X11 season 45 - de rigueur Mortis

[Wouter D]

Even though I quite enjoyed the month-long visit to the mountaintop, it is good to know that some things never change in X11. The ghost of Derick Durkan still haunts Parkhout.

[Sean of the Shed]

To be fair his presence is still felt at the Stade Andy Liver, there hasn't been a player even come close to the level he reached.
As for this season I only wish we started out at the same form levels as we reached against the Kneebiters.

[Janik]

X11 Ladies Season 54 Matchday 12 report.

Division 2b

Ipswich Ladies          0 - 1   Viking South Utsira
                                N.Austrheim 91'


Division 3d

Rum Old Girls           2 - 2   Drakaina
Valderrama 54'                  Vulturescu 60'
Félix 77'                       Källgren 83'


Division 4k

Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC  1 - 1   Bolton Ladies College
Rahayuan 51'                    Matrix 23'

The Black Widows        1 - 3   Sockford Emollient
Crossley 9'                     Ericson 7', 83'
                                Antonellini 57'


Division 5:17

Erbil                   1 - 1   SLB Femenino
Hinton 78'                      Neve 84'


Division 5:18

Los Angeles Sol         3 - 2   LNWR Locomotive
Lynch 27'                       Teigland 59'
Gibbens 64'                     Reisinho 77'
Baptiste 81'


Division 5:19

Coxy Ladies Wulpen      2 - 0   The Effing Blinders
van Sttenberghe 55'
Wostijn 66'


Division 5:27

Paradise Café           3 - 0   Zeugma Dostluk Spor
Liane 24'
Viçoso 77'
Roxo 83'


Division 5:29

Moe Szyslak Experience  3 - 0   Menywod Maeshafn
Negri 3'
Armindo 25'
Sepctor 86'


Division 5:32

Csiki Girls             2 - 0   [censored]
McInns 59', 70'


Division 6:39

Arsenal LFC             3 - 3   Ullapool Northern Star
Amor (pen) 8'                   Menashi 33'
Levine 61'                      Mair 59'
Ollikainen 74'                  Wendel 66'


Division 6:42

Trance Girls            0 - 5   Solent Sirens
                                Hyeong 6'
                                de Beauvoir 29'
                                Agra 76'
                                Stieglecker 79', 88'


Division 6:56

Real Persian CF         2 - 0   Dublin City WFC
Abadani (pen) 29'
Clay 46'
Aminehzadeh (sent off) 36'

Viking South Utsira were at Glorioso to take on a Ipswich Ladies that has had a recent change in management which will presumably mean abandoning Suffolk for Portugal.
The Blood Eagles came into the game two points and one place ahead of their hosts in mid-table of Division 2b. However that zone is particularly congested, and both teams would have known that a win could catapult them into play-off contention but a defeat potentially meant being sucked into the relegation battle.
From the outset it was Utsira who appeared the most seized of the prospect. Velvet Android’s charges dominated 90% of the pitch, holding the vast majority of possession and creating a string of chances. However, the 10% that wasn’t going their way was the Ipswich goalmouth as the superb home ‘keeper Aisha Titi Buengo (29/17) put on a career best grade 22 display. Her efforts meant Viking were still all-square as the match entered stoppage time but in the first minute of that the breakthrough finally arrived, Nina Austrheim heading in Emilie Klovning’s corner.
With effectively no time remaining that was always going to be the winner. It was a victory that didn’t lift Utsira any places up the standings (they remain fourth) but did make the points situation healthy. The gap to the bottom three, the third of whom is now Ipswich is five points with two games left, whilst the deficit on the play-offs is only two points and equal goal difference after the sides directly above VSU drew 1-1.

First and third in Division 3d were meeting, which meant second-placed Drakaina’s visit to Rum Old Girls was an opportunity to either close the four point gap ahead of The Dragons or extend the two point advantage over those outside the promotion places.
This would prove easier said than done for Etienne’s side, as the Old Girls put up a strong showing. The match was goalless at the interval despite the hosts 60% possession and also due to referee Justin Thyme disallowing Susanna Barry’s strike just after the half-hour.
The deadlock was broken soon after the break as the hosts went ahead. However, Drakaina came back quickly to level, and did so in unusual fashion as Anastasia Shkolnikova teed up a free-kick and put it on a plate for Florica Vulturescu to find the target.
The match continued in much the same manner thereafter, with another quick exchange of goals around the 80 minute mark, Rum Old Girls once again edging ahead only for new signing Matilda Källgren to mark her debut for the Greeks by racing clear and squaring it all up again.
Drakaina lost first choice ‘keeper Shkolnikova to a 9-day injury in stoppage time, but with only a couple of minutes to play, no subs made and a strong back-up in Aisling Boyne on the bench the point was secure. The result in the other game was a win for leaders Gretna, which moreorless ends The Dragons hopes of automatic promotion. The play-offs are in their own hands, and can be secured by beating third-placed outfit Chelsea next Tuesday.

4k is the Division of draws and two of the specialists of this met at Merapi-Kraton-South Sea when Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC took on Bolton Ladies College.
Visitors Bolton were bottom of the table despite losing less than half their games, showing they are difficult to beat particularly if they get ahead. Kanjeng needed was to score first, but they didn’t manage, Bolton netting on 23 minutes. Young forward Nurul Rahayuan levelled for The Sea Spirits soon after the break and SeanoftheShed’s side had chances following this, but like many others found the Scholars hard to break down and had to settle for a draw.
Elsewhere in this section, Sockford Emollient travelled to The Black Widows for an encounter with a major bearing on the relegation picture.
The Gatorsharks started the match in seventh, a point behind The Widows and also Bethanys Binos, who were playing one of the top two. But winning the game, which Foxy265’s charges really needed to do, wouldn’t be easy against a side with 8 draws from 11 games and just 9 goals conceded in that time. The visiting bench were therefore up as one when Lotta Ericson’s 7th minute missile arrowed into the top corner.
The lead was very short-lived, the Spiders equalising just two minutes later, but overall Sockford were the better side in the opening half and just needed to keep believing. They did precisely that, and retook the lead on 57 minutes in similar style to the opening goal, only this time it was Donya Antonellini letting fly. Facing a rare defeat the hosts pushed on, which gave The Gatorsharks the space they needed to pounce for a third time, Ericson getting her second of the game from a free-kick routine.
That was all she wrote, the win lifting the Framleyshire outfit not only two points ahead of their direct opponents but also leapfrogging the Binos (who lost) to climb to just the right side of the 4k relegation line. Kanjeng sit one place and two points further up the table, seemingly safe enough from the drop but probably too far (five points) to have a realistic hope of catching up on the play-offs.

Erbil faced off with SLB Femenino, another side with a significant number of draws to their names.
Both sides came into the game one place outside of something, the play-offs in SLB’s case and the drop zone in Erbil’s. Anything Jdsx’s side could take from the game was therefore a good return. For 75 minutes a goalless draw looked the likeliest outcome as both sides struggled to create chances. But then, on 76, SLB had the ball in the Erbil net, only to see their celebrations interrupted by Hans Grüber.
Buoyed by this let off, Erbil went straight down the other end and took the lead themselves, Caroline Hinton heading home. Three extremely valuable points were suddenly tantalisingly close, only to be snatched away again six minutes later when the visitors equalised from a free-kick. That was their only legal shot of the afternoon.
It ended all-square, which was still a good return from a tough game, even if the order of the goals had made it feel otherwise. It kept Erbil fifth and two points clear of the Division 5:17 drop zone as, helpfully, the two sides directly below them also shared the spoils.

Matchday 12 brought up something of a culture clash as LNWR Locomotive, redolent of the grime and rain of steam-age England, headed to the American west coast to take on Los Angeles Sol whose (excellent) name says it all.
The contrast produced an excellent, open game. Locomotive arguably shaded the first half on possession if not chances (which split equally) but found themselves behind as the hosts got the only goal of the period. Maja Teigland netted a deserved equaliser for Viktor Boskovic’s side on 59 minutes, only for Sol to hit straight back and restore their advantage.
The same pattern recurred either side of the 80 minute mark, Flávia Reisinho levelling again but against the run of play Sol swiftly getting their noses in front again. And that was how it stayed as LNWR fell to a rather unlucky defeat; it’s unusual to have more possession and chances in an away game and come away with nothing!
Division 5:18 has split into three distinct groupings. There is the top two, who have the promotion and play-off places sewn up, though which takes what is to be confirmed. There is also a bottom pair cut adrift and looking certain to be relegated. That leaves four teams in mid-table, who are separated by just two points. The Steamers are in this group, currently sitting fifth. Given that three go down, this is essentially a relegation battle...

[Janik]

Having gone top of Division 5:19 the previous week, Coxy Ladies Wulpen were under pressure to maintain that against handy mid-table opposition in the form of The Effing Blinders.
Both team brought tight defences to the party, but at the other end of the pitch it was The Waders who had a distinct advantage with an attack nearly four times as potent as their visitors. The pattern of play matched this, with Coxy Ladies creating chances but not converting in the first half. All it needed was a breakthrough, and this arrived for Janik’s side on 55 minutes, Eva van Sttenberghe heading home a Noémie Kerckhoeven corner.
Another Kerckhoeven cross, this one from open play, found the head of Aurelie Wostijn on 66 minutes as Wulpen doubled their advantage. That was more than enough as the Waders defence was in cruise control, not giving up a chance all match.
Chasers Immortal Angels also won, meaning Wulpen stay just a point clear with two games to play.

Zeugma Dostluk Spor fans probably didn’t expect much from an away trip to leaders Paradise Café. Nor did they get it.
Antepli Ejderha’s side put up a solid rearguard action for 75 minutes or so despite seeing little of the ball. However the one goal they shipped during this period forced them to come out in the later stages of the game and seek a leveller, and that simply gave Paradise the space to add two more strikes.
The better news of the day for the Anatolians came elsewhere as an injury-time strike cut the gap between themselves in seventh and the safety mark of fifth from what had looked like being four points back to just three. A chance remains, with the next game being do or die as it’s against the side one place above Zeugma.

Menywod Maeshafn were looking to bounce back from a poor result the previous week when they visited the Moe Szyslak Experience.
This proved to be an unpleasant afternoon for Maeshafn from the get go, as the hosts went ahead after just 3 minutes. They get going following that, doubled their lead midway through the opening half and only a referee’s whistle stopped it being three at the interval.
Maeshafn picked up somewhat after the break, and but for Dick Tator would have pulled one back through Tina Käck to set up a grandstand finish. The last few minutes summed up the day for IsThatcherDeadYet’s side as first Shelly Gibbs was forced off with a 12-day injury and then a third goal was conceded.
The loss of form for Maeshafn has come at the worst possible time. They have dropped to fifth in Division 5:29, and are now three points adrift of their adversaries in this one, who have moved up to the play-off place. Relegation can be discounted baring a very heavy defeat in the next game as the Welsh side hold a six point and 15 GD gap on sixth.

I can’t remember what I called Csiki Girls Matchday 12 opponents last time, so I’m just going with [censored] on this occasion. Suffice to say that, against intense competition, they arguably have the most offensive name in the Ladies Leagues.
The good news is the knuckledragger in charge is taking his team towards relegation, with the Csiki’s banging an extra nail in the coffin in this one. Ad Hoc’s charges were by far the better side throughout and got deserved reward when Saoirse McInns struck twice, from open play on 59 minutes and directly from a free-kick after 70.
Defeat confirmed relegation for the sexist prick in charge of the opposition, but more importantly it allowed the Csiki’s to close back in on a potential back-door promotion place as the top-of-the-table clash going on elsewhere was won by leaders Lady Chatterley F.C.. Csiki Girls, who sit third, are now within a point of second-place Universitatea Cluj and also have a better goal difference.

Key defeats against Division 6:39’s top two sides had seriously dented Ullapool Northern Star’s promotion hopes ahead of their visit to Arsenal LFC.
Despite being unlikely to go up, the two teams are still both good sides and used to winning and they combined to put on a proper show for the Emirates crowd. Arsenal struck first, going ahead after 8 minutes from the penalty spot but Ullapool levelled before the break when Sonia Menashi turned in after a corner.
Another flag kick just before the hour found its way to Mary-Leslie Mair, who put Delicatemoth’s side ahead. For 120 seconds, as Arsenal came straight back. Vanja Wendel soon restored the advantage, smashing in from range, but Arsenal levelled again on 74 minutes and that was the end of the scoring.
Elsewhere the top two were winning 6-0 and 7-0 respectively, so this was another two points lost by Ullapool. They are now six adrift of the leaders and four behind the play-off spot with two games to play, and probably whatever they do will be officially out of the reckoning after the next round of matches.

There was nothing really on the line for Solent Sirens when they made the trip to Trance Girls.
Technically Andrew7610’s side still had a mathematical chance of sneaking into the play-off place, but in reality this involved highly unlikely results that were out of The Sirens hands. There wasn’t even much joy to be hand in just focusing on the game in front of them as Trance Girls are zombies propping up the Division.
What we had instead was a chance for various Solent players to pad their personal statisitics. Jin-Ae Hyeong, Simone de Beauvoir and Brígida Agra all managed that with goals in the 6th, 29th and 76th minutes respectively. However the most successful was Marlene Stieglecker who, despite only coming on for de Beauvoir as a half-time sub, managed to strike twice on 79 and 88 minutes.
Solent stay third in Division 6:42 on goal difference. As expected the team a place above them won their match, so retaining that is the summit of possibilities for the rest of the campaign.

Dublin City WFC were also without much to play for, and were once again without manager Mortal Joe for their mid-table clash at Real Persian CF.
The hosts went ahead from the spot after 29 minutes and still held the upper hand at the interval despite going down to ten players soon after when Sahar Aminehzadeh was shown a straight red card. Persian made it two seconds after the restart, which is how the score stayed despite Dublin creating a number of chances in the remaining time.
Dublin sit sixth in the Division 6:56 standings.

[jdsx]

So I see tomorrow's J4GL cup final is between Fenerbahce S.K. and FC Young Guns.... that's quite a Fenerbahce team Sel_Ayan has managed to assemble....nearly 180 million econs worth, and he's got the most money in the bank of anyone in the top three divisions....

[Antepli Ejderha]

So I see tomorrow's J4GL cup final is between Fenerbahce S.K. and FC Young Guns.... that's quite a Fenerbahce team Sel_Ayan has managed to assemble....nearly 180 million econs worth, and he's got the most money in the bank of anyone in the top three divisions....

Hmmm. He's got an official team with a horrendously offensive name as well.

[Sits]

One of my favourite managers. Bears a striking resemblance to avare. Remember him?

[Janik]

X11 Ladies Season 54 Matchday 13 report.

Division 2b

Viking South Utsira     1 - 1   FC Sprezzatura
E.Klovning 46'                  Tufvander 48'


Division 3d

Drakaina                4 - 0   Chelsea Ladies FC
Källgren 12', 31'
Barry 34'
Vulturescu 48'


Division 4k

Bolton Ladies College   1 - 1   Sockford Emollient
Wailes 87'                      Samways 30'

Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC  0 - 0   Eva e Tampa FC


Division 5:17

Erbil                   3 - 0   San Francisco 9ers
Brundin 48'
Genghini 60'                    Arreola (sent off) 82'
Sharpe 85'


Division 5:18

Tartan Tawties FC       0 - 2   LNWR Locomotive
                                Hofvander (pen) 8'
                                Reisinho 59'


Division 5:19

Belle Ends              1 - 2   Coxy Ladies Wulpen
Laurence 74'                    Valcke 65'
                                Wostijn 93'


Division 5:27

Zeugma Dostluk Spor     1 - 2   SAMCRO
Fetele 83'                      Lomakis 48'
                                Damsted 89'


Division 5:29

Danis Ladies            0 - 3   Menywod Maeshafn
                                Westerberg (pen) 10'
Gunnarsson (sent off) 66'       Lydell 12'
                                Bellamont 61'


Division 5:32

Don Goyo                0 - 2   Csiki Girls
                                Neaves 31'
                                Smet 51'


Division 6:39

Ullapool Northern Star  2 - 1   Kirkby Rangers FC
Mouatt 23'                      Johnston 87'
Menashi 58'


Division 6:42

Solent Sirens           2 - 1   Loch Ness Lassies
Högardh 13'                     McWill 3'
de Beauvoir 50'


Division 6:56

Inter Petrila           0 - 0   Dublin City WFC

Viking South Utsira and opponents FC Sprezzatura both came into the penultimate game of the season still holding a possibility of getting into the play-offs.
To keep that alive, both really needed to win this match. That resulted in an extremely cagey affair of very few chances. There was to be a breakthrough, and it came for The Blood Eagles in the first minute of the second half, Emilie Klovning picking out the top corner from distance. The lead didn’t last long though, Velvet Android’s side being pegged back two minutes later.
That proved to be the last chance of the game, and was also the end of VSU’s competitive season as they now find themselves four points adrift of the Division 2b play-off place and six clear of the drop zone. Sprezzatura are two points better off and have an outside chance of the play-off depending on another result, but in reality the draw suited no-one.

Drakaina’s position ahead of their match with Chelsea Ladies FC was pretty decent; The Dragons held a three-point advantage over their direct foes for the play-off place, and still had a (theoretical) chance of closing a six point gap on the leaders.
Etienne’s side’s focus was obviously on their own game rather than what might be happening elsewhere, as a win would guarantee at least a play-off spot and a draw would make that almost certain. The Greeks went at their foes with gusto, taking the lead when Matilda Källgren turned home a 12th minute corner.
Drakaina were dominating the opening half, and added two more in quick succession just past the half-hour mark, Källgren getting her second of the day and third in two games since arriving at Delphi with a breakaway on 31 minutes and Susanna Barry nodding in a corner three minutes later to put The Dragons in complete control.
Florica Vulturescu extinguished any lingering and extremely vague doubts with a long-range piledriver on 48 minutes, which was the last significant action of the match. Chelsea did have a consolation strike disallowed deep into stoppage time, but their manager has clad them in a kit with a playboy bunny logo, so no sympathy at all. In fact, that just makes the entire result even better!
The win absolutely secured the Division 3d play-off spot for Drakaina. However, the slim chance of automatic promotion disappeared when leaders Gretna Girls avoided defeat (0-0 draw). Which, to be honest, was no surprise seeing as Gretna are still unbeaten in the league and have conceded just two goals all campaign.

Next we move on to the Division of draws, 4k. Sockford Emollient were away at one of the specialists, Bolton Ladies College. The Scholars propped up the table due to their inability to win, but with less than half their games defeats were still only four points worse off than The Gatorsharks, who came into the match holding the fifth-placed golden survival ticket.
Sockford had much the better of the opening half and took a deserved lead with 30 minutes on the clock when Mellisa Samways headed home. Foxy265’s charges appeared to think that was enough though as they effectively stopped playing at half-time. The second period was a case of grimly hanging on for the win as Bolton made chance after chance. The Gatorsharks nearly made it to the bank, with it in sight eventually conceded the equaliser on 87 minutes.
Elsewhere in the same section Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC were looking to close the five point lead that play-off spot holders Eva e Tampa FC held on them.
The problem for The Sea Spirits was the tight defence of their opponents. Add in the large tendency of both teams to draw their matches, and the outcome of the day, a 0-0 draw, was not a great shock. SeanoftheShed’s side didn’t even managed a shot in the match, in fact.
Where do those results leave the OTF sides in the Divisino 4k standings? Well, Kanjeng sit fourth and are sure to end mid-table as they are now five points behind the play-offs and four ahead of the drop with a game to play. Sockford still have something to play for though as they are two points worse off, i.e. just two points clear of the trapdoor. Defeat or even a draw in the final game and they could go down with the wrong result elsewhere. And that final match is the OTF derby against Kanjeng...

Erbil has a vital game against a San Francisco 9ers side that they began the day five points ahead of, with the drop line also standing between the sides.
Frisco are the sectional draw specialists, having ended all square in 8 of their previous 12 games with only 10 goals conceded in that time. But the circumstances dictated that they couldn’t simply shut up shop here, and that made them ripe for Erbil’s taking.
Jdsx’s side had the better of the opening half but without registering, the only notable incident being an 8-day injury for young defender Susan Sawyer. The breakthrough came soon after the break though, Sandra Brundin finessing home a direct free-kick.
Natalie Genghini doubled the advantage on the hour mark as Erbil continued to dominated, the pressure resulting in the visitors Francisca Arreola seeing a second yellow card in the 82nd minute. Erbil would only take advantage of their numerical superiority once, Rosaline Sharpe bursting clear to score three minutes later, but in reality this wasn’t needed and the win was already in the bag.
It was a victory that meant Erbil were clear of at least the bottom two in Division 5:17. Another result, Trollboll FC losing as expected to leaders Cataluna Cats, meant it was actually three sides Erbil were certain to finish above as survival was secured by a five point margin with a game to spare.

Ensuring Division 5 status was also the aim for LNWR Locomotive when they headed north to play Tartan Tawties FC.
The sides came into the game fifth and sixth in the table respectively, with The Steamers the higher placed by a two point margin. A victory for Viktor Boskovic’s side would therefore put them into safe territory and the Locomotive players appeared determined to make that the case as they took the game straight to their hosts.
Reward for the strong start was not long in coming, referee Luke Bribe awarding an 8th minute penalty that Ragna Hofvander confidently despatched. Near constant pressure from The Steamers followed and with it a steady stream of chances, but it wasn’t until the 59th minute that a comfortable gap was opened up by Flávia Reisinho doubling the advantage.
That sealed the result, one that moved LNWR two places up the Division 5:18 table to third. The play-offs are a long way out of reach, and now the drop zone is also far below and the season is over baring a dead rubber.

Coxy Ladies Wulpen’s trip to Belle Ends was very much a live affair as The Waders looked to maintain a single point lead at the top of the table whilst the hosts were after points to edged them further away from the relegation spots.
Belle Ends were in possession of a rather extraordinary record where they had only conceded six goals all season but somehow lost four games off the back of it. And not because they weren’t registering at the other end, their goals for was healthy and not unlike a play-off side. That meant it was imperative for Coxy Ladies to score first.
Doing so took a long while, but it eventually happened for The Waders in the 65th and from a pretty unlikely source, skipper Lien Valcke getting up from the back to net just the third goal of her 100+ game career. That felt like it should have been enough for Janik’s side only for the hosts to grab an unexpected equaliser nine minutes later with their only shot of the match.
Wulpen continued to pass, play, press and created chances, but all the while time was running out. We were down to the last few grains of the match when Zara Carey whipped the ball across and Aurelie Wostijn rise to head home the winner with pretty well the final touch of the match.
That last-gasp strike kept Wulpen top by a point. Victory next week against Angel Delights will see Coxy Ladies crowned Division 5:19 champions; anything less and they can be leapfrogged, but only by one side, i.e. the play-offs are secure as a consolation prize.

[Janik]

Three points from safety with two matches to play was the equation for Zeugma Dostluk Spor when they took on the side one place above, SAMCRO.
That made it a pretty big game in the Division 5:27 relegation picture, and it was SAMCRO who appeared the most galvanised by that as they controlled the first half. Without scoring though, which gave some hope to the Anatolians, up until the 48th minute when the visitors finally got the goal their play had merited.
That put Antepli Ejderha’s side in a very bad position given that they had scored only four goals in the league in their preceding 12 games. They pushed grimly forward though, and possibly slightly to the surprise of their fans began to create chances, to the point where Asabe Fetele’s 83rd minute equaliser was entirely logical in the run of play.
Zeugma really needed to win though, and in pushing for that in the remaining time they left gaps at the back and paid for it was SAMCRO scored a decisive second that condemned them to an immediate return to Division 6.

Recent set-backs had nearly put the kibosh on Menywod Maeshafn’s promotion chances, making it win or bust Danis Ladies.
That was also the case for the hosts, who were in the drop zone and six points from safety, a mark coincidentally represented by IsThatcherDeadYet’s side. However Danis didn’t just need to win, they had to win well as goal difference was also against them. Was that too much pressure, or were Maeshafn simply a much better side? Who knows, but either way it was 2-0 to the Welsh as early as the 12th minute after Ada Westerberg coolly rolled home a penalty and Ellinor Lydell fired in.
Maeshafn continued to dominate the game after the break, and were three to the good just after the hour mark when Justine Bellamont headed home. Danis had Disa Gunnarsson sent off (straight red) five minutes later, but at 3-0 the match was already done so the visitors chose not to press things further.
Not only did victory eliminate the last lingering threat of relegation from Division 5:29 for the Welsh outfit, it also lifted them up to third in the table and only two points adrift of the side in the play-off place, ZFK Nase Taksi, after they were beaten by the champions. The final day sees Maeshafn playing a side for whom it’s a dead rubber, whilst Nase Taksi face anything but as they take on the fourth placed team (Moe Szyslak Experience) who are level on points with Maeshafn. A late sneak in is still possible...

Automatic promotion had gone as a realistic ambition for Csiki Girls prior to their game at Don Goyo, but not a play-off spot as that remained an entirely plausible object to chase.
The Csiki’s were looking for the win, then. And they were on course to get it from the 31st minute as that was when Robin Neaves reacted quickest to the loose ball following a corner to fire ad hoc’s side ahead.
Floriane Smet doubled the gap with a long-ranger early in the second-half at which point Csiki Girls fell back on the tried-and-trusted of shutting up shop and not allowing Don Goyo anything other than a token further chance.
The win kept Csiki Girls third in Division 5:32, one point off the play-offs and with a superior goal difference. They simply need a better result than Universitatea Cluj, who have a thoroughly loseable game, to hop into the spot at the last.

Determined but slightly forlorn was the description of Ullapool Northern Star against Kirkby Rangers FC. That was because delicatemoth’s side still held the possibility of both the play-offs or automatic promotion, but getting to either relied on deeply unlikely defeats for the top two sides.
Northern Star simply had to focus on their own thing, and let events elsewhere take their course. They did exactly that, putting aside an early scare when Kirkby had a strike disallowed to move two ahead through headers from Mary-Leslie Mouatt midway through the first-half and Sonia Menashi just before the hour.
Kirkby pulled one back in the dying minutes, but it was just a consolation as the Ullapool rearguard gave up no other chances. Sadly, the win did prove futile as, despite keeping DM’s side third in the Division 6:39 table they can no longer go up as both the top two also won and are now four-plus points clear of the Scots.

Our Division 6:42 game of the week was a length of Britain encounter as Solent Sirens hosted Loch Ness Lassies.
The match was a dead rubber as far as promotion was concerned, but the visitors showed themselves to be both unconcerned by that and also not struggling with cramps in their flippers from the interminable coach journey as they started well and went ahead in the 3rd minute.
Ten minutes later Evelyn Högardh pulled The Sirens level with a breakaway goal, and Andrew7610’s charges would go ahead early it the second-half when Simone de Beauvoir fired in.
That was all the scoring, and indeed all the chances of the match as neither goalie made a save. Despite that, Solent’s Estelle Winterburn still clocked up a grade-20 showing. Solent remain third in the table, but will have to get something from their final game to ensure that is where they finish off.

Our final game of the week saw Dublin City WFC away at promotion chasing Inter Petrila.
Dublin boss MortalJoe was not available for the game, but in his absence his team turned in a solid, if rather grinding display. They only gave up one chance to their hosts, which was unconverted and also had two of their own. Neither of these were finished off either, but the story of the day was the constipated performance of Petrila who, by being held, lost the opportunity to play a winner-takes-all final day showdown with the (now) champions.
As for Dublin, they remain sixth in Division 6:56. They will finish there, or one place higher or lower depending on final day results.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Thanks Janik. I'd accepted relegation about three games ago and have been after development values ever since.

My 17/5 player only went from 8 to 9 so I'm resigned to her not getting a jump, perhaps next season she might get a double.

[Sits]

MLX regular season ends, Kakanui KuneKune preparing to regroup.
Heineken close to season's end, Gloucester Old Spots preparing to regroup.

[ad hoc]

how long after the end of the regular season do the play off games get set up? I;m off on holiday for a few days and I need to set up my tactics before then...but there is no game yet

[Wouter D]

In my memory it was just one day.

[ad hoc]

Yes i think it's usually one day later that the match gets played, but I don;t yet have an opponent - and I'm leaving here at 3.30am... Bummer, I will have to use the app, which is always a fucking disaster

[Sits]

Hope it works ad hoc.

Meanhwile a great achievement by OTFer (if no longer poster here) Velvet Android who becomes the first of our number to take the coveted Heineken League. He may not visit the board any more but he's running two X11 leagues, and many of our teams are still running round in VA Sports.

[Wouter D]

Slightly less of a disaster might be using your smartphone browser with the xpert eleven website. That's how I manage my teams when away from laptops. Granted, the website is far from ideal to use with a smartphone, but it's loads better than that tire fire of an app.

edit: this was meant as a reply to ad hoc, obviously. Calling VA's Heineken League victory a disaster would be uncalled for.

[Sits]

Quite right Wouter, I should have remembered I often end up using the X11 URL through Safari on the iPhone and it is indeed better than the app.

[Antepli Ejderha]

I'm always on Xpert Eleven on my phone with no issues, I cannot remember the last time I used my laptop.

And a hearty Guzman to VA.

[willie1foot]

Let me know if a space comes up... I'm ready to dabble again, if only to keep me away from f'ing Facebook

[Antepli Ejderha]

Excellent news WF.

Etienne, could we parachute WF in for Wiblflibl who seems to have sadly gone AWOL?

[Etienne]

Yeah, Brentford Triangle are available now Willie.

[Sits]

Great news, welcome back Willie.

[Gawpus]

Hope it works ad hoc.

Meanhwile a great achievement by OTFer (if no longer poster here) Velvet Android who becomes the first of our number to take the coveted Heineken League. He may not visit the board any more but he's running two X11 leagues, and many of our teams are still running round in VA Sports.

Congrats to VA - apologies if I missed it, but did he give a reason for not being around any more, or has he just drifted off?

[Sean of the Shed]

He told me over on X11 that both sites together were taking up a lot of his time, and outside of this thread didn't have the same level of engagement he gets from X11, so has decided to just focus on that.

[Gawpus]

Fair enough, thanks Sean.