Week 28 Results

Congratulations to Fred who has claimed his second title in three seasons with two games to spare.

Aardvark Abacus 2 v 3 Wheel Madrid
Athletico Phoenix 3 v 0 Trusted By Millions
Cheese Makers 4 v 0 Markian United
Mega Buck Bandits 1 v 2 Real Muppets
San Dimas High School 1 v 1 The Fabulous Artisans
The Cow-Faced Juniors 0 v 2 Claymore Athletic FC
The Wateringhole Society 1 v 1 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
YTFIB 2 v 2 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI


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	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	28	19	4	5	82	39	43	61
2	Aardvark Abacus	28	17	3	8	62	45	17	54
3	Athletico Phoenix	28	13	8	7	56	37	19	47
4	Real Muppets	28	14	2	12	61	50	11	44
5	The Wateringhole Society	28	13	5	10	54	51	3	44
6	The Fabulous Artisans	28	13	4	11	53	57	-4	43
7	San Dimas High School	28	11	7	10	59	47	12	40
8	Claymore Athletic FC	28	11	7	10	49	53	-4	40
9	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	28	11	5	12	59	57	2	38
10	Wheel Madrid	28	12	2	14	59	63	-4	38
11	The Cow-Faced Juniors	28	11	3	14	50	59	-9	36
12	Cheese Makers	28	10	5	13	47	54	-7	35
13	Mega Buck Bandits	28	9	6	13	48	51	-3	33
14	Trusted By Millions	28	10	3	15	54	58	-4	33
15	Markian United	28	10	2	16	46	72	-26	32
16	YTFIB	28	5	4	19	27	73	-46	19

n the end it was with a whimper rather than a bang but Fred has won his second title in three years with two games to spare.

The Gardeners were behind against YTFIB inside 15 seconds when Naby Keita broke up some over-confident defensive work but Mo Salah scored twice to put Fred’s team in front with seven minutes to go. Julian grabbed a clean through Ricardo Pereira to earn a point and feel pleased with his day’s work. The travelling Fred faithful were already celebrating as they’d heard the result from the Aardvark Abacus Aldi Arena. Ady’s team lost at home to Wheel Madrid to end their title chase. Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy have formed a great strike partnership in recent weeks and it was the Spaniard who opened the scoring on 18 minutes, smashing in a shot from a knockdown into his path. Ady levelled with 13 minutes left courtesy of Diogo Jota but as they pushed for a winner to keep their chances of the Championship alive space appeared for Vardy and he scored twice before Vincent Kompany could reply with a consolation clean.

Athletico are leading the third place race following a 3-0 win over Trusted. Second half goals from distance by James Ward-Prowse and Ryan Babel (an absolute belter) took the fame away from Beef’s side. The Muppets are up to fourth on goal difference after beating Mega Bucks 2-1. To headers from radio Mane had Ryan in control midway through the second half and though Michail Antonio’s chest down and finish reduced the deficit for Dave he couldn’t find an equaliser.

The Wateringhole are level with the Muppets and almost assured of a top half finish after Kiran’s team drew 1-1 with Nil Satis. Raul Jimenez’s header four minutes from half-time had the Society ahead but Marcos Alonso levelled almost straight away following up a keeper spill. The Artisans and San Dimas also finished 1-1. Pascal Gross nodded in to put me ahead with 15 minutes left, Lucas Digne got Ben a point with a clean.

Claymore completed their good week with a 2-0 win over their Cup Final replay victims the CFJs. Youri Tielemans and Sergio Aguero got the goals in remarkably similar circumstances to the Cup Final. Cheese Makers picked up only their third home win of the season, adding to Markian’s woes with a 4-0 win. Juan Mata got his second goal of the season and Shane Long his first inside the opening 12 minutes, then Matthew’s team could take it easy before Issa Diop and Andrew Robertson got the cleans to complete the drubbing.

2018/19 FA Cup Final Replay

Claymore Athletic FC 2
Tielemans 59
Aguero 63

v

The Cow-Faced Juniors 0

(two cancelled clean)

At Wembley, Attendance: 90,000

Teams

Claymore

Schmeichel; Evans, Bryan, Bednarek, Cathcart; Doucoure, Gudmundsson, Barkley, Tielemans; Aguero, Giroud
Subs: Dubravka; Wan-Bissaka; Snodgrass; Grant

CFJs

Kepa; Duffy, Laporte, Dann, Bennett; Willian, Camarasa, Pereyra, Özil; Sanchez, Mendez-Laing
Subs: Hennessy; Davies; Anderson; Zohore

Report

The CFJs had brought in three new signings in a bid to claim this trophy for the first time and switched to a 4-4-2 as a result. Clive kept last week’s tie-saving hero Karlan Grant on the bench and the teams played out a cagey first half of few chances.

A four minute spell in the second half settled the final. Clive was rescued in the first game by a player who may not have his contract renewed, this week a player he’ll be desperate to hang on to opened the scoring. After 59 minutes on loan midfielder Youri Tielemans timed his run into the box perfectly to coincide with a pinpoint cross and he planted his header firmly into the net to give his side the lead.

The second goal came from a more familiar source. With the CFJs still reeling it was Sergio Aguero who wriggled away from a tackle to shoot in despite the desperate efforts of a last ditch attempted clearance. The goal line decision system showed the ball was marginally over the line.

With no Miguel Almiron pulling the strings for the CFJs due to missing out with a hamstring injury the Swordsmen coasted through the last half hour to claim the trophy. The CFJs management team will be wondering how they can win this famous old cup now having been beaten in the final five times.

2018/19 FA Cup Final Result

Claymore Athletic FC 1
Grant 90+3

v

The Cow-Faced Juniors 1
Ozil 47

(one cancelled clean)

At Wembley, Attendance: 90,000

Teams

Claymore
Dubravka; Cresswell, Evans, Bednarek, Cathcart; Doucoure, Snodgrass, Barkley, Tielemans; Aguero, Giroud
Subs: Schmeichel; Stones; March; Grant

CFJs
Kepa; Janmaat; Laporte, Mustafi, Balbuena; Willian, Camarasa, Anderson, Özil, Almiron; Sanchez
Subs: Hennessy; Schindler; Pereyra; Jahanbaksh

Report

Both teams came into the final in the bottom half of the table looking for a chance to salvage something from their respective campaigns.

Sergio Aguero, scorer of five FA Cup final goals in his career, provided the early threat for Claymore but looked to find a teammate when he may have been better off heading for goal. His influence waned as the game went on however and he was hooked for Karlan Grant midway through the second half.

The CFJs haven’t had much of an attacking threat this season (Alexis Sanchez turned in another anonymous performance) so the Howells had to rely on their midfield to make chances. Miguel Almiron was lively for the CFJs until a hamstring injury curtailed his involvement just after the hour but by then his team was a goal up.

The goal came straight after half-time. Claymore hadn’t switched back on after the break and left Mesut Ozil free to roam into the box. The oft-criticised German had space and time to lift past Clive’s keeper from the corner of the six-yard box.

The Claymore equaliser came very late on and from an unlikely source. Substitute Grant did his chances of getting a new contract no harm at all when he darted across the near post and glanced a header home for his first WSFFL goal. There was no time for any more action and the teams will try again next week.

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How they got there

Semi-finals

Claymore Athletic FC 5 v 0 Markian United (after 1-1 draw)
San Dimas High School 0 v 1 The Cow-Faced Juniors (after 1-1 draw)

Quarter-finals

Claymore Athletic FC 6 v 0 Trusted By Millions
San Dimas High School 2 v 1 Athletico Phoenix
The Cow-Faced Juniors 1 v 0 Aardvark Abacus
YTFIB 0 v 2 Markian United

1st Round

Aardvark Abacus 2 v 1 Wheel Madrid
Athletico Phoenix 4 v 2 The Fabulous Artisans
Cheese Makers 1 v 3 Trusted By Millions
Markian United 3 v 1 Mega Buck Bandits
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 1 v 3 Claymore Athletic FC
Real Muppets 2 v 4 The Cow-Faced Juniors
The Wateringhole Society 2 v 3 San Dimas High School
YTFIB 3 v 1 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI

Week 27 Results

Fred can tie up the title when we come back after the Cup final.

Claymore Athletic FC 0 v 0 The Fabulous Artisans
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI 4 v 1 The Wateringhole Society
Markian United 0 v 6 Athletico Phoenix
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 2 v 2 Aardvark Abacus
Real Muppets 4 v 2 Cheese Makers
The Cow-Faced Juniors 1 v 1 YTFIB
Trusted By Millions 3 v 1 San Dimas High School
Wheel Madrid 1 v 1 Mega Buck Bandits 


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	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	27	19	3	5	80	37	43	60
2	Aardvark Abacus	27	17	3	7	60	42	18	54
3	Athletico Phoenix	27	12	8	7	53	37	16	44
4	The Wateringhole Society	27	13	4	10	53	50	3	43
5	The Fabulous Artisans	27	13	3	11	52	56	-4	42
6	Real Muppets	27	13	2	12	59	49	10	41
7	San Dimas High School	27	11	6	10	58	46	12	39
8	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	27	11	4	12	58	56	2	37
9	Claymore Athletic FC	27	10	7	10	47	53	-6	37
10	The Cow-Faced Juniors	27	11	3	13	50	57	-7	36
11	Wheel Madrid	27	11	2	14	56	61	-5	35
12	Trusted By Millions	27	10	3	14	54	55	-1	33
13	Mega Buck Bandits	27	9	6	12	47	49	-2	33
14	Cheese Makers	27	9	5	13	43	54	-11	32
15	Markian United	27	10	2	15	46	68	-22	32
16	YTFIB	27	5	3	19	25	71	-46	18

Like a Great White Shark, Fred has smelt blood in the water of the league table and gone in for the kill. His team beat the Wateringhole 4-1 and leads by six points with three games to go. Lucas Moura’s hat-trick did the damage this week, two of them coming late in the game to douse any hopes Kiran might have had of a comeback. Mo Salah wasn’t to be outdone though, he thumped in his 17th of the season from outside the box to make it 2-0. The Aardvarks kept their faint hopes of catching Fred alive with a 2-2 draw at Nil Satis. Two Paul Pogpa penalties looked to have given Paul S all the points but Ady hit back for a point thanks to cleans from Chris Mepham and Jamaal Lascelles.

Kiran’s defeat means he’s given up third place to the Phoenix. Brian’s team ran riot at ‘The Rock’ putting six past Markian. Nathan Redmond starred in the first half hour, making great runs and scoring twice, Chris Wood took over after that scoring headers two of his own. Ryan Babel dinked one in and Virgil van Dijk added a clean to keep his nose in front in the player of the season race. Markian appear to be not just on the beach but on a lilo drifting about a mile and a half offshore. The Muppets put away a determined Cheese Makers side 4-2 to go sixth. Raheem Sterling lifted over the keeper after a quarter of an hour and it was still 1-0 at the break. Sadio Mane’s unmarked header six minutes into the second half made it 2-0 but Matthew hit straight back with Ryan Fraser’s looped finish. Sterling again and Luka Milivojevic (a free-kick this week) took the game away from the Dairymen (new nickname alert - let me know if you hate it Matthew and I’ll stop using it) before Junior Stanislas finished off a late breakaway in reply.

My defeat to Trusted has probably finished my chances of finishing in the top four for the first time since 2004/5. A powerful Willy Boly header saw me a goal to the good at half-time but it all turned round in the second period. Tom Cairney’s first of the season made Beef level straight after the break, Gabriel Jesus took his time and found the bottom corner in the very las minute and Ben Mee’s clean finished the game. Wheels and Mega Bucks finished level at one apiece. P-E Aubameyang opened the scoring for Dave on 10 minutes after the Wheels keeper lashed a clearance straight into the forward closing him down. Ayoze Perez’s terrific glancing header made it one each just after the half hour.

The CFJs and Claymore both seemed to have an eye on the upcoming Cup Final. The CFJs drew 1-1 with bottom-placed YTFIB, Filipe Anderson stretching in at the far post for Chris after 49 minutes, David Brooks replying for Julian 25 minutes later. Claymore and the Artisans played out a goalless draw where nothing happened at all. Tell a lie, there were two substitutions.