 	2 - 0	Viking South Utsira
Woodlands 29'
Hodgeson 92'


Division 4h

Drakaina		1 - 0	Kilwinning WFC
Sietaridis 84'
Keyshinhas (sent off) 93'

Tartan Tawties FC 	1 - 0	Coxy Ladies Wulpen
Norris 26'
				Madjarevic (sent off) 35'



Division 4j

Supreme Ladies		0 - 0	Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC

Witches of Chiswick	1 - 1	Borgis Ladies
Mercier 75'			Lindell 11'


Division 5:17

Jozzo Stars 		1 - 1	LNWR Locomotive
Decibell 75'			Boudakian 81'


Division 5:22

Liverpool Girls 	0 - 1	Solent Sirens
Falhberg (missed pen) 46'	Settman 49'


Division 5:29

Dublin City Womens FC	1 - 2	Girls Down Under
Thörnberg (pen) 86'		Boldyreva 74'
				Glotova 84'


Division 6:40

Girls Aloud 		1 - 0	Invisible Ladies
Lira 67'


Division 6:55

Triestina 		1 - 0	Menywod Maeshafn
Möllerström 68'


Division 6:62

Sekler Femina FC 	1 - 2	Csiki Girls
Axier 45'			McInns 66'
				Carlberg 68'
				Sheerin (sent off) 89'

[Janik]

This was it. The biggie. Viking South Utsira’s visit to promotion rivals Mighty Aphrodite at the suitably iconic venue of Mount Olympus.
The Blood Eagles boasted a three point lead over their Greek rivals prior to kick off but with a marginally inferior goal difference. With the pack a further eight points back it was clear that this would decide the destination of the title, with a draw being quite enough for Velvet Android’s girls. They ceded possession to their hosts in search of this, but were then caught out with a 29th minute strike.
Any hopes of a Viking equaliser were snuffed out by the grade-20 average performance of home defence, led by ‘keeper Estelle Winterburn who turned in a 22 rated shift. Unsurprisingly this denied Utsira so much as a shot, making Aphrodite’s injury-time second mere frippery.
The teams swap places, with VSU now +5 GD behind. They will have to try and keep the pressure up on their conquerors and hope for an unexpected slip up. Or it will be the play-offs, which were guaranteed as a minimum when the third placed side in this section lost.

After a recent run of disappointing results, a win for Drakaina against bottom-placed visitors Kilwinning WFC was essential for The Dragons title push.
However Kilwinning may be bottom, but they are not mugs and they made themselves extremely difficult to break down. This was partly through defensive organisation, and partly through narkiness as Kilwinning picked up yellow cards at regular intervals. However the Greeks still had their chances, which eventually paid dividends when Laria Sietaridis blasted home from range on 84 minutes.
Rather than calm Etienne’s side down, this goal apparently encourage them to go about settling scores. An unwise course that produced first a yellow card for Sandrine Petit, and then a straight red card one for Alicia Keyshinhas deep into stoppage time. It came late enough not to affect this game, but does mean she is suspended for a match.
A straight red card also featured in Coxy Ladies Wulpen’s trip to Tartan Tawties FC and arguably did so more decisively.
The hosts had edged ahead before the card came, a lead which went from precarious to comfortably when The Waders’ Ursula Madjarevic lost the run of herself on 35 minutes. It was the first red of Madjarevic’s career. Down to ten it was then damage limitation for Janik’s side, which they managed by holding the game at 0-1.
That defeat did not particularly alter Wulpen’s position in the Division 4h table; they are still seventh, two points from safety. However they now have one game fewer to bridge that gap. Drakaina’s return to form was timely as it kept them within striking distance of new leaders FC Nee-Nee.

Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC travelled to The Superdome to take on Supreme Ladies in a match which they probably needed to win to give themselves a realistic shot at avoiding the drop.
The Sea Spirits certainly gave it a damn good try, particularly in a first half when they created four chances. Unfortunately none of these was converted, with the game becoming turgid after the break and drifting to a nil-nil draw.
Meanwhile Witches of Chiswick were taking on leaders Borgis Ladies at Field Lane.
Having been thrashed 6-1 last time out there was some trepidation amongst Bewitched fans ahead of this one, worries which appeared to be confirmed when Borgis went ahead after only 11 minutes. The West Londoners remained on the back foot for the rest of the first-half, but got to the break without suffering further damage.
Having got through the tough patch, Wilbflibl’s side came back into the game in the second period. This culminated in an equalising goal after 75 minutes, fired home by Natalie Mercier after a corner wasn’t cleared.
That would probe the end of the scoring, which probably counts as a moral victory for Chiswick. But only a moral one, as the draw left them eight points from safety in the Division 4j table with just three left to play. Relegation seems certain. It isn’t so cut and dried for SeanoftheShed’s Kanjeng side, but their position wouldn’t exactly be called good; they have a five point gap to make up over the remaining weeks if they want to stay at this level.

Promotion was still a realistic target for LNWR Locomotive, either automatic or via the play-offs, as they travelled to a Jozzo Stars side battling against the drop.
The match open up after the break following a cagey, chance-less first half. The Steamers were creating more of the opportunities, but got hit against the run of play on 76 minutes. However Viktor Boskovic’s side are made of stern stuff these days and they responded quickly, Nazig Boudakian racing clear to equalise on 81 minutes.
That would be all the scoring, as LNWR took a valuable point. They remain fourth in the Division 5:17 table but only three points behind the leaders, and with matches coming up against the sides in second and third they are involved in the shake-up.

Solent Sirens began the day one place outside the Division 5:22 drop zone, and with the two sides directly below them facing each other Andrew7610’s charges knew they a result at third-placed Liverpool Girls.
The game would turn on two incidents in the opening five minutes of the second half. The hosts were awarded a penalty seconds after the restart but Liverpool missed. Just three minutes later the chance arrived for Solent to punish their hosts for their profligacy, a task that Elise Settman gladly accepted as she buried a 49th minute header.
The win kept the two point gap open between The Sirens, who remain fifth, and the trapdoor. It also shrunk the advantage that the side currently holding the play-off place has over Solent to just three points.

Already relegated from Division 5:29, Dublin City Womens FC took the ‘what have we got to lose?!?’ attitude into their match with clear leaders Girls Down Under.
Mortal Joe’s team kept things tight for over an hour, and did so without giving up all semblance of threat themselves. However Girls Down Under finally broke through on 74 minutes and added another on 84. Dublin were not done, however and they quickly pulled one back from the spot, Bodil Thörnberg taking the ersponsiblity.
It set up a frantic conclusion, but Dublin couldn’t quite add to their tally and had to accept another loss.

Lots on the line by contrast during Invisible Ladies trip to Girls Aloud.
The See-Throughs were only one point clear of their hosts at the start of play, with the sides occupying second and third spots in the table respectively. With the leaders also within reach both wanted the win, but the hosts more desperately and this appeared to be the difference as Pebblethefish’s side put in an atypically anaemic performance. Girls Aloud had to wait until three-quarters of the game had passed to strike as Invisible ‘keeper Nadine Hanley had a particularly good day, but she was finally beaten on 67 minutes and with that the outcome was settled.
Defeat could have been a terminal blow to The See-Throughs Division 6:40 title hopes. That it wasn’t was mostly down to a surprise defeat for previous leaders Spandex FC. Invisible Ladies still slip a place to third, but are only two points adrift of Girls Aloud. However they simply must win their next one, which is against Spandex.

Matchday 11 brought a last chance saloon for Menywod Maeshafn’s promotion hopes as they travelled to one of the sides they needed to catch, Triestina.
Maeshafn had the better of the opening half, only to be denied by referee Hans Grüber ruling out Ada Westerberg’s strike on the half-hour. The Welsh also had the better of it after the break possession and chance-wise. But not, unfortunately, goal-wise as the hosts nicked the only one of the afternoon, completely against the run of play.
That left Maeshafn third in Division 6:55 but eight points adrift of the top two with three to play. Indeed they are nearer the bottom three in terms of points, though also comfortably ahead of that. Manager IsThatcherDeadYet will have to content himself with another season at this level.

Csiki Girls faced a potential banana skin in their promotion push as they visited Sekler Femina FC.
The possibility of a nasty fall was even higher at half-time following a first half in which Csiki Girls had been the better side but one that had ended with Sekler taking the lead. Ad Hoc’s girls looked like they had levelled soon after the restart only for Maria Morientes to be denied by a whistle, and instead would have to wait until mid-way through the half for a flurry of activity to turn the game in their favour.
The burst started with Saoirse McInns firing home the equaliser on 66 minutes, continued two minutes later when club legend Ann-Sofie Carlberg did her thing from a direct free-kick and then moved on to more referee intervention as Seymour Red wiped off a Sekler equaliser.
Red would still make one more contribution to the game as he sent Csiki’s Afton Sheerin from the field with 89 on the clock, straight dismissal rather than two bookings. The resulting suspension will keep Sheerin out of the Csiki’s next match, which is a big one as it comes against their nearest challengers in the Division 6:62 table, F.C U Mobitelco. A win crowns Csiki Girls champions for all practical purposes, a draw and they will take a four point advantage into the final two weeks, but defeat and the top spot in this section would be back up for grabs.

[SouthdownRebel]

It took four minutes of the new Xpert Zone season for one of my players to get nobbled. 18 days, not exactly the best start.

A point away from home is ok, but it was against another promoted team and one who I feel are weaker than we are.

[Sits]

Oh FFS.

[spoiler]SouthdownnRebel wrote:

MLX Championship

Zalec Zmaj vs Radomiak Radom Randoms
Romsey Rovers vs Quidditch Quaffles
MTB Wolves vs Gotham City FC
Cornish Crew vs Velours Vandals Vatican
Sepsi OSK vs Pulau Pinang
Kakanui KuneKune vs United Underground
Caribbean Combo vs Silver Donkeys
Philadelphia Fury vs Potty Potters[/spoiler]

[Etienne]

I'm torn between fatalism at playing the Randoms given their all conquering (almost) season, and optimism based on there not actually being that much difference in skill bars between us, and our scraping a win past them last season. But we might need them to go down to 10 men again.

[SouthdownRebel]

Their latest result may (or may not) give cause for hope, as might their general level of playoff performance down the seasons...

[Gawpus]

Question: how rare is it to get a 16/5? Don't think I've ever had one before, but my official team's youth academy just spat one out (Midfielder, moody). 13m-odd value. Sell or keep?

[SouthdownRebel]

Oh, it's pretty rare.

If it were my official team, I'd keep and attempt to double jump him, then sell. 10 games to go, so if the average form is high you've still time to get a good DV.

However, if you're low on cash then sell now.

[SouthdownRebel]

Now, a win for Hornville! That's been a long time coming.

I've decided to take drastic action up front - try as I might I cannot get Cameron Stoneley's form up so I'm going to cash in. He double jumped last season and I don't see him gaining a skill bar at the next CR. First though I need to buy a stop-gap as I only have two strikers.

[Etienne]

Gawpus, how high is your player's form? If it's low, then you are unlikely to be able to get more than a 14-15 DV for him, and you're better to sell. If it's high (12 or above) I'd say keep him as he's as strong as all your other teenagers, so you won't lose strength by playing him and you can maximise his playing time.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Question: how rare is it to get a 16/5? Don't think I've ever had one before, but my official team's youth academy just spat one out (Midfielder, moody). 13m-odd value. Sell or keep?

Wow. Play him and sell him at 20 after 2 double and 2 single jumps and you'll make so much money.

[Sits]

I would find it hard not to try and get 17/7 or 18/8 out of him before selling, if it's early enough in your season. I got one of these when I briefly had a team in the Establishment league. Got him to 17/7 then quit the team. Last time I looked I think he was 19/10. His name was Jez something.

So as Elvis sang, Train, Train.

[Gawpus]

Ta for the advice all - given my team has a youth academy only policy, I'm going to keep him and see how well I can develop him. Form's a bit low, but what the hell.