Week Ten Results - No change of leader!

Aardvark Abacus 1 v 3 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

Cheese Makers 1 v 1 Real Muppets 

Claymore Athletic FC 3 v 1 San Dimas High School 

Markian United 4 v 1 Stanley and Gracie United

Mega Buck Bandits 1 v 3 The Cow-Faced Juniors 

The Fabulous Artisans 2 v 1 Trusted By Millions 

Wheel Madrid 2 v 3 Garth Crooks' Team of the Week 

YTFIB 1 v 3 The Wateringhole Society 

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Garth Crooks' Team of the Week	10	6	4	0	25	13	12	22
2	The Fabulous Artisans	10	6	2	2	25	12	13	20
3	Markian United	10	6	2	2	21	16	5	20
4	Real Muppets	10	5	4	1	23	13	10	19
5	The Cow-Faced Juniors	10	5	3	2	33	20	13	18
6	Cheese Makers	10	5	2	3	25	17	8	17
7	The Wateringhole Society	10	4	4	2	16	14	2	16
8	Claymore Athletic FC	10	5	0	5	19	23	-4	15
9	Stanley and Gracie United	10	4	2	4	16	16	0	14
10	YTFIB	10	4	1	5	13	18	-5	13
11	Aardvark Abacus	10	3	3	4	21	22	-1	12
12	Trusted By Millions	10	3	2	5	27	26	1	11
13	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	10	3	0	7	8	22	-14	9
14	Mega Buck Bandits	10	2	2	6	7	23	-16	8
15	San Dimas High School	10	1	3	6	14	23	-9	6
16	Wheel Madrid	10	0	2	8	8	23	-15	2

A third of the way through the season and Ollie remains unbeaten and top of the table. The Garths turned round a two goal deficit against Wheel Madrid this week. It was a rare Aaron Wan-Bissaka goal that cut the Wheels advantage, a less rare Mo Salah brace that won it for him. The Artisans are second after beating Trusted 2-1. Ben’s winner was a fierce near post strike from youngster Ethan Nwaneri.

Markian are third, also two points behind, after a 4-1 win over SGU. Ismaila Sarr and Pedro Porro got Ian’s goals, Porro and Oleksandr Zinchenko got cleans after Thomas Partey pulled one back for Aaron. The Muppets and Cheese Makers played out a 1-1 draw. Joao Pedro struck after four minutes to give Matthew the lead, Adam Armstrong followed up his saved penalty for Ryan’s equaliser three minutes before the break.

An early supercomputer run likes the look of the CFJs! The Cows won 3-1 at Mega Bucks, Tomas Soucek heading them in front on 10 minutes, Brennan Johnson stretched to score the second in injury time. Jordan Ayew added his customary injury time goal to pull one back for Dave but Gabriel’s clean made it 3-1 for the CFJs. The Wateringhole are seventh, five points off the top, after a 3-1 win over YTFIB. Marcus Rashford got Kiran off to a flying start and Bukayo Saka added a second on 15 minutes. Julian was back in it five minutes later when Alex Iwobi curled in from 25 yards but the Society restored the advantage through Kaoru Mitoma four minutes after the break.

Claymore are on the up, largely driven by the excellent Matheus Cunha. He got two this week in a 3-1 win over struggling San Dimas, the second a stunning first time hit into the top corner. Joao Gomes got Clive’s other goal. Reigning champs the Aardvarks are in 11th after going down 3-1 to Nil Satis. Ady led nine minutes before half time when Ollie Watkins rounded the keeper to score but Paul S had cleans from Mark Flekken, Vitaliy Mykolenko and Jarrad Branthwaite for the win to haul his team up to 13th.

Week Nine Results - Lead changes again

Garth Crooks' Team of the Week 4 v 1 The Fabulous Artisans 

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 1 v 0 Wheel Madrid 

Real Muppets 3 v 0 San Dimas High School 

Stanley and Gracie United 2 v 1 Cheese Makers 

The Cow-Faced Juniors 6 v 2 Markian United

The Wateringhole Society 1 v 1 Aardvark Abacus 

Trusted By Millions 5 v 1 Mega Buck Bandits 

YTFIB 0 v 4 Claymore Athletic FC

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Garth Crooks' Team of the Week	9	5	4	0	22	11	11	19
2	Real Muppets	9	5	3	1	22	12	10	18
3	The Fabulous Artisans	9	5	2	2	23	11	12	17
4	Markian United	9	5	2	2	17	15	2	17
5	Cheese Makers	9	5	1	3	24	16	8	16
6	The Cow-Faced Juniors	9	4	3	2	30	19	11	15
7	Stanley and Gracie United	9	4	2	3	15	12	3	14
8	The Wateringhole Society	9	3	4	2	13	13	0	13
9	YTFIB	9	4	1	4	12	15	-3	13
10	Aardvark Abacus	9	3	3	3	20	19	1	12
11	Claymore Athletic FC	9	4	0	5	16	22	-6	12
12	Trusted By Millions	9	3	2	4	26	24	2	11
13	Mega Buck Bandits	9	2	2	5	6	20	-14	8
14	San Dimas High School	9	1	3	5	13	20	-7	6
15	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	9	2	0	7	5	21	-16	6
16	Wheel Madrid	9	0	2	7	6	20	-14	2

Back to the top of the table go Garth Crooks' Team of the Week, after beating previous leaders the Artisans 4-1 too. it was level at the break, Bruno Fernandes accurate shot from the edge of the box after 17 minutes equalised by Emile Smith-Rowe in first half injury time, it was all Ollie in the second period. Gabriel Martinelli smashed in at the near post on the hour and Mohamed Salah scored his customary goal with six minutes left. Ibrahima Konate added a clean for the Garths whose unbeaten run goes on. The Muppets are second after a comfortable 3-0 win over San Dimas. Erling Haaland scored at the second attempt after 23 minutes, the other scores were cleans from Calvin Bassey and James Tarkowski.

A Markian win would have put them top but Ian’s team went down 6-2 to a dangerous-looking CFJs. Pablo Sarabia’s very early strike was levelled by a Darwin Nunez breakaway goal on 20 minutes. Yoane Wissa scored either side of the break to make it 3-1 only for Alejandro Garnacho to curl in a great shot with eight minutes left to reduce the deficit. It wasn’t enough. Noussair Mazraoui, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Jean-Clair Todibo all got cleans to make the result look one-sided. Cheese Makers drop to fifth after going down 2-1 at SGU. An unlucky own goal had Aaron in front at the interval, Joao Pedro was most alert in a six-yard box scramble to level with 12 minutes left only for Harry Wilson to find a winner five minutes later.

Kiran holds the record for most draws in a league season (13) and he notched his fourth in nine games this week, 1-1 against the Aardvarks. Harvey Barnes' low shot after 83 minutes might have won it but Ady had an Antonee Robinson clean to grab a point. YTFIB’s recent good run came to an end with 4-0 defeat to Claymore. A stunning 30-yard Matheus Cunha strike opened the scoring six minutes after the break, Joelinton curled in a shot off the post 21 minutes later and the Swordsmen added cleans from Ashley Young and Toti Gomes.

When Trusted click there aren’t many better and they clicked this week, beating Mega Bucks 5-1. Dave was ahead too, Evanilson latching on to a shocking back-pass to continue his recent good run, but that only lasted five minutes before Murillo headed in a free-kick to level. An early Trent Alexander-Arnold clean had Beef in front and he didn’t let it slip. Alexander Isak scoring after 54 minutes and cleans from Joachim Andersen and Craig Dawson finished the game. The battle of the bottom two went Nil Satis’ way. Fit-again Jarrad Branthwaite got the clean to give Paul S the win and leave Wheel Madrid four points adrift.

Cup Quarter-final Results

Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy Quarter-Finals

Claymore Athletic FC 2 v 0 Trusted By Millions 

Mega Buck Bandits 3 v 2 San Dimas High School

The Fabulous Artisans v YTFIB/Markian United - Postponed

Wheel Madrid 2 v 3 The Cow-Faced Juniors

The Fabulous Artisans 2 v 3 Markian United

Charity Shield Quarter-Finals

Aardvark Abacus 1 v 2 The Wateringhole Society 

Cheese Makers 2 v 1 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week 2 v 5 Stanley & Gracie United

Real Muppets v YTFIB/Markian United - Postponed

Real Muppets 1 v 1 YTFIB

Replay

YTFIB 5 v 0 Real Muppets

Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy

The PCMT holders are out and I haven’t even had the chance to give him the trophy yet. Wheel Madrid led, then looked to have earned a replay but ultimately went down 3-2 to the CFJs. Chris Wood headed Wheels in front on 27 minutes and it stayed like that until half-time. But not long after. Brennan Johnson converted at the far post to level and the Cows took the lead when Jorgen Strand Larsen placed through the keepers’ legs on 67 minutes. A brilliant James Maddison free-kick looked to have earned Paul another chance but the Cows won it with a Tino Livramento clean.

Mega Bucks are yet to win the PCMT but are through to the last four after edging San Dimas 3-2. Vitaly Janelt’s belter had Dave one up at the break and Evanilson stretched to double the lead on 64 minutes. Josko Gvardiol headed me back into it with eight minutes left. But injury time specialist Jordan Ayew finished off a one-two to make it 3-1. Kyle Walker-Peters’ clean wasn’t enough to get me a replay. Two-time winners Claymore are in the semis after a 2-0 victory over Trusted. Trevoh Chalobah fired in from an angle on the hour, Joao Gomes got his first WSFFL goal to make it 2-0 12 minutes later.

Markian make the PCMT semi-finals for the second time in three years thanks to an Oleksandr Zinchenko clean. It’s ten seasons since the Artisans last made it past this stage.

Charity Shield

SGU won the FA Cup in Aaron’s first season and that’s the only knockout trophy available to Ollie in his first campaign after the Garths went down 5-2. Goalless at the interval there was a crazy ten minutes in this one. Bruno Fernandes’ penalty put Ollie ahead. Two minutes later it was 2-0 with a trademark Mohamed Salah cut inside and left foot finish. Three minutes passed and SGU were back in it with Dominic Solanke’s clever lift over the keeper. Three more minutes and the game was level when Ola Aina smashed in from the edge of the D. A minute later Solanke’s second from close range put Aaron in front and cleans from Aina and new signing Jan Bednarek finished things off.

Cheese Makers and The Wateringhole are also looking for their first knockout trophy. Kiran’s team came from a goal down to beat the Aardvarks 2-1. Morgan Rogers converted the easiest chance of the weekend to put Ady ahead, the Society turned it round after the break with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Cody Gakpo goals from range in the space of five second half minutes. Cheese Makers trailed Nil Satis until the end before they turned it round to win 2-1. A stunning volley from Leif Davis put Paul ahead, cleans from Rico Lewis and Nikola Milenkovic were the deciders for Matthew.

YTFIB head into another replay this season! Kevin Schade's hat-trick fired Julian's team into the last four.