X11 season 45 - de rigueur Mortis

[Sits]

Thanks Janik. Good to see Kev's old charges Great Horned Owls still going with the same name.

[Various Artist]

Yes, with Ida Klovning still running their midfield to boot. Their most senior half-dozen players or thereabouts are all Kev signings from his second spell there, too.

[Janik]

And then there were two. OTF sides in Round 6 of Season 62 of the official Ladies League Cup that is. Would either of our representatives keep on truckin’?

Drakaina                0 - 0   Jeonbuk Motors
                        A.E.T.
                                Ning Qu (sent off) 116'

Jeonbuk win 7-6 on penalties


Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC  0 - 0   Provokator FC
                        A.E.T.

Provokator win 6-5 on penalties

The draw looked like it had been kind to Drakaina as it paired The Dragons with Division 5 side Jeonbuk Motors. But could the Greeks take advantage of this fortune or would their South Korean foes upset the apple cart? [do Dragons have any use for apple carts, one wonders…]
Drakaina set about making their superior status tell, having 60% possession in the first half along with a couple of sighter shots. Etienne’s side continued to make the running after the break, and finally got the ball into the Jeonbuk net on 64 minutes. However, Dagny Nylund’s strike was disallowed.
That meant the game stayed scoreless to the end of normal time. It was also remaining that through the extra 30 minutes despite Drakaina having more and more openings. Not even Jeonbuk being reduced to 10 players in the 116th minute, Yi Ning Qu seeing her second yellow of the afternoon, allowed enough space for a Dragon to deliver the knock-out blow.
That meant it was the lottery of penalties, which is what Jeonbuk were hanging on for all along. The Koreans went first and scored, which loaded the pressure on to Madeleine Featherstone – would all those misses in normal play translate across to the shoot-out. No, not for her, nor for Florica Vulturescu, Maria Gudlandur, Sandra Byzhyti or Elena Gitsis either. However each Drakaina taker was in the same boat as the Motors also stuck away all of their opening five efforts.
So it was on to sudden death. The first pair of penalties saw Jeonbuk score, only for Anastasia Kanagounis to respond in kind. The first miss of the shoot-out was just around the corner though as the Motors seventh taker was thwarted by Anastasia Shkolnikova. That gave Ariadne Kavazis the chance to win it… but the pressure proved too much and she saw her penalty beaten away.
6-all after 7-a-piece. But then 7-6 to Jeonbuk after they converted again. That meant gamekeeper-turned-goal poacher Shkolnikova had to score to keep her side alive. But she didn’t. Drakaina were out. Sums up a frustrating season for The Dragons, really.

A different sort of challenge confronted Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC as they looked to punch up a Division against Provokator FC, whose dumb sexisms is more childish than anything else.
This one was closer in general play than the Drakaina-Jeonbuk Motors match with both sides creating chances. It was similar, though, in no-one being able to convert one of the openings. Not in normal time, not in stoppage time, nor in extra-time of stoppage time of that either.
That meant Kanjeng had also gone to penalties. The Sea Spirits won the toss to go first, boss SeanoftheShed sending Rahma Ikmal up first. She scored, as did Catur Navisyah and Tyan Borot.
But not only them as each time there was a response.
That made it 3-3 when Thao-Ap Luangpruksachat stepped up… and duly missed. Now KRK were in trouble… except this only lasted for about a minute as Intan Hadiastuti tipped away Provokator’s fourth effort. Andrin Pitoyo promptly made it 4-3, only for Provokator to level again and take the shoot-out to sudden death. Just like the other game.
Which made those watching nervous when Hadiastuti threw off her gloves and turned towards goal instead of looking out from it. The ‘keeper was more steely than the fans though and buried her effort. Unfortauntely so was the oppositions’ sixth taker… and their seventh, but sadly she was following on from Aulia Wibawa seeing The Sea Goddesses seventh kick being beaten out in unholy fashion.

To answer the opening question, no, this was the end of the line for OTF’s Cup involvement this campaign.

[nmrfox]

Celebrations ongoing in Framleyshire as 2 of the 8 teams can prefix the word 'Champions' to their team name -

Framley Obstreperous (Heineken League 11) - so, so nearly perfect - P22 W21 D1 L0 F82 A8 P64 - just mid-table Columbia Lions denying us early in the season. 5 of the top 6 pointscorers wore the fabled aubergine, cerise and primrose of Framley, with veteran Gordon Gnarl topping the pops. Gordy Bauble with 15 goals was 2 clear of his nearest rival, and Gnarl picked up his second bauble leading the assists chart. Bauble and midfielderer Innocent Recife both made the X11's on an occasion each, that table being dominated by the ever-dull Italia 90 who's aging squad finished a distant second in the table, with GAI scrambling home in third, the fifth consecutive time that the 3 teams have been promoted together. Barry Badger retires now, but the defence looks good enough to cope. The midfield causes concern as both Gnarl and Leonard St Chapel are 35 currently and Pietersen Lee 33. A double, or worse still a Whoft-like triple retirement announcement can spell curtains to our hope of a fifth consecutive title. The Change Report is eagerly anticipated/feared.

Wotten Plodney (Xpert Zone Semi-Pro Zone B) Taken over 6 seasons ago, when the previous manager was sacked from his rebuild of Sheffield FC (now there's a spooky coincidence), what was left was a team of mostly 22yo players with decent skill levels and most of the midfielders with light bulb and long-range. Kept our heads (just) in the beginner zone, but a few older players were jettisoned for new blood and we were relegated down to the Comfort Zone. Won Comfort Zone G, the now more experienced squad went through Beginner Zone D at the fist time of asking, didn't bother to take a breathe and then won Amateur Zone D, and then last night, with promotion already assured, beat leaders (and very magnanimous they were too - take note Italia Fucking 90) Escuela Bahia for a fourth consecutive title and a shot at the Pro Zone. Apart from Keegan Alexrant coming joint second in the Assists table, nothing to report there, and we didn't get a single player into the top 20 for the most valuable player.... How we'll do goodness knows, but with the oldest players in the squad all about to turn 29 and with some pretty decent DV's in place, this could be team challenging again next season. This is the one team that really excites me, just a shame that the League Admin had to revert back to CPI_46 during the campaign. We'll see how he behaves/performs before I give up on this lot.

[lambers]

Congratulations foxy.

AFC Isla Nublar have avoided promotion for the first time in their history. Finished fifth, but 12 points adrift of MortalJoe and the other promoted teams. Most concerning were the 23 days worth of injuries that our young keeper picked up (from three incidents), meaning a DV of just +3. Form was generally poor across the squad despite all the training performed, so I'm not too optimistic for the change report.

[Various Artist]

That was spooky, I just made a Jurassic Park joke on the new kits thread and then turned to this one to find AFC Isla Nublar in the news...

That's one heck of a season Framley have managed, nmrfox, especially at HLC11 level – it's not like you're kicking around in the lowest levels or anything. Phenomenal. Best of luck keeping Wotton Plodney's remarkable run going too.


Royal Atlantis have survived in the Heineken Premiership at Sean's Methley Perseverance's expense, but both of us (Tiree Automatic and Traktor Volgograd) are going down from the Xpert Zone top flight – in my case thanks to the reconfigured XZ relegation zones returning to their old size of 6 teams and thus sending us down in 7th where last season we'd have survived!

I've had a funny few months with several of my established teams all struggling badly at once: it looked for a good while there that Vita Mortis might also fail to beat the drop in the OTF after they (like Atlantis and Tiree) had a dreadful early part of the season. Both Tiree and Mars Rovers were hamstrung from the word go by losing their respective pairs of senior midfielders after the previous Change Reports, and Mars were duly way out of their depth in the J4GL top tier all season and went straight back down.

On the complete flip side, Rædfearne Island in the Brythonnic Premiership seem to have quietly become one of that league's top teams without me really noticing it. We finally won our second title there last season, and this time around are on 11-3-0 after eight straight wins, yet just cannot quite catch leaders Rolling Thunder (12-1-1) who have not dropped a point in the last month either. It looks like we'll have to beat them on their own turf if we're to retain our crown. After that a couple of senior players will be heading over the hill and thus I think this is our peak for now at least.

United Underground are still 'there or thereabouts' in MLX, but more the latter than the former these days. Sandringham Park are still pootling around determinedly in midtable in the Human League top tier, but two limp defeats to kick off the new season means we're already having to battle back from a bottom-of-the-table position if that's to continue. Viking South Utsira's Xpert Ladies season is suddenly collapsing after back-to-back home losses at a crucial stage, meaning a third straight Div 3 campaign looks likely. And Viking North Utsire have been relegated back to Div 2 of the Ultimate League after a dozen campaigns in the top two tiers, and on Monday saw our good start also implode rather.

[Sits]

Foxy good work.

Gloucester Old Spots have managed to gain the most underwhelming promotion back to the top flight possible.

[Various Artist]

I don't think I can live up to the blow-by-blow excitement of Janik's fine account of the Xpert Ladies Cup penalties dramas, but here's a recap of opening day in the new OTF term!

OTF League roundup for 12th July: Season 64 round 1

Division 3

---

Fastest out of the gate are OWC Albion, for whom the eager-to-get-going Rotundio Tubesock scored twice inside the first quarter-hour at Eintracht Midwest, equally swiftly followed by Buck Aneering-Hedda’s free kick for Albion’s third. Tubesock completed his hat-trick just after the hour to send OWC top of the maiden table and last season’s wooden-spoonists Midwest straight back to the foot.
A less welcome first of the new season was the earliest crocking, though the ‘honours’ were at least shared jointly as the 22nd minute of Day 1 saw red crosses for both Ingemar Herloff of Brian Munchingflapjack and Ionut Iorgovan of Great Northern Railway. Herloff’s Flapjacks still took the lead in the second half at home to Andromache FC, but the visitors soon struck back and grabbed a late winner to get their return to the basement tier off to a good start.
There have been no more splurges at Pinewood Passers since January and February’s 23-million-econ outlay on three top-class players, and the trio have all declined in quality since, yet their typically unbalanced squad still carries a threat on the right day. Striker Jerónimo Vilas-Boas has never really lived up to his startling four-goal haul against Andromache on debut, but he grabbed two at home to Veni Vici Vigata to make it 19 in 39 appearances and rescue the Passers from behind to win 2-1.
Game of the day came at New Dresden, last term’s relegated D2 whipping boys instantly matching their tally of 1 point from the whole of that campaign after a breathless six-goal thriller against Wharfedale Generals. None of the six came in the first half, but two from the visitors’ Phil Lock in the opening minutes of the second period either side of a Martin Hausmann penalty for the hosts unlocked the floodgates. Hausmann again levelled with 20 minutes to go then got the better of the personal duel by completing his hat-trick on 79’, only for Generals’ Reine Cederblad to spoil the pattern by making it 3-3. Another exciting and even affair was at Tree Hill High, who looked to be making an ideal return to D3 when Toby Gregory scored early in each half at home to Cods of War. The obstreperous ocean-goers fought back though and Alex de Sousa’s late free kick completed the comeback for 2-2.

Division 2

---

D3 champions Nieuwegein Kneebiters lost no time in kickstarting the second leg of their re-ascent of the league, Toine Ten Damme heading them in front at Athletico Deva in the very first minute of Season 64. Remarkably, although this was their 30th total meeting the two clubs had not crossed paths since sharing the same tier way back in Season 48, with the most recent meeting being in March 2018 when the Deviants snatched a 2-1 win in the 92nd minute – meaning Ten Damme’s effort was both an instant reply (in terms of time on the pitch) yet also came after a hiatus of fully a quarter of the OTF League’s history. The two teams were two divisions apart last season, but on current form are set to be very much ships in the night as the Biters totally dominated and secured a 2-0 victory through Enzo Vermant’s second-half piledriver.
Fellow promoted side Heffron Hendecagon matched them with a 2-0 home victory over another side coming down from D1, Indigo Plateau f.k.a The Gang Play Football. The third relegated outfit FC Gloryhammer fared a lot better though, beating Wednesday de la Zouch 2-1 at home, where a late Weds comeback attempt was stymied by the dismissal of senior striker Ruben Guapo soon after he’d set up their reply. Great Northern Railway shrugged off defender Iorgovan’s aforementioned 22nd-minute injury to dominate at promoted Littlewoods Legends, but suffered a further cruel twist when just four minutes after finally taking the lead on 70’ they were pegged back by the hosts’ solitary shot of the day and had to settle for a 1-1. Wensleydale Blues and Hampshire Deers finished in 5th and 6th last season, and similar parity was the result at the Sheep Dip where neither side could hit the target.

Division 1

---

Promoted Steaua Bridge are the quickest out of the blocks here, Marciello Carelli scoring twice in the opening 19 minutes to help them to a 3-0 win at Saltney Drawers; Georghes Vãtãmanu’s 88th-min header left them out on their own at the top of the table after the first day.
Two sides down from the top flight clashed at Moje Zahrada, with Banik Roystonov hosting Kernow Kensa. The laurels went to the visitors, for whom Damien Balboa and initialmate Dean Booker scored four minutes apart either side of the half-hour mark to take all three points back to Cornwall.
Die Ambosse came the other way as D2 champions, but were rudely welcomed into the second tier by Locomotiv Noj who came and won 2-1 at Porridge Court. Zeugmaspor and promoted Turd Division shared a 1-1 draw at the Yeni Hach Kapisi, as did Whoft Fluffopolis and relegated Somers Town Sugar Imps at the Ray Illingworth.

OTF

---

Four Candles recently claimed their second league title on the bounce and third in six seasons, and emerged at the end of the first day of their latest defence right back on top of the pile – thanks to a 92nd-minute Apolo Arjona header at AFC Csiki Monkeys that secured a 2-0 win. It also tied a bow on an eventful game that saw back-to-back disallowed goals for Candles’ Matteo De Angelo and Monkeys’ Donát Csesnák half an hour in, then the champions break the deadlock with Dougie MacElfrish’s 73rd-minute penalty before the Monkeys’ indiscipline cost them again when 19-year-old defender Tege Csúsza was sent off with three minutes to go. Arjona’s clincher in the time added on left the Candles top on away results.
That narrowly trumped Great Ouse Town’s 2-0 home win over promoted Rejects Redux, where Lois Trundle’s 86th-min second for the hosts temporarily had the Fenlanders looking like they’d be sitting on the summit at the end of the first day’s action. Another promoted side, Waveney Valley Swifts, also came up short on their return to the top flight as despite having the better of play at home to Eriskay Expression they were undone by keeper Viggo Gudbjörnssson letting in both the visitors’ first half attempts, twin headers from Rowan Bywater – who was already celebrating having added a 15th bar to his skill at the age of 34. The second-half shots read 5 to 1 in the Swifts’ favour, but they could only make one from Espen Holkestad stick and thus ended the day in the relegation places.
This was due to the top tier matching all three of the other divisions, curiously, in having its five games feature exactly three wins and two draws. Here the two matches that ended honours-even had little to say about them, as four former league champions with 30 titles combined could not muster a goal between them. The one significant incident however saw Berkshire Swine’s 23-year-old goalkeeper Berend Rolloos carried off with a career-worst injury late in the first half at Croesoswallt Dragons, after a heavy challenge from Stewart Anwyl for which the Dragons defender was only booked. Emergency custodian Flip Zijlstra, a sub midfielder, filled in more than admirably for the remainder however and indeed the Swine had three of the game’s four shots after the break, though they may still feel a little better about the final scoreline reading 0-0 than the promoted Division 1 champs will. Meanwhile Vita Mortis and Dandy Town also cancelled out at the Hollows in an almost textbook definition of ‘stalemate’.

[Etienne]

So if two teams had identical points, goal difference and goals scored at the end of the season, the team with the best away record would win? Various Artist ? What if that record was identical too?

[Sits]

Various Artist excellent report. Just one bone to pick: you forgot that (according to HO IIRC) stand-in hero Flip Zijlstra’s nickname is “Flip”.

[Various Artist]

So if two teams had identical points, goal difference and goals scored at the end of the season, the team with the best away record would win? Various Artist ? What if that record was identical too?

That's a very good question. The initial sequence of tiebreakers is the normal one of most points then GD then goals scored, then most wins – though in the majority of cases where it gets this far the sides will tend to have the same WDL record too, meaning the away records next come into play. The same steps are repeated in sequence. So it firstly switches to most away points, then as far as I know continues with away GD, away goals-scored, and presumably then away wins.

If two teams are still deadlocked after an improbable eight tiebreakers I assume they either go on alphabetical order, toss a coin, chainsaw the trophy in halves, or have the chairmans arm-wrestle for it or something.

[Various Artist]

Various Artist excellent report. Just one bone to pick: you forgot that (according to HO IIRC) stand-in hero Flip Zijlstra’s nickname is “Flip”.

Dammit, and no that was my own joke too!

[Sits]

Head to head record?

[Sits]

Dammit, and no that was my own joke too!

Apologies, I think HO picked it up too, so I didn’t remember where I’d seen it first.

[Hot Orange]

Apologies, I think HO picked it up too, so I didn’t remember where I’d seen it first.

Mine was Gav "Gav" Langford (?).

[Various Artist]

Head to head record?

Another good question. Logically that probably does factor in at some point, yes, but I can't recall where. I'm pretty certain the above-mentioned sequence is prioritised, though, so perhaps it's the ninth tiebreaker?

[Various Artist]

Mine was Gav "Gav" Langford (?).

Yes, my former Royal Atlantis midfielder, and that was indeed his name – er, I mean that was indeed his correct surname, no (?) required! His 'non-nickname nickname' as bestowed by you still makes me smile to this day, and hence was indeed my inspiration for Flip "Flip" Zijlstra...

[Various Artist]

So if two teams had identical points, goal difference and goals scored at the end of the season, the team with the best away record would win? Various Artist ? What if that record was identical too?

Realised when I was writing my Viking North Utsire PR last night that right now is a great example in our Ultimate League Division 2b:

Overall:


But away records:


We actually beat The Lilywhites away earlier in the season, but it counts for nothing even when level on points, goal difference, goals scored, total wins and away points, because having played a game more on the road (and lost it) my VNU side have the worse away goal difference – hence they deposed us from top spot in the table last Monday, as seen above.

[Etienne]

So you need to contrive to lose your next game at home 2-0, while they lose 2-0 away. And then we can check what happens.

[Etienne]

Obviously that might be tricky if you are playing away or they are at home.

[Various Artist]

Hehe, indeed. In the OTF right now, though, just 2 games in is an ideal time to see the phenomenon in action:

In the top flight, Four Candles and Great Ouse Town are dead level in 1st and 2nd with 1-1-0, 3-1
Candles get the nod on away points (the fifth sequential tiebreaker) with 4 compared to Ouse's 1.

Eriskay Expression and Vita Mortis are behind that pair on GD (second tiebreaker) with 1-1-0, 2-1 each, and are also dead level away on 1-0-0, 2-1 – having each drawn 0-0 at home and won 2-1 away so far.
There's no other means of separating us bar alphabetical order (ninth tiebreaker, or possibly tenth if head-to-head follows away wins in the sequence, though that's irrelevant here).

Berkshire Swine and Croesoswallt Dragons are also(!) dead level in 5th and 6th with 0-2-0, 1-1
Here it's the Swine who get the nod with 1 away point to the Dragons' 0 (fifth tiebreaker).

The same in Division 1, Turd Division and Whoft Fluffopolis are all square in 8th and 9th with 0-1-1, 4-5
Likewise, the Turds take priority thanks to 1 away point to the Fluffers' 0 (fifth tiebreaker, again).

All those could arguably just be ranked by alphabetical order, of course. The clincher though comes in Division 2:
Wednesday de la Zouch and Heffron Hendecagon are 5th and 6th respectively, both on 1-0-1, 2-2. They also have away records of 0-0-1 – but Weds' away GD is merely -1 while Heffron's is -2.
So even though W obviously comes after H, Wednesday rank ahead of the Hendos in the table right now on that sixth tiebreaker, away goal difference.

[Various Artist]

Eriskay Expression and Vita Mortis are behind that pair on GD (second tiebreaker) with 1-1-0, 2-1 each, and are also dead level away on 1-0-0, 2-1 – having each drawn 0-0 at home and won 2-1 away so far.
There's no other means of separating us bar alphabetical order

It strikes me, I could test this theory right now by changing my team's name to, say, 'AFC Vita Mortis' this afternoon before the next fixtures are played, which ought to see us spontaneously jump ahead of Eriskay into 3rd on alphabetical order. I don't think it's worth making a mess on my Club History page just for that, though!

[Hot Orange]

OTF Season 64 Round 2 Round-Up

OTF

---

Six of the season's first ten games have ended in draws, resulting in no teams having a 100% record from their opening two matches. The only winners on Day 2 were Vita Mortis, and that only thanks to a very late - but well deserved - clincher from Willie Cougar at Rejects Redux. The 2-1 win lifts them to joint 3rd, one of four teams on four points. Absolutely equal at the top of the table are Four Candles and Great Ouse Town. They both drew 1-1 away from home, with Rauli Tuulasvaara finally equalising in stoppage time for the dominant Candles at Croesoswallt Dragons, and Ouse pinching a point at AFC Csiki Monkeys thanks to Nickie Helmsford burying their only chance of the contest. Eriskay Expression sit alongside Mortis in 3rd following a goalless draw at home to Dandy Town, a game that sorely tested the patience of the fans at The Glen, given that sod all happened. The Dandies have drawn both opening games, as have the Dragons and Berkshire Swine, whose game at home to Waveney Valley Swifts ended all square after the teams exchanged goals right at the start of the second half. The Swifts are in 8th, a goal better off than the Monkeys, while the Rejects are the only side yet to pick up a point.

Division 1

---

Continuing their fine form from the second half of last season, Locomotiv Noj sit top of D1 with two wins from two following a 4-3 thriller against Whoft Fluffopolis. Colm Dinamoe hit two first-half equalisers for the visiting Fluffers, but Noj established a two-goal advantage after the break, with Rui Anjo netting his second of the game, and held on in the closing stages. Also edging a seven-goal extravaganza were Somers Town Sugar Imps, whose 4-3 home win over Turd Division owed much to a quick dead-ball double from Bastjan Tomasi, who converted both a penalty and a free kick in the space of three minutes early in the second half. The Imps are up to 3rd, behind Zeugmaspor on goal difference. Zeugma were impressive winners at Kernow Kensa, taking full advantage of sub-less Kernow being reduced to ten men through injury inside half an hour to go on to win 4-0. A late strike from Carlo Manicone was die Ambosse's only effort of the game but was enough to give them a 1-0 win at home to Steaua Bridge, and the teams now sit next to each other in 5th and 4th. Saltney Drawers join them and Kernow on three points after Clem Fandango's spot kick defeated Banik Roystonov. Newly relegated Banik are bottom of the table without a point, behind the Turds and the Fluffers, who have one each.

Division 2

---

The only perfect record in D2 belongs to Nieuwegein Kneebiters, whose second win on their return to the third tier was a comfortable 2-0 success at home to Heffron Hendecagon, who drop back to mid-table. Hampshire Deers thrashed the Indigo Plateau teenagers 4-0 to move into 2nd, with one of their own youngsters, Hubert Babington, scoring twice before being chauffeured back to the manor. Littlewoods Legends join them on four points and climb to 3rd after recovering from going a goal down to carve out a dozen goal-scoring opportunities and beat Athletico Deva 3-2. Plateau and Deva are at the foot of the table without a point. FC Gloryhammer were the better side in their game at home to Great Northern Railway, but Dudu Asseo's free kick was their only response to Tommy McConville's penalty and they slip to 4th. GNR are 7th after drawing both openers. Wednesday de la Zouch are off the mark and up to 5th following their 1-0 win at home to Wensleydale Blues, who drop into the bottom three.

Division 3

---

Two goals in the final 20 minutes saw OWC Albion recover from 2-0 down to grab a point at home to New Dresden and keep them top of the table, with no side managing to win two out of two. Three teams share Albion's total of four points, with all of them winning on Day 2. Tree Hill High are 2nd after scoring three times in the second half to defeat Pinewood Passers. Wharfedale Generals edged past Andromache FC 2-1 to move up to 3rd, and Cods of War are 4th after they also won 2-1 at home, their two goals coming in the last ten minutes to frustrate Brian Munchingflapjack. The Flapjacks thus remain pointless but are kept off the bottom by Eintracht Midwest's whippersnappers, who went down 2-1 at home to Veni Vici Vigata. VVV join Andromache and the Passers in mid-table, above New Dresden, whose two draws see them in 8th.

[Janik]

Into the top bend with the final straight beckoning in the Xpert XI official Ladies League Season 62, matchday 10 report.

Xpert Ladies

CandyGirls                 2 - 1   Drakaina
Teves 10', 64'                     Heggarty 32'


Division 1b

Man City Ladies            0 - 5   Mauchline Belles
                                   McRenton 1', 85'
                                   Billing 18', 72'
                                   Fogueira 78'


Division 3e

Viking South Utsira        0 - 2   BV Cloppenburg
                                   Ramsbottom 54'
                                   Paranhos 63'


Division 3f

Girls Aloud                1 - 0   Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC
Maniche 39'


Division 4i

Watergate Bay Surfers      5 - 0   LNWR Locomotive
den Gert 3', 21'
Yahnian (O.G.) 8'
de Seeveryns 40'
Lecluyse 64'


Division 4j

Coxy Ladies Wulpen         1 - 0   Spacecowgirls
Kabasele 66'


Division 4p

Csiki Girls                0 - 0   Hawkspurs


Division 5:14

Cinghiali                  3 - 0   Russian Iceladies
Brugge 20'
Soviero 26'
Pailloux 78'


Division 5:19

Annie Power                1 - 1   Ullapool Northern Star
Angles (pen) 88'                   Taggart 79'

Athletic Mizil             1 - 2   Rising Stars
Leon 2'                            Massa 50'
                                   Andorinha 66'


Division 5:21

Invisible Ladies           3 - 0   The MJ Foxes
Parsons 9'
Nylén 13'
Shuttlewood 73'


Division 5:22

Twin Peaks Owls            2 - 0   Bombay Green Rockets
Burns 78'
Noel (pen) 80'


Division 5:26

Zeugma Dostluk Spor        3 - 1   Paradise Café
Manookian 4'                       Yalcin (O.G.) 50'
Yalcin 60'
Mansiz 76'


Division 5:27

Lilywhite Ladies           1 - 2   Cassiopeia
Lindeborg 79'                      Krcmarevic 12'
                                   Aritonovic 82'


Division 5:28

The Valkyries              0 - 1   Menywod Maeshafn
                                   Beck 49'


Division 6:42

Aston Villa Women FC       0 - 2   Hazeldean Inchmistress
                                   Bunton 16'
                                   Morgan 90'


Division 6:43

FC Barbarellas             0 - 4   ASU Politehnica
                                   Tilbe 1'
                                   Motta 63'
                                   Bragadiru 86'
                                   Södergren 92'


Division 6:57

Dublin City Womens FC      3 - 0   Invictus Ladies
Rusu 4'
Lyktberg 7'
Pascal 45'

It wasn’t quite must win for Drakaina when they visited a CandyGirls who were alongside The Dragons in the top flight drop zone, but it wasn’t far from it for the Greeks with points still to catch up and games fast running out.
That made going behind on 10 minutes a particularly heavy early blow. Drakaina were rocked by this, but not floor. Indeed Etienne’s charges clearly had the better of the rest of the first half, deservedly levelling when Gael Heggarty fired home in the 32nd minute.
The Dragons had the majority of the ball in the first half… and then even more of it after the break. But chances created from their surfeit dried up whilst, oddly, CandyGirls found not having possession didn’t hinder them from attacking! That inconsistency proved telling (and devastating) for The Dragons as their hosts netted the winner on 64 minutes.
However unfair defeat was doesn’t change that Drakaina are now five points from Xpert Ladies safety with just four games to play. They remain in seventh spot in the table.

Mauchline Belles were after multiple things from their trip to Atmosphere to take on Man City Ladies – ending a run of recent disappointing results, re-invigorating their promotion challenge, and also ensuring they didn’t get sucked into the relegation dogfight. Fortunately all these aims could be accomplished by the same core activity – win the game.
There are ideal starts, and there is going 1-0 up inside the first minute of play. The latter is exactly what Jdsx’s charges managed, Lisa McRenton finishing off a breakaway. The boss hadn’t even had time to settle properly in his seat!
Scoring that early brings with it a risk of the team sitting back and trying to absorb pressure for the next 89 minutes to win out 1-0, and this not working with the momentum of the game turning against them. Well, that was a scenario that The Belles completely avoided by keeping the hammer down following McRenton’s strike, creating multiple more first half opportunities from copious possession and moving two ahead when Vicki Billing finished off another breakaway on 18 minutes.
Despite being comfortable Mauchline kept the pace of play up, and were rewarded by Man City tiring in the last 20 minutes. That left space for there more goals for the Ayrshire Lassies, Billing firing in from range on 72 minutes, Filomena Fogueira scoring on the break on 78 and McRenton also getting a brace when she finished yet another clean break in the 85th minute.
A very positive performance and result, only slightly let down by The Belles discovering both of Division 1b’s top two had also picked up points, meaning the Scots remain four points adrift of second and six behind top. They will just have to beat Black Sabbath (currently second) next week, then.

Viking South Utsira had also seen their once strong league position undermined by taking just a single point from their two games that preceded BV Cloppenburg pitching up at Ragnar Rock.
Not the ideal prep for a game against direct promotion rivals, you might have thought. And you would be right. The Blood Eagles were not outplayed, in fact Velvet Android’s team arguably had the better of the general play. However the lack of confidence stemming from those two disappointing results was evident in the two final thirds as despite well over 50% possession Viking only made one chance in the match, whilst at the other end they gave up three… and allowed two of these to be scored!
2-0 was extremely harsh on VSU given the overall balance of the game, but that is what the record books say. They will also record that The Blood Eagles have now slipped down to fourth in the Division 3e table, a point behind Cloppenburg and one other, and now six adrift of leaders San Quirico.

Division 3f had split into three distinct groupings ahead of Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC’s trip to Girls Aloud. One with three teams in it, one of which was the hosts, were contesting the promotion and play-off spots. Another, also with three teams one of whom were The Sea Goddessess, were battling to avoid the last relegation place. The final cohort was two teams well adrift at the foot of the standings and basically gone.
An away match at a promotion-chasing side is not an easy one for a team involved at the opposite end of the table – if SeanoftheShed’s charges were going to get anything from the game they needed goalie Kacey Rust to play well. Which she very much did, turning in a grade 20 performance. However this didn’t prove quite sufficient to stop Girls Aloud scoring once, and further up the field The Sea Spirits didn’t put enough together to create a single chance, let alone an equalising goal.
The result meant KRK gained no ground on the teams around them, in fact losing a bit instead despite remaining fifth. They are now a point behind fourth, and only goal difference ahead of sixth. Next up is a crunch meeting with one of their direct rivals.

[Janik]

It has been a pretty disastrous season for LNWR Locomotive, who chuffed over to Watergate Bay Surfers still without a win to their name this season in the league.
The hosts had only lost once all campaign, which made The Steamers task look all the more daunting. However Watergate Bay were only mid-table having drawn too many, mostly as a result of a lightweight attack – the hosts eight previous goals scored was only two more than The Steamers had registered.
Viktor Boskovic’s charges travelled in hope, then. This lasted all of 8 minutes, during which the Surfers had scored not once, but twice. Well, I say the Surfers and both goals were indeed added to their side of the ledger, but the second was turned in by Locomotive’s Natalia Yahnian. Who was playing just her second senior game. Ouch.
The sense it was not The Steamers day was confirmed by a third for Watergate Bay on 21 minutes. Heads didn’t exactly drop amongst LNWR after this as they made chances and had a goal disallowed, but bad kept turning to worse as WBS struck twice more to make the final damage an eye-watering 5-0.
It all leaves Locomotive on the point of departure from Division 4i. Their destination, Division 5, will be certain if they don’t win their next game.

Coxy Ladies Wulpen’s season could also be over next week with the right set of results after The Waders kept their winning run in Division 4j going against struggling Spacecowgirls.
The visitors had a mirror image record to Coxy Ladies, with 1 win and 8 defeats in their previous nine games, but they belied that by making life unexpectedly tricky for the hosts. Janik’s side struggled to create chances against a well organised defence despite a surfeit of possession, managing just one effort at goal before the break.
Things improved marginally for Wulpen after the interval as chances increased in flow to a trickle. It still wasn’t a lot, and hearts were in mouths when Spacecowgirls had a chance of their own, but it proved to be just enough after Jessica Kabasele turned home a 66th minute corner.
The Waders hold a seven point advantage on second and a nine point one on third in 4j with four games to play, which could in theory mean a win next week is enough for the title. But it will probably take a bit more than that still due to whom other teams have to play.

The next stage of Csiki Girls battle to avoid the drop saw from the fifth tier them hosting Divisional leaders Hawkspurs.
This was not a match that Csiki’s boss Ad hoc would have been targeting for points, but one rather where it was hoped his side might get something. Victory seemed rather unlikely given Hawkspurs hadn’t done so all season in the league, and even scoring a goal appeared a stretch given the visitors defensive record of conceding just three times in their previous nine games.
However, if you think Csiki Girls were focus on defence and just playing for a goalless stalemate, then think again. Against all the odds, the Transylvanians were the side making most of the running in the game. They out-shot Hawkspurs 2-1 in the first half, and then upped it even more after the break to do so 3-1 in the second period. And did that without veteran defensive leader Trudy Woozley, who picked up an 11-day knock in the first minute of the second half.
Maybe if Woozley’s luck had been better she would have still been on the pitch to score a trademark free-kick and nab Csiki Girls a famous win? But she was absent, so it was five chances created and none scored for the hosts, which meant they had to settle for a 0-0. Which, remember, would have been considered a good result at kick-off even if it felt rather deflating at the final whistle.
In Division 4p table terms it was a point gained, though. Both by edging Csiki Girls one closer to fifth-placed CFF Dinamo Bucuresti, who lost their game this matchday, but also in general terms as most of the sides around the Csiki’s won’t get any points from Hawkspurs.

Cinghiali boss SitsWithRemote was presumably banking on three points when his Boars side took on Division 5:14’s bottom team, Russian Iceladies.
The Iceladies are not short of good players, but are now ageing. Their boss is also something of a flake and didn’t show up to this game, which meant no subs, which proved a serious problem to the Russians when they suffered a major injury after just 15 minutes play (a foul for which Cinghiali’s My Palmberg was booked, something she accepted with a nasty smirk on her face).
Cinghiali swiftly took advantage of their oppositions short numbers, Idde Brugge heading in on 20 minutes and Trillare Soviero scoring a breakaway on 26. Adèle Pailloux thought she had netted a third on 36 minutes, but ref Irre Levant disallowed it – Pailloux would have to wait until the 78th minute to finally get her name on the scoresheet.
That was all The Boars registered in the end as the Iceladies defence stayed resolute in spite of everything. As it was a win was enough to take advantage of the team that started the day in second place losing to the leaders, with Cinghiali jumping back to the play-off spot. They have a one point advantage on third and a two point one on fourth spot.

A win appeared to be the only acceptable outcome for Ullapool Northern Star when they visited Annie Power, who sat bottom of the Division 5:19 table with just two points to their name prior to kick-off.
The message didn’t appear to have got through to the Polaris players though as they sleepwalked through the opening 45 minutes, creating no chances and giving up three. Ullapool boss Delicatemoth was glowering from the sideline and looked ready to let rip at her team in the changing rooms, which had some effect as Northern Star increased their share of possession and even created a chance or two, albeit whilst giving up at least as many at the other end still.
Goalkeeper Kell Crawford was standing tall against the onslaught though, which meant that when Julie Taggart headed in a 79th minute corner a thoroughly undeserved victory for the Scots appeared on the cards. Ref Hugh Cango thought otherwise though, giving Annie Power a penalty on 88 minutes. That was the chance they finally needed to equalise, which was the minimum they deserved from the match.
Though they wouldn’t have known it, Ullapool’s failure to win gave Rising Stars the chance to edge further away from 5:19’s drop zone if they could overturn Athletic Mizil on their own patch.
The opening few minutes were not encouraging for Blamb and co as Mizil scored in just the second minute, and generally looked the sharper side. The hosts held more ball and made more chances prior to the interval, which they reached still one to the good, but were soon made to regret not collection a bigger advantage in their period on top as the Stars levelled on 50 minutes. That equalising goal was also a landmark one for 17 year-old midfielder Norma Massa, as it was her first in senior football. Fittingly it came in her career best performance to date, the 5-bar player turning in a grade 9 performance.
The rest of The Ascenders followed Massa’s example and also shrugged off her midfield colleague Érica Veríssimo having to depart the field with a 7-day injury soon after, building on the leveller by going ahead on 66 minutes with a goal on the break from Penélope Andorinha.
That strike secured victory for The Ascenders, which moves them up to which sees them lose a spot to drop to fifth in the 5:19 standings! Bloomin’ goal difference… However despite now being only one place above Ullapool, the Stars are also now three points ahead of Polaris.

Two matches in the lower reaches of Division 5:21 would have a significant effect on how the rest of Invisible Ladies season would like. One of these was The See-Throughs own fixture against bottom-of-the-table The MJ Foxes. The other was the concurrent clash between the teams who sat just above and below fifth-placed Invisible in the 5:21 table, Cleckheaton Athletic and Glenbogle Monarchs.
Pebblethefish and co had absolutely no control over the outcome at Glenbogle, so blanked that out and focused completely on doing their own job instead. Good move. The See-Throughs were two up inside the opening quarter-hour, Catlyn Parsons scoring a breakaway on 9 minutes and Vivianne Nylén firing in from range on 13.
The San Seethrough crowd were purring at how well their team was controlling affairs, Invisible initially sitting on the lead to the break but then ramping things up after it with increasing possession and chances until Aileen Shuttlewood blasted the finishing touch from 30 yards on 73 minutes.
As for the Monarchs-Athletic game, that hadn’t looked promising when Glenbogle, who sat sixth in the 5:21 standings, went 2-0 up on 23 minutes. But Cleckheaton fought back… and then some, going on to win 4-2. That was really the ideal result for The See-Throughs as whilst it meant they didn’t gain a place, remaining fifth in the table, they are now four points clear of Glenbogle and danger.