X11 season 45 - de rigueur Mortis

[Sits]

Was that one of your men's or women's players? I seem to remember the beards were puzzlingly unisex, not to mention the race-lift given to random individuals.

I think it was a Swine.

[Antepli Ejderha]

The app was awful.

[Janik]

Official Ladies League Cupdate. Guess where I got up to before stopping the Round 2 report (it’s fairly obvious…)

Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC    0 - 2    Viking South Utsira
                N.Austrheim 33', 79'
Navisyah (missed pen) 72'


Mauchline Belles    1 - 1    Team Anacletas
McRenton 50'        A.E.T.    Seguro 72'

Mauchline win 4-1 on penalties

An all-OTF clash pitted Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC against Viking South Utsira.
The Blood Eagles were favourites to win the tie based on their higher Division status. As such they didn’t need lucky breaks. But that is exactly what Velvets Android’s side got when Nina Austrheim’s scuffed shot in the 33rd minute appeared to wrong-foot Sea Spirits goalkeeper Kacey Rust and all of her defenders, the ball trundling home in glacial fashion, i.e. both agonisingly slowly and with relentless crushing inevitability.
That mishit effort was the sole shot of a first half where neither attack got going at all. In fact it took until midway through the second period for the first bit of clean attacking plan of the match, Tove Kvalvik placing her header well. To well as she aimed for the far post… and hit it flush! Three minutes later KRK finally got their first chance of the game, and it was a big one – Justin Thyme awarded them a penalty. Catur Navisyah assumed the responsibility, and she and boss SeanoftheShed may wish she hadn’t after Navisyah missed the target.
Viking punished that profligacy heavily when Austrheim got her second of the day, this time from a much surer contact as she powered a header home. That effectively sealed VSU’s victory, with the only remaining action being an injury to Tyra Klovning that was of more relevance for upcoming matches (she will be out for 12 days) than the remainder of this one. Matches such as The Blood Eagles Round 6 clash with top flight side JAV Idols FC.

Mauchline Belles were glad to be away from league struggles when they took on Division 4 side Team Anacletas.
The Belles side looked liberated to be playing in a different competition, dominating first half possession without quite putting it away. That would have to wait until the 50th minute, when Lisa McRenton finally struck for the Ayrshire side. That goal looked like delivering the win back to Tarbolton Road until the 72nd minute when, somewhat against the run of play, Anacletas equalised.
Mauchline pushed for a winner in the remaining time, but despite having a preponderance of possession the decisive touch was never forthcoming. Indeed despite being starved of possession Anacletas had just as many openings to win it themselves. Neither team did so though, meaning it was on to a penalty shootout to decide who progressed.
The Belles went first, Roza Belova turning poacher to put her side 1-0 up. She then went back between her sticks and succeeded in putting Ana Isabel Rouxinol off enough that she missed the target. The next three penalties were all scored, Valérie Deschamps and Lilian Ask doing so for the Scots. The fourth in sequence from the miss was taken by Sandra Azambuja, and she saw her effort saved by Belova. That meant Filomena Fogueira had the first of potentially four chances for Mauchline to seal their progress. They only needed the one, Fogueira sweeping emphatically home to send her side through to the next stage.
That next stage, Round 6, is as far as The Belles have ever got in franchise history. And remember, this is a club that has previously been crowned champions of the Xpert Ladies league, albeit in a previous guise to the current OTF one. But no, Round 6 is the best previously in the Cup… and both of those two runs were overseen by current boss Jdsx. He will hope his side can go at least one better this time. If they are going to it means beating Jeonbuk Motors of Division 4b.


Round 6 draw - neutral venues

Jeonbuk Motors (4b)        vs    Mauchline Belles
Viking South Utsira        vs    JAV Idols FC (Xpert Ladies)

[Various Artist]

Matches such as The Blood Eagles Round 6 clash with top flight side JAV Idols FC

Ohh, they were a top flight side. As ever, I needed you on standby to fill me in about details like this Janik. Wish I'd noticed before the game, I'm sure I looked yet I'd convinced myself they were in Division 4. Not that I think it made any real difference to the outcome, but still. I guess I feel a little better about a hard-fought penalties defeat.

It means we've got an ex-Viking in the top flight, incidentally, as they have our youth product (albeit not one of the Four Families of Utsira) in their ranks, midfielder Astrid Marken. I mean, she only spent 4 days with us, but I think I can still bask in a tiny amount of reflected glory.

[Etienne]

Yeah, JAV Idols are a good team, despite the horrendous name.

Happy to follow up beating United Underground with a win over the Randoms who just seem cursed never to win MLX despite their dominance during the regular season. We now face the Malouins to see who will be the OTF representative in the final. Our historical record against the Malouins is poor, so hard to pick - but both sides would have preferred not to have a H7 ref when we have so many players one yellow card away from missing the final.

[Hot Orange]

OTF Season 65 Day 9 Round-Up

OTF

---

The top-of-the-table showdown between Berkshire Swine and Vita Mortis at the Stef Tolsma Arena ended all square, with Huub Scheenaard thumping in a second-half equaliser for the Swine after Ernest Crompton's similarly spectacular effort had Mortis ahead at the break. A disallowed goal denied the Swine the win they perhaps deserved and the two teams remain side-by-side at the top, the Swine just ahead on goal difference. None of the three teams below them were able to close the gap. 3rd-placed Four Candles drew somewhat fortuitously at Great Ouse Town, who are 5th, Rafael Vikander's header cancelling out Parker Windsor's effort for Ouse, while AFC Csiki Monkeys, in 4th, were thumped 3-0 at Steaua Bridge. Reagan MacKinven netted twice for Steaua and a late red card for Nimrod Revay completed a grim day for the Monkeys, who looked suspiciously underprepared for the game. Steaua climb out of the relegation zone and are replaced by Zeugmaspor, who drew 1-1 at bottom-but-improving Locomotiv Noj. Eriskay Expression complete the bottom three, remaining in 9th after a 2-0 defeat at Croesoswallt Dragons, who are 6th.

Division 1

---

It was 1st v 2nd here too, and Whoft Fluffopolis extended their lead at the top to five points after an eventful 3-2 victory at Waveney Valley Swifts. With an hour gone, the Swifts led 2-1, their opening goal dispatched by 17-year-old Eilert Vange-Petersen, but then Viggo Krommenhoek picked up a straight red and the Fluffers took advantage, Grimpen Mire sealing their win with an 88th-minute header. The Swifts have lost two in a week but remain 2nd as Dandy Town were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Kernow Kensa. The Dandies went ahead through Sakal Boman early in the second half, but Damien Balboa had Kernow level within minutes. Wednesday de la Zouch and Rejects Redux both climb to within two points of the top three following home wins. Two goals from Richard Sampson helped Wednesday to a 3-2 victory over Turd Division, who remain at the bottom, while Noel Colbourne stroked home a 90th-minute winner for the Rejects over Portsmouth FC, who slip to 7th. Hampshire Deers put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Banik Roystonov. Captain Ledley Key hit the winner in the 75th minute and then was sent off for a second yellow two minutes later. Maybe it takes him a little while to get his shirt off. Banik stay 8th.

Division 2

---

A surprise defeat for die Ambosse at home to Azure Dragons sees them removed from top spot. A header from substitute Teofilo Perales five minutes from time completed a well-deserved come-from-behind win for the Dragons, who move up to 5th. Saltney Drawers return to the summit after a 2-1 win at Wharfedale Generals, Clem Fandango pinching the points with a minute to go. The unfortunate Generals drop out of the top three and tumble all the way down to 6th, overtaken by not only the Dragons but also by Littlewoods Legends and Somers Town Sugar Imps. The Legends go 3rd with a 3-1 win at Andromache FC, Harry Koch scoring twice before the home side's Erik McGorry was sent off in the final minutes, and the Imps are 4th following their 2-0 success at Cods of War, Gino Diana the hero for them with two late strikes. Andromache and the Cods remain either side of the relegation line, still well clear of the bottom two, Wensleydale Blues and Heffron Hendecagon, who fought out a 1-1 draw at The Sheep Dip and who meet again today in their search for a first win of the season.

Division 3

---

Another major reshuffle of the top six sees Brian Munchingflapjack emerge on top after an emphatic 5-1 spanking of New Dresden. Nero Bertarelli was on target twice as the Flappers put in an excellent away performance. Erstwhile leaders Great Northern Railway are down to 4th as they were beaten 2-0 at Athletico Deva, who move into 2nd. OWC Albion are into the top three with a 2-0 home win over Indigo Plateau, both goals scored by Greg Bracey. Indigo remain without a point. Teenager Terukazu Nakazawa's equaliser gave Tree Hill High a point from their trip to Veni Vici Vigata but wasn't enough to stop them falling from 2nd to 5th, while VVV also slip a place to 6th. A late goal from Joey Hardiker gave Pinewood Passers a 2-1 victory at home to Eintracht Midwest and keeps the teams in 8th and 9th respectively.

[Hot Orange]

Yeah, JAV Idols are a good team, despite the horrendous name.

Happy to follow up beating United Underground with a win over the Randoms who just seem cursed never to win MLX despite their dominance during the regular season. We now face the Malouins to see who will be the OTF representative in the final. Our historical record against the Malouins is poor, so hard to pick - but both sides would have preferred not to have a H7 ref when we have so many players one yellow card away from missing the final.

I hadn't quite realised the extent of the Randoms' play-off jinx until I went to have a look after reading your comment on the game. It's quite a thing, isn't? They've made the play-offs every season except the one where, ahem, an administrative error meant only eight teams made it - they would have qualified in a normal campaign. So that's 32 attempts at the play-offs. They've been beaten in the semis four times and in the final another four times. They have at least won the Cup a couple of times, so it's not as if they've gone 32 seasons without winning anything of note. What must that be like?

Looking forward to the semi with ZZ. That's a good point about the ref - I see the Malouins have six on a yellow and we only have a 15-man squad at the moment. It would be pretty funny if we made it to the final and were only able to field nine players.

[Etienne]

Yeah, I'd feel worse for them if Richard wasn't hoovering up titles with his other teams, but it's an astonishing record.

[Sits]

I hadn't quite realised the extent of the Randoms' play-off jinx until I went to have a look after reading your comment on the game. It's quite a thing, isn't? They've made the play-offs every season except the one where, ahem, an administrative error meant only eight teams made it - they would have qualified in a normal campaign. So that's 32 attempts at the play-offs. They've been beaten in the semis four times and in the final another four times. They have at least won the Cup a couple of times, so it's not as if they've gone 32 seasons without winning anything of note. What must that be like?

Looking forward to the semi with ZZ. That's a good point about the ref - I see the Malouins have six on a yellow and we only have a 15-man squad at the moment. It would be pretty funny if we made it to the final and were only able to field nine players.

Kakanui KuneKune had gone 24 seasons without winning anything in MLX, but I still felt bad for beating the Randoms in the final. Rightly though in fairness, we got very lucky.

[Etienne]

It's not so much just that they had never won MLX but that they were almost always one of the top seeds as well. The contrast between their regular season and post season form is huge.

[nmrfox]

OTF Season 65 Day 9 Round-Up


Division 1

---

It was 1st v 2nd here too, and Whoft Fluffopolis extended their lead at the top to five points after an eventful 3-2 victory at Waveney Valley Swifts. With an hour gone, the Swifts led 2-1, their opening goal dispatched by 17-year-old Eilert Vange-Petersen, but then Viggo Krommenhoek picked up a straight red and the Fluffers took advantage, Grimpen Mire sealing their win with an 88th-minute header.

Bonus point for anyone who gets the classic novel reference for Whoft's match-winner without resorting to Google.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Absolutely no idea foxy.

[nmrfox]

Grimpen Mire is the name given to the hazardous bog-riddled moors surrounding the Baskerville estate in his novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. He's also a product of the Whoft Fluffopolis youth academy, who joined the squad as a free-kick specialist, diva 18/5 midfielder and is now a 22/10 and valued at 9.2m econs. In fact, all 6 of Whoft's midfielders came from the YA, so at least that's been a relatively successful enterprise, unlike some of the Framley academies who still think that a 19/4 product without any skills will just be the missing piece of the jigsaw.

[Various Artist]

Yes, I've cherished that name (among your many other cherishable player names) for a good while now Foxy! Nice to see him getting among the goals now.


As Etienne points out, Radomiak Radom Randoms manager RichardSP can console himself with much success elsewhere in the Random franchise including two-time Human League winners Just Plain Random, as well as two-time Heineken League winners Sixfields Saints (the one, um, non-Randomly named team on his roster) who have been in the Premiership there now for I think 26 or 27 straight seasons.

But yes, RRR's continuing hoodoo over the MLX Championship has reached truly epic proportions. It seems mystifyingly set in stone, no matter whether they scrape into the playoffs or romp into them as runaway top seeds like they did this time – they won our group with a 13-1-0 record, equalling the best ever in the top flight*, so are now back ahead of United Underground again in the all-time regular-season standings. Our historical (if not current) ability at UU to grind out actual silverware-winning performances in knockout competition however has proved the difference-maker there, hence our 12 leagues + cups put together, whereas RRR's inability to capitalise even once in the playoffs is just a spectacularly unfortunate collective problem. I mean, as HO's stats above indicate, for such a consistently good team (and manager) they've crashed out of the postseason bafflingly early more often than not, falling at either the first or second hurdle 24 times, let alone got near winning the thing.

[Edit: * One pleasing quirk of MLX history is that no team has ever pulled off a perfect 14-0-0 record in the upper tier, so after 33 seasons there's still at least one unique record waiting to be set.]

I'd forgotten, until HO kindly reminded me there, that the single time they didn't qualify was that one season where "administrative error" meant the playoffs featured only 8 teams. That will have been my fault, then. It was my early days in charge of MLX after getting unexpectedly parachuted into the admin role, and each of the first three times I set up a new season I made a different mistake while I tried to get to grips with all the settings. (I recall I accidentally set up a seeded Cup once, I forget the third error.) In my defence, the '16 teams in the postseason' option in particular is a tiny checkbox, and by default it's toggled off – i.e. 8 is the 'norm' – and so needs to be switched on by a more observant admin than I proved to be at that early stage.

(Though on the bright side, it means I'm inadvertently responsible for UU being the one and only team to qualify for every single playoff, via scuppering the Randoms that once...)

[Janik]

Official Xpert 11 Ladies League Matchday 9 report. Better late than never, given that Matchday 10 was a couple of hours ago!

Division 1a

FC Dench Ladies     0 - 1    Drakaina
                Nylund 92'


Division 1b

Jackie Brown        1 - 0    Mauchline Belles
Kubil 56'


Division 3e

Viking South Utsira    2 - 0    Coxy Ladies Wulpen
N.Austrheim 61'
L.Hovland 74'


Division 4k

Bombastic Girls        0 - 1    Bombay Green Rockets
                Lock 60'

Mupparna        1 - 2    Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC
Hyggen 76'            Sumurung 10'
                Borot 55'


Division 4n

Cassiopeia        1 - 0    Yttersjö Ladies
Servidei 45'


Division 5:14

Fairy Tail        2 - 1    Cinghiali
Ackesjö 17'            Chornovil 82'
Sivervall 80'


Division 5:17

LNWR Locomotive        5 - 0    Bongo Nari FC
Arredondo 15', (pen) 21', 37'
Deeney 91'


Division 5:18

Rising Stars        0 - 1    PVFC Ladies
                Madureira (O.G.) 27'
Madureira (sent off) 92'


Division 5:21

ASU Politehnica        2 - 0    Invisible Ladies
Motta 49', 73'            Prestonfield 78'
 

Division 5:26

Zeugma Dostluk Spor    2 - 0    Gloriosas da Catedral
Mansiz 25'
Latife Kurt 85'


Division 5:27

Menywod Maeshafn    0 - 2    Three Lionesses
                Carelli (pen) 47'
                Pontes 77'


Division 5:28

Dublin City Womens FC    0 - 1    FCT Queens
                Aurelio 47'


Division 5:31

Csiki Girls        2 - 0    Super Queens
Neaves 40', (pen) 57'


Division 6:39

Brasselir FF        0 - 3    Ullapool Northern Star
                Weatherhead 17'
                Mamouni 44'


Division 6:42

Hazeldean Inchmistress    3 - 0    Hom FC
Shelton 10'
Pedersen 15', 54'

Drakaina were looking to reverse their slide down the Division 1a table when they visited FC Dench Ladies.
The Dragons were without a win in the league since the opening day of the season, but Etienne’s side didn’t play like a team in that kind of form – in fact they dominated this match. And that despite losing Florica Vulturescu to an 8-day injury just past the half-hour. All that was apparently missing from the Greeks performance was the winning goal… until it finally arrived at the very last gasp, Dagny Nylund scoring from long range in second half stoppage time.
The win lifted The Dragons up to fifth in the 1a table, out of the drop zone on goal difference.

A chance for a similarly big win presented itself to Mauchline Belles when they visited Jackie Brown – an even bigger on in fact as the hosts were winless all season and had only scored one goal.
Unfortunately it would appear that The Belles took their hosts too lightly; they did have considerably more of the ball than Jackie Brown, but did very little with it, making just one chance all game. When that wasn’t converted it felt Jdsx’s team vulnerable to a gut-punch, which is exactly what the hosts delivered with just their second goal of the campaign on 56 minutes… but one that was enough to sending the Ayrshire side spiralling to a very painful defeat.
Mauchline remain in Division 1b drop zone, and are now five points adrift of fifth when they might have hoped to be as close as one point behind with better results for themselves and elsewhere.

The second OTF derby of the season in Division 3e saw leaders Viking South Utsira play host to nearest rivals Coxy Ladies Wulpen.
This was a fixture that Viking had never won, not even in friendly encounters, something that Blood Eagles boss Velvet Android was aware of whilst Waders supremo Janik definitely was not. The hosts appeared slightly discomfited by that history in a chanceless (and pretty lifeless) first half – at least that is my explanation for VSU having no shots despite holding 60% of the ball.
That changed immediately after the break, the hosts having clearly talked things through and finally come to believe they were better than their Flemish foes. Just seconds into the half Ylva Hovland headed powerfully at, and over the Wulpen net, which was followed two minutes later with a breakaway that saw Sarah Asselman whip the ball off the toes of Nina Austrheim as she tried to round the Wulpen stopper.
Austrheim wasn’t to be denied in the 61st minute though, her well placed header from a corner nestling in the back of the Coxy Ladies net. A free-kick in shooting range on 74 minutes provided a glorious chance for a second for The Blood Eagles. The sort of opening Lina Hovland doesn’t and didn’t pass up.
There was just one further chance in the game, which arrived in the 80th minute. Austrheim went for another well-placed header but got her bearings all wrong and placed it well wide of target! The remaining time drifted by without incident as Viking finally got that first ever win over The Waders.
It lifted them five points clear of their rivals at the top of 3e, and also five clear of the rest as Wulpen remain second despite the loss. The pack are nipping at Coxy Ladies heels now though – just one point back of the Flemings.

Mid-table opposition confronted promotion-chasing Bombay Green Rockets when they travelled to Bombastic Girls.
The hosts shaded the first half as HKS3’s Rockets were looking for the spark. It came on the hour mark, Isabel “messageboard killer” Lock pumping a long-range strike home from range. That was a little more with the run of play after the break as Bombay had three shots to the hosts two, though possession did still remain significantly tipped towards Bombastic. The points were sliding off the other way though as The Green Rockets zoomed off with them all in their possession.
Bombay’s win meant Division 4k leaders Kanjeng Ratu Kidul WFC had to do likewise at Mupparna if The Sea Goddesses were going to keep their noses ahead.
10 minutes into the game and SeanoftheShed’s side were on course for that after Indi Sumurung had headed her first senior goal. A second for KRK came the same time into the second half, this time through a player with a fair few previous strikes, Tyan Borot.
Those goals appeared to inspire a bit of complacency in the Sea Spirits as they allowed Mupparna, who had already been having a greater than half share of the ball, to begin to fashion chances regularly. Kacey Rust was in good form, seeing most of these off. But not all as the hosts pulled one back on 76 minutes.
That made for a nervous conclusion, but Kanjeng held out to preserve their leadership of the 4k standings, with The Ascenders still two points adrift in second. The gap between The Green Rockets and third spot stood at five points.

Cassiopeia were expected to win when relegation-haunted Yttersjö Ladies visited Agora Aethiopia.
But it isn’t always as straightforward as that, as The Vainglories found. In fact Stormstopper’s side didn’t put a single shot in at Yttersjö’s net until the last minute of the opening half. Fortunately it was worth the wait as Patrizia Servidei’s strike fair fizzed into the top corner.
Yttersjö had actually had much more of the play before the break. The possessional stats became rather more even after it, but the key equality as far as the hosts were concerned was neither team had another chance in the game.
The victory kept Cassiopeia second in the Division 4n standings, a point behind leaders and two ahead of third.

Matchday 9 presented Cinghiali with a tough one as they headed to the Guild House Stadium to take on Division 5:14 leaders Fairy Tail.
The Boars hopes of getting anything from their trip took a couple of first half blows as first Fairy Tail took the lead, and then Annelie Borgvardt picked up a nasty 18-day injury. SitsWithRemote’s side were still in it after that though – more than that in fact given they had had the majority of possession. Their chances finally appeared killed off when Fairly Tail netted a second 10 minutes from time… only for Aleksandra Chornovil to scored from range two minutes later to revive the visitors hopes.
These were ultimately dashed though, in what was a good performance and a moral victory against a side on course for the 5:14 title. But it was still a defeat, one that dropped Cinghiali to fifth, two points ahead of trouble and six off second.

LNWR Locomotive began a run of three straight wins by winning at zombies Bongo Nari FC. Repeating that trick at Mollington Street on Matchday 9 and Locomotive would really be rolling.
The gradually built steam up across the first half, making just three chances in the period. But also scoring all of them, Constanza Arredondo netting a hattrick by the 37th minute that included one penalty. Arredondo also got Viktor Boskovic’s side’s fourth on 50 minutes before handing over to someone else, Callie Deeney scoring a direct free-kick in stoppage time. Oddly, The Steamers had considerable more chances in the second half when they scored only two (7 sights) compared to the perfection of the first 45 minutes.
Despite the ease of it this was still a key win for LNWR as it put three points between themselves in fifth place and sixth. Locomotive are also only five points behind second in Division 5:17. They couldn’t, could they?

[Janik]

Division 5:18’s top two clashed when Rising Stars hosted PVFC Ladies.
However, despite the sides occupying the top two spots in the table there was a considerable distance between them, with the second-placed Stars seven points behind their unbeaten visitors at kick off. As such this looked a tough match for Blamb’s side, particularly seeing as they were apparently playing with a fifth column in their ranks. That was Penélope Madureira, who managed to both score the games only goal, but do so for PVFC when she put through her own net on 27 minutes, and also stymie any chance of a Rising comeback by getting sent off, though this was right at the death. A bad day at the office all round for her.
So a narrow and creditable defeat to runaway leaders, but a defeat nonetheless. However The Stars stayed second in 5:18 on goal difference after morning’s third-placed team (Change Right) only drew their match.

The second OTF derby of the season in Division 5:21 was one with a relegation bearing as ASU Politehnica kicked off just two points ahead of the drop zone and six clear of an Invisible Ladies side that desperately needed to win this one to keep their survival hopes alive.
The signs for The See-Throughs were not promising when Politehnica’s Fernanda Motta found herself lining up a free-kick within shooting distance inside the opening minute. She put it wide, but as early signs of trouble go this was a big one for PebbletheFish’s side.
Scholars defender Tania Jitaru had the next chance in the 36th minute, but her attempt to slip the ball to the left of Invisible ‘keeper Nkelani Zaidi was too close to the See-Throughs stopper. Zaida also did well to keep out Elena Săvescu’s well-placed shot in the 43rd minute.
The second half started like the first, with a free-kick for Politehnica in a dangerous position. Where the 49th minute differed from the first was this time nothing was stopping Motta’s free-kick strike. Săvescu sent a volley just wide in the 59th minute as Granthamian’s side continued to press, Motta having another free-kick in range on 71 minutes, but putting this one off target, but made up for that two minutes later by sliding home on a breakaway.
A rare See-Throughs foray up field on 78 minutes earned them a free-kick in a spot that had their specialist Jacqueline Prestonfield licking her lips. And also floating the ball sweetly home. That was very against the run of play, but it could have induced panic in the student ranks. Not a bit of it. In fact it was they who came closest to adding to the score from another free-kick, this one lifted up for Marina Bragadiru to half-volley, unluckily seeing her effort ping off the post.
A minor injury to Melania Badoi, which came having used all their subs already, was the only scare in the remaining time for hosts ASU, who ultimately cruised to a win that kept them fifth, but increased their advantage over sixth to five points. The gap to The See-Throughs in seventh increased to a yawning nine points.

Promotion-chasing Zeugma Dostluk Spor welcomed relegation battlers Gloriosas da Catedral to the Insan Haklari Stadyumu looking for a win to keep themselves alongside Division 5:26 leaders Cebollitas… or even back above their rivals, who had taken over top spot by winning the head-to-head clash in the previous week and that only be a narrow goal difference margin.
Racking up the goals on Catedral never looked that likely – though the visitors were near the bottom of the table they have been competitive in all their games. So the win was the sole aim for Antepli Ejderha’s charges, who took a big step towards it when Makbule Mansiz gave them the lead on 25 minutes.
Gloriosas offered little sign they were going to level things up, though ZDS were not creating that many chances for a second either. However they were making some, and when Latife Kurt took advantage of one of the handful on 85 minutes the points were safe.
Despite ‘only’ winning 2-0 the Anatolians did indeed return to the 5:26 summit after Cebollitas were held to unexpected draw. That meant there were now two points between the top two, with third another two further back.

There was a top-of-the-table clash in Division 5:27 when Menywod Maeshafn hosted Three Lionesses.
The Welsh outfit had been the early leaders of this section, but poor results in the last few weeks had seen them displaced from top spot by their visitors for this one. A win would have reversed that… but this game went entirely to recent form. Three Lionesses dominated from start to finish, IsThatcherDeadYet’s charges struggling to get a kick. The hosts were grateful for strong performances from Player-of-the-Match Ghita Gulbranson and ‘keeper Sónia Víbora for limiting the damage to just 2-0 – it could have been rather more than that!
Maeshafn had been second on goal difference to Three Lionesses at kick-off, so slipped three points adrift after the game. They were just two points clear of third after this result, as well.

Dublin City Womens FC took the field more in hope than expectation when they welcomed promotion chasers FCT Queens to the Phoenix Park Arena.
The Molly Malones started on top, but suffered a major blow on 25 minutes when they lost star striker Maria Lyktberg to a horrid 26-day injury. To show how key Lyktberg was and is to the Dublin attack, in her absence their strongest forward is a 21/8 player, and her direct replacement for this game was a 17/4 kid (Ailís Joyce), who was making her senior debut!
As such maybe it’s no surprise that Dublin didn’t score off any of their three sights of goal of the game. Which is sad because those out-shot the Queens 3-1… but the visitors scored from their sole chance to claim an ill-deserved win.
The frustrating loss saw Mortal Joe’s side drop from fifth to sixth, two points behind the spot they were chasing. Meanwhile the Queens fluked their way to the top of the table!

Matchday 9 handed Csiki Girls a crucial game against fellow Division 5:31 strugglers Super Queens.
Just one point separated the teams, who were both in the relegation zone, at kick-off. This was in favour of Ad hoc’s charges, who set about quadrupling that gap in determined fashion. Csiki Girls were the side making the chances in the first half, the few of them that they were at least. And they were also the side in front at the break following Robin Neaves’ long range shot on 40 minutes.
Neaves added a second from the spot on 57 minutes, which made the game safe despite the Transylvanian side suffering an injury to Ginger Crampsey soon after that will keep her out for 14 days.
The vital win against fellow strugglers kept Csiki Girl’s in the safety hunt. Frustratingly fifth placed in the Division also won, so it wasn’t enough to climb up from sixth, but the gap between the two stayed at just a point.

Eight wins out of eight for Ullapool Northern Star prior to their trip to Brasselir FF.
The mid-table hosts were not a likely candiadate to stop Polaris making it nine out of nine, particularly after headers from Avril Weatherhead (17 minutes) and Inčs Mamouni (44) had Delicatemoth’s side two clear by the interval. The Highlanders added another after the break, Mamouni scoring with her feet this time in the 77th minute. The day did have a late blemish for Ullapool though when Renate Klovning picked up a 13 day knock inside the last 10 minutes. When the game was already well won. D’Oh!
Polaris still being at 100% (nine out of nine) had them nine points clear of Division 6:39’s chasing pack.

Hazeldean Inchmistress were expecting a win and hoping for some good goal difference to bolster their leadership of Division 6:42 when Hom FC drove past the “Welcome to Framleyshire” sings on their way to Ken Higgs Avenue.
The managerless visitors hadn’t beaten any of the leading sides this season, and 15 minutes in that was already highly unlikely to change given that Josephine Shelton and Line Pedersen had already scored for Foxy265’s side by then. The Imperials actually eased back a little (maybe their attention was on events elsewhere, more on which soon) after those early strikes, but still raised themselves enough for Pedersen to get her second of the day and her sides third on 54 minutes.
Events elsewhere, then? Well title rivals Team Rafael Women were really struggling at one of the Division’s other human-managed sides, CF Fuego Eagles. 2-0 down at the break, this one finished 3-0 to Fuego, which was just the break Hazeldean needed as it left them three points of Team Rafael, but also with a substantially better (like +~20) goal difference, which makes the three point lead against a side that has won all but one match this season a chasm.

[Etienne]

I'd forgotten, until HO kindly reminded me there, that the single time they didn't qualify was that one season where "administrative error" meant the playoffs featured only 8 teams. That will have been my fault, then. It was my early days in charge of MLX after getting unexpectedly parachuted into the admin role, and each of the first three times I set up a new season I made a different mistake while I tried to get to grips with all the settings. (I recall I accidentally set up a seeded Cup once, I forget the third error.) In my defence, the '16 teams in the postseason' option in particular is a tiny checkbox, and by default it's toggled off ; i.e. 8 is the 'norm' ; and so needs to be switched on by a more observant admin than I proved to be at that early stage.

(Though on the bright side, it means I'm inadvertently responsible for UU being the one and only team to qualify for every single playoff, via scuppering the Randoms that once...)

Thinking about it, I reckon that having only the top 2 teams qualify for the playoffs would make the league more interesting, as the competition for those places would be much more intense. Obviously we shouldn't change the MLX structure now, but if I was starting an MLX type league from scratch, I think that is what I would do.

[ad hoc]

Thinking about it, I reckon that having only the top 2 teams qualify for the playoffs would make the league more interesting, as the competition for those places would be much more intense. Obviously we shouldn't change the MLX structure now, but if I was starting an MLX type league from scratch, I think that is what I would do.

Plus it would make that dead period after the end of the regular season shorter

[Etienne]

Yes, albeit only by 1 fixture.

[Sean of the Shed]

The sponsors and TV companies would never go for it.

[Various Artist]

People would complain either way, I'm quite certain!

[Sits]

I’m surprised that the X11 platform doesn’t automatically run a GLX finals series too. Wouldn’t tax the game engine would it?

[Various Artist]

This is the same game engine, bear in mind, that can't run promotion playoffs in private leagues at all. And hence where there's an odd number of relegation places, it instead arbitrarily promotes the half of the 3rd-placed (or whatever) finishers from the tier below that happened to end up with the higher points tallies in their respective groups, which of course is quite likely to be simply because they lucked into an easier group that season and hence makes no footballing sense. That game engine...?

[Sits]

A sound point, well made.

[Antepli Ejderha]

If the MLX finals were also played on Fridays, so 3 games a week, it would speed up the game and really make it more challenging. Teams like mine that only run threadbare squads would struggle.