Week 5 Results

 The 100% records are well and truly gone. Ceri stays top but the table has concertinad somewhat.

Aardvark Abacus 2 v 2 Real Muppets
Athletico Phoenix 2 v 0 The Cow-Faced Juniors
Claymore Athletic FC 4 v 1 Final Fantasy XI
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 1 v 2 The Cheese Makers
The Dead Parrots 3 v 2 Trusted By Millions
The Fabulous Artisans 2 v 0 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 5 v 2 San Dimas High School
YTFIB 0 v 1 Mega Buck Bandits

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Final Fantasy XI	5	4	0	1	12	5	7	12
2	The Cow-Faced Juniors	5	4	0	1	11	5	6	12
3	The Fabulous Artisans (PC)	5	3	2	0	8	2	6	11
4	You Know Your Boston Rock FC	5	3	1	1	18	9	9	10
5	Claymore Athletic FC (LC, FA)	5	3	1	1	12	7	5	10
6	Athletico Phoenix (CS)	5	3	0	2	13	8	5	9
7	Real Muppets	5	2	3	0	11	8	3	9
8	Aardvark Abacus	5	2	1	2	11	7	4	7
9	The Cheese Makers	5	2	1	2	10	8	2	7
10	The Dead Parrots	5	2	1	2	9	10	-1	7
11	Mega Buck Bandits	5	2	0	3	7	7	0	6
12	Trusted By Millions	5	2	0	3	7	10	-3	6
13	YTFIB	5	2	0	3	7	12	-5	6
14	San Dimas High School	5	1	0	4	8	19	-11	3
15	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	5	0	0	5	4	16	-12	0
16	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	5	0	0	5	3	18	-15	0

Last week's top two both lost but last week's top two are still this week's top two.

Final Fantasy hang on to pole position despite going down 4-1 to Claymore. Ceri's team were ahead through another classy Demba Ba finish and were looking like making it five wins out of five but then Claymore brought out the cleans through Ivanovic, Perch, Luiz and Olsson. Clive's rapier-like strikers are not producing at the moment so he'll be doubly pleased that his defensive broadsword is getting the job done. The CFJs' perfect start also came to a grinding halt at Athletico Phoenix. Brian is finally getting a tune out of Bobby Zamora who netted the opener and there was no surprise that Robin van Persie finished the game with a late penalty.

The Fabulous Artisans are third and piled on more woes to bottom-placed Fred. The Gardeners looked to have earned a first point but Arouna Kone opened his WSFFL account on 90 minutes and Leighton Baines (who had been subject to interest from Claymore in the week) finished the game with a clean. Boston Rock are the league's highest scorers after going 'nap' on San Dimas. Darren Bent fired Sheriff ahead from close range on 36 minutes but Rafael produced a great curling shot against his old club to level five minutes after the break. Jermain Defoe poached the Sky Heroes back in front ten minutes later but Romelu Lukaku squared the game for a second time on 71 minutes. The decisive goal came in stoppage time when Kevin Nolan hooked in and two more cleans put a slightly unfair look to the scoreline.

History lesson - over the last three seasons both Real Muppets and Aardvark Abacus have squandered title challenges by drawing to many matches. To the present, and the teams draw 2-2 to leave them 7th and 8th. Ryan's team were ahead through a thumping Joleon Lescott header before the break but an unlucky deflection of Ciaran Clark levelled the game. Ashley Cole doesn't score many goals but his dinked finish with five minutes to go put the Muppets 2-1 up. Phil Jagielka's clean meant the game finished all square. The Cheese Makers keep Nil Satis pointless after a 2-1 victory. Paul's team took the lead in this one, Victor Anichebe netting from six yards. Kevin Mirallas equalised when following up his own effort that came back off the bar and Marouane Fellaini won the game with a deflected header eight minutes from time.

A tale of two strikers in the Parrots v Trusted game. For the Parrots, Rickie Lambert has found his WSFFL feet scoring twice, including the winner from the penalty spot. For Trusted, Papiss Cisse looks a shadow of the player he was in the second half of last season and blazed a first half penalty over. Our last game of the week is a tale of one striker. Steven Fletcher bagging the only goal for Mega Bucks against YTFIB after nine minutes, not much else happened.

Week 4 Results

Ceri still in Fantasy-land.

Final Fantasy XI 2 v 0 The Dead Parrots  
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 1 v 4 You Know Your Boston Rock FC
Mega Buck Bandits 3 v 0 Athletico Phoenix
Real Muppets 1 v 1 Claymore Athletic FC
San Dimas High School 0 v 4 YTFIB
The Cheese Makers 1 v 1 The Fabulous Artisans
The Cow-Faced Juniors 2 v 1 Aardvark Abacus
Trusted By Millions 2 v 1 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Final Fantasy XI	4	4	0	0	11	1	10	12
2	The Cow-Faced Juniors	4	4	0	0	11	3	8	12
3	The Fabulous Artisans	4	2	2	0	6	2	4	8
4	Real Muppets	4	2	2	0	9	6	3	8
5	You Know Your Boston Rock FC	4	2	1	1	13	7	6	7
6	Claymore Athletic FC	4	2	1	1	8	6	2	7
7	Aardvark Abacus	4	2	0	2	9	5	4	6
8	Athletico Phoenix	4	2	0	2	11	8	3	6
9	Trusted By Millions	4	2	0	2	5	7	-2	6
10	YTFIB	4	2	0	2	7	11	-4	6
11	The Cheese Makers	4	1	1	2	8	7	1	4
12	The Dead Parrots	4	1	1	2	6	8	-2	4
13	Mega Buck Bandits	4	1	0	3	6	7	-1	3
14	San Dimas High School	4	1	0	3	6	14	-8	3
15	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	4	0	0	4	3	14	-11	0
16	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	4	0	0	4	3	16	-13	0

Final Fantasy stay top and hang on to their 100% record. Demba Ba’s had a bit of a quiet phase after an explosive start at Ceri’s team but his second-half brace was too good for the Parrots. Ba’s second goal was a very clever finish, delayed until the keeper had committed himself.  The CFJs are the other team with maximum points after beating Drove neighbours the Aardvarks 2-1 in front of 75,000. Lukas Podolski’s fine free-kick had Ady’s side ahead on the half-hour but two goals in a minute through Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez with 20 minutes leftgave Chris the win.

There's a four-point gap to the rest of the league. Ben's Artisans are third after sharing a draw with brother Matthew's Cheese Makers. Leighton Baines got the opener for Ben on 15 minutes but there was controversy late in the game when Marouane Fellaini appeared to have equalised only to have the goal chalked off by an erroneous offside decision. Sebastian Bassong's clean sheet deservedly levelled the game. The Muppets are the other team on eight points after a draw with Claymore. The evergreen Paul Scoles put Ryan ahead from close range just after the break but the Muppets were denied the win when David Luiz got a clean for The Swordsmen. (I decided to invent a nickname.)

Boston Rock were back on song this week and showed no mercy to the struggling Gardeners. Jermain Defoe bossed this one for Sheriff, scored twice and could have had a hatful. Recent signing Steve Sidwell also on target for the 'Sky Heroes'. If Fred is looking for a consolation it's in Alexander Buttner (I don't know where my umlaut key is) who scored on debut. A rare lacklustre showing from the Phoenix was pounced on by Mega Bucks. Dave's team got off the mark for this season thanks to a Steven Fletcher goal and cleans from Russell Martin and new signing Guy Demel.

Trusted are still not firing on all cylinders but edged out struggling Nil Satis 2-1. Paul will feel a little disgruntled after seeing a Victor Anichebe shot cross the line but not be given as a goal. Although Anichebe did notch two minutes from the end to equalise Chicarito’s goal Beef still had a Jussi Jaaskeleinen clean to take the points. Dimitar Berbatov made his YTFIB debut this week and the languid Bulgarian scored twice in the 4-0 victory over San Dimas. Peter Crouch’s ‘Basketball’ goal had opened the scoring on 15 minutes and Berbatov’s strikes had made it 3-0 by half-time when I was down to ten men after Peter Odemwingie's red card. I’m sure my team aren’t that bad, but that makes it my fault!

Week 3 Results

Final Fantasy go top.

Aardvark Abacus 3 v 2 Mega Buck Bandits
Athletico Phoenix 6 v 2 San Dimas High School
Claymore Athletic FC 0 v 1 The Cow-Faced Juniors
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 0 v 4 Final Fantasy XI
The Dead Parrots 3 v 3 Real Muppets
Trusted By Millions 3 v 2 The Cheese Makers
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 1 v 1 The Fabulous Artisans
YTFIB 2 v 0 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Final Fantasy XI	3	3	0	0	9	1	8	9
2	The Cow-Faced Juniors	3	3	0	0	9	2	7	9
3	The Fabulous Artisans	3	2	1	0	5	1	4	7
4	Real Muppets	3	2	1	0	8	5	3	7
5	Athletico Phoenix	3	2	0	1	11	5	6	6
6	Aardvark Abacus	3	2	0	1	8	3	5	6
7	Claymore Athletic FC	3	2	0	1	7	5	2	6
8	You Know Your Boston Rock FC	3	1	1	1	9	6	3	4
9	The Dead Parrots	3	1	1	1	6	6	0	4
10	The Cheese Makers	3	1	0	2	7	6	1	3
11	Trusted By Millions	3	1	0	2	3	6	-3	3
12	San Dimas High School	3	1	0	2	6	10	-4	3
13	YTFIB	3	1	0	2	3	11	-8	3
14	Mega Buck Bandits	3	0	0	3	3	7	-4	0
15	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	3	0	0	3	2	12	-10	0
16	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	3	0	0	3	2	12	-10	0

Final Fantasy XI will be sat proudly on top of our league table as we head into the first international beak of the season. Ceri's team now have a third of the number of points they picked up in the entire 2011/12 season. This week's win was a comprehensive dispatching of Nil Satis. Yaya Toure only needs half a yard in the box and he punished Paul's team on 16 minutes. Pool signing Matt Taylor doubled the lead before the break and then that score was doubled by Gareth McAuley with a late goal and a clean. Nil Satis had been unlucky in their first two matches - this was a poor showing though and they're still pointless. Final Fantasy took over from the CFJs but Chris' team still have a 100% record after beating Claymore. The CFJs won the game in four second-half minutes. Michu scored his fourth of the season 66 minutes, Kelvin Davis saved his second penalty of the campaign three minutes later. Jonas Olsson found a clean for Clive but the champs suffer their first setback.

A clean sheet grabbed the Fabulous Artisans a point at Boston Rock. Kevin Nolan had Sheriff's team in front in 53 seconds and they held that lead to the bitter end when Kieran Gibbs got Ben the equalising clean. The Muppets are fourth after coming from behind to grab a point at the Parrots. Dean was 2-1 up at the break, Rickie Lambert's header had been cancelled out by one from Ciaran Clark. Wayne Routledge had Dean back in front just before the break and Robert Snodgrass looked to have won it with a goal five minutes from time. It was two of Ryan's big names that saved a point, a Carlos Tevez goal and a Thomas Vermaelen clean spoiling Dean's afternoon.

The Phoenix stretched their wings this weekend and San Dimas were on the wrong end. Robin van Persie missed a penalty but still scored a hat-trick, Maloney, Zamora and a first from Cazorla way too much for San Dimas. Jonathan Walters scored against his former club and Hatem Ben Arfa ripped a goal of the season contender home but then RvP showed he'll be a force to be reckoned with again this season. Ady has two new signings to thank for his win in the first Battle of the Bevan Brothers of the season. Winston Reid and Lukas Podolski scored around the half hour to have the Anteaters in control but the recalled Steven Fletcher struck twice to have the Bandits level at the break. The decider came very late and it was Reid, with a clean, that clinched the win for Ady's team.

Trusted, last season's runners-up, are off the mark but it looked bleak for Beef. The Cheese Makers were two up through Franco Di Santo and Shane Long (Matthew will be pleased they're finding the net with a bit more regularity) but cleans from Jaaskeleinen, Tomkins and Ridgewell turned the game on its head and probably left Matthew saying 'Yarg'. YTFIB came off best in the battle of the bottom two. Fred West were severely depleted (Fred has been swinging the axe mercilessly) and Julian's team took advantage. Peter Crouch broke the deadlock on 76 minutes and Joey O'Brien finished it off with a clean.