Week 23 Results

The Artisans' lead shrinks to two points, just four points cover the top five. Tight.

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

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	The Fabulous Artisans	23	15	1	7	54	35	19	46
2	Trusted By Millions	23	13	5	5	58	38	20	44
3	Claymore Athletic FC	23	14	2	7	65	47	18	44
4	Aardvark Abacus	23	13	4	6	48	28	20	43
5	Athletico Phoenix	23	13	3	7	49	40	9	42
6	San Dimas High School	23	10	5	8	46	37	9	35
7	You Know Your Boston Rock FC	23	9	7	7	53	47	6	34
8	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	23	9	6	8	39	33	6	33
9	The Cow-Faced Juniors	23	8	7	8	52	49	3	31
10	The Cheese Makers	23	9	4	10	33	32	1	31
11	The Dead Parrots	23	8	2	13	31	52	-21	26
12	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	23	7	4	12	26	40	-14	25
13	Final Fantasy XI	23	6	4	13	35	42	-7	22
14	York's Returning Glory	23	6	4	13	33	62	-29	22
15	Real Muppets	23	5	5	13	36	51	-15	20
16	Mega Buck Bandits	23	5	5	13	35	60	-25	20

Trusted By Millions make the headline slot this week with their defeat of the league-leading Artisans which gives the championship pot another stir. Papiss Cisse was a big-money January signing for Beef and it took him just six minutes to open the scoring. Ben was level ten minutes later after Kieran Gibbs  fired home a rare goal but the Artisans found themselves 4-1 down by half-time. Cisse adding a second between two headers from David Wheater. Leighton Baines curled a free-kick home to reduce the advantage on the hour but the returning Stephane Sessegnon made it 5-2 on 76 minutes before another free-kick from the Artisans, this time from Taye Taiwo completed the scoring. Two points now separate the sides.

Claymore are level on points with Trusted but two behind on goal difference. Clive improved that column with a 5-1 beating of York's this week. It took him 42 minutes to find a breakthrough before Wayne Rooney smashed in from close range but the scores were level on the hour when Peter Crouch struck a spectacular volley from outside the area into the far corner of the Claymore goal. Four clean sheets ultimately gave Claymore the points and condemned Julian's team to a sixth straight defeat.

The Aardvarks are fourth but needed a clean sheet from Phil Jagielka to grab a point at the Cheese Makers. Matthew's team had led through Shane Long (who is yet to look like repaying his £12.5m fee) but failed to close the game out. Athletico Phoenix are a point further behind after getting back to winning ways. Mega Bucks kept Robin van Persie quiet and took the lead through Matt Jarvis but cleans from old stagers Brad Friedel and Phil Neville gave Brian the win.

San Dimas hang on to sixth place after my team turned in a tidy performance in beating the Muppets. Hatem Ben Arfa ran the show and opened the scoring on 12 minutes and Theo Walcott doubled the lead on the 25-minute mark. James McClean (one of the finds of the season) pulled one back for Ryan 20 minutes from the end but I had a clean fom Sylvain Distin to round things off. Boston Rock are a point behind in seventh after their come-from-behind victory at Final Fantasy. Gary Caldwell and Yaya Toure put Ceri two up but Sheriff notched three cleans (you may have read how in an earlier message) to get the win.

A point further back are our current champions Fred West. The Gardeners won a low-key game against the Parrots with cleans from Patrice Evra and Younes Kaboul. Our final game of the week was an entertaining three-all draw between the CFJs and Nil Satis. Chris raced into a three goal lead with two from Grant Holt before the break and one from Luis Suarez just after. Steven N'Zonzi started Paul's fightback on 56 minutes, Nikica Jelavic scored his first Nil Satis goal 20 minutes later and when Holt saw read five minutes from time Paul made the extra man pay and Mikel Arteta smashed home the equaliser as time ran out.

Week 22 Results

The Artisans keep their four point lead.

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

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	The Fabulous Artisans	22	15	1	6	51	30	21	46
2	Aardvark Abacus	22	13	3	6	47	27	20	42
3	Trusted By Millions	22	12	5	5	53	35	18	41
4	Claymore Athletic FC	22	13	2	7	60	46	14	41
5	Athletico Phoenix	22	12	3	7	47	39	8	39
6	San Dimas High School	22	9	5	8	43	36	7	32
7	You Know Your Boston Rock FC	22	8	7	7	50	45	5	31
8	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	22	8	6	8	37	33	4	30
9	The Cow-Faced Juniors	22	8	6	8	49	46	3	30
10	The Cheese Makers	22	9	3	10	32	31	1	30
11	The Dead Parrots	22	8	2	12	31	50	-19	26
12	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	22	7	3	12	23	37	-14	24
13	Final Fantasy XI	22	6	4	12	33	39	-6	22
14	York's Returning Glory	22	6	4	12	32	57	-25	22
15	Real Muppets	22	5	5	12	35	48	-13	20
16	Mega Buck Bandits	22	5	5	12	34	58	-24	20

Ben appears to be through his blip after beating Claymore last week and now the Phoenix this. Brian's title hopes aren't over but he can perhaps only risk one more defeat. Ben's certainly not home and dry either as the Aardvarks, Trusted and Claymore all racked up routine wins to stay in hot pursuit.

San Dimas have somehow fluked their way into sixth, mostly helped by Boston Rock and Fred taking points off each other. There's two points covering sixth to tenth with the Cheese Makers winning and the CFJs beating the Muppets in an unofficial  FA Cup third place play-off.

FA Cup semi-final results

Two old rivals will meet in the final.

The Cow-Faced Juniors 0 v 4 Claymore Athletic FC
You Know Your Boston Rock FC 3 v 1 Real Muppets

Cup specialists Boston Rock will have a chance to win a sixth FA Cup final after a dramatic late comeback against Real Muppets. After a cagey ninety minutes Thomas Vermaelen put Ryan's side ahead in injury time but Sheriff's men dug deep to produce cleans from Scott Dann, Rio Ferdinand and Steven Caulker which put their side into their fifth FA Cup final in seven seasons.

Boston rock's opponents will be high-scoring Claymore. It was a comfortable win for Clive over the CFJs and it only took ten minutes for Claymore to make the breakthrough with Wes Hoolahan hooking in a volley. Wayne Rooney took his tally for the season in all competitions to nineteen with a first-half near-post volley ten minutes before the break and then a penalty on 71 minutes which took the game totally out of Chris' reach. Jonny Evans rounded off a great night for Claymore.

Our finalists have played in nine FA Cup finals between them but the meeting on the 9-11 April will be the first time they have clashed in the final of this tournament.

Week 21 Results

Ben's team seem back on song with a big win against one of his title rivals.

Rearranged Week 20 fixture

Mega Buck Bandits 0 v 2 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

Week 21

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

1	The Fabulous Artisans	21	14	1	6	48	30	18	43
2	Aardvark Abacus	21	12	3	6	45	27	18	39
3	Athletico Phoenix	21	12	3	6	47	36	11	39
4	Trusted By Millions	21	11	5	5	49	34	15	38
5	Claymore Athletic FC	21	12	2	7	56	45	11	38
6	You Know Your Boston Rock FC	21	8	6	7	48	43	5	30
7	San Dimas High School	21	8	5	8	41	35	6	29
8	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	21	8	5	8	35	31	4	29
9	The Cow-Faced Juniors	21	7	6	8	47	45	2	27
10	The Cheese Makers	21	8	3	10	30	30	0	27
11	The Dead Parrots	21	8	2	11	30	46	-16	26
12	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	21	7	3	11	23	35	-12	24
13	Final Fantasy XI	21	6	4	11	32	37	-5	22
14	York's Returning Glory	21	6	4	11	31	55	-24	22
15	Real Muppets	21	5	5	11	34	46	-12	20
16	Mega Buck Bandits	21	5	5	11	33	54	-21	20

As the Artisans seemed to be running out of steam and Claymore carrying all before them so the title race decided to take another turn. Ben's lead has been somewhat elastic over the last few weeks but it stretched in his favour after a 3-1 win. Wayne Rooney had put Clive in front just before the break but the game turned in 10 second half minutes. Ashley Young's scissor kick levelled the game on the hour and then Mario Balotelli, after his strip club exertions the night before, and Young again within a minute keep Ben ahead of the pack and drops Clive to fifth. The Aardvarks are second on goal difference after a comfortable win over the resurgent Muppets. Laurent Koscielny shinned home a clearance (how many own goals have the Muppets conceded this season?) and a couple of cleans saw Ady's team home.

Athletico Phoenix are third after putting four past the Parrots. Robin van Persie took his league haul to 22 with the opener on the half hour and then a stunning cushioned volley in the last minute. In between times Bobby Zamora opened his Phoenix account and David Dunn found the target with his header which must be a collectors item! Trusted are only a point further back after a win over Fred. It was a quiet game only settled by a Robert Huth clean. Fred's hopes of defending his title have (cliche alert!) come down with the Christmas lights - he hasn't won this year. Fred's failure drops him to eighth with Boston Rock now the 'best of the rest'.

It was a tight game for Sheriff against the Cheese Makers which was decided by Jermain Defoe's strike three minutes from time. Matthew is now outside the top half for the first time this season, his team are really going through a goal shy period. Conversely, San Dimas have hit their highest position of the season after adding to the Mega Bucks woes. Dave's team had already slumped to defeat in their rearranged week 20 fixture against Nil Satis and there was no mercy from my recent signing Pavel Pogrebnyak who scored a hat-trick.

Biggest winners of the week were the CFJs who crushed York's 6-0. Julian's team decided to give Chris a helping hand through a Gretar Steinsson own goal and then recent signing Gylfi Sigurdsson added a brace either side of half-time. Clint Dempsey also struck twice and Matthew Etherington also got his name on the scoresheet. Final Fantasy picked up only their second win since November but their 3-1 defeat of Nil Satis lifted them off the bottom. Royston Drenthe had given Paul hopes of an 'Okus double' with the opener but Gareth McAuley struck from close range and logged a clean sheet along with Angel Rangel to give Ceri the win and drop her hubby to last place.

Big game hunting!

Ten games left and, with apologies to our champions, I think five teams have a shot at the title. Fred could well have a say in who his successor is though. Here's a rundown of where the top six still have to play each other - in other words, the possible 'title deciders' we have to come.

League Week Number: 21, W/C 3 March

The Fabulous Artisans v Claymore Athletic FC
Fred West Landscape Gardening XI v Trusted By Millions

League Week Number: 22, W/C 17 March

The Fabulous Artisans v Athletico Phoenix

League Week Number: 23, W/C 24 March

Trusted By Millions v The Fabulous Artisans

League Week Number: 24, W/C 31 March

Fred West Landscape Gardening XI v The Fabulous Artisans

League Week Number: 25, W/C 7 April

Claymore Athletic FC v Trusted By Millions
The Fabulous Artisans v Aardvark Abacus

League Week Number: 26, W/C 14 April

Athletico Phoenix v Fred West Landscape Gardening XI

League Week Number: 29, W/C 5 May

Athletico Phoenix v Claymore Athletic FC

The next five weeks couldn't be tougher for Ben's Artisans. Looks like the Aardvarks have got through the worst of their fixtures though.

I'm sure we'll revisit this as the contenders thin out over the next few weeks.
 

Week 20 Results

The top five all win - the title's for one of them to win as we enter the final third of the season.

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

Two-thirds of the season gone and the phoney title war is now developing into a five team pitched battle. The Artisans halted their recent poor run and keep their two-point advantage with a 2-0 win over the Cheese Makers. Mario Balotelli's delicate half-volley on the half-hour broke the deadlock and James   Collins' clean completed the scoring. Matt's mid-season blip is putting his bid for a top-half finish under threat. Claymore are still the team in hot pursuit after demolishing Boston Rock 4-1. Two goals in four minutes, a curling shot from David Luiz and one from Sergio Aguero after a Paul Robinson flap at a corner, in four minutes after time had Clive in control but Frank Lampard arrived unmarked at the far post to pull one back with 11 minutes left. Maybe in previous seasons that would have led to a Claymore wobble but this team has backbone and Luiz and last season's player of the year Branislav Ivanovic put a gloss on the victory.

The Aardvarks came from behind to stay third and probably deal the fatal blow to Fred's chances of retaining the title. Emmanuel Adebayor's spot-kick for Ady was levelled by Didier Drogba's header and the evergreen Ryan Giggs poked Fred ahead in injury time but it was a defensive response of three cleans from Kompany, Cuellar and Shotton that won the points for the Aardavrks. Athletico Phoenix are also on 36 points after a comeback victory over San Dimas. Pavel Pogrebnyak's cool finish on debut got me off to a great start but the game swung in Brian's favour either side of half-time. James Morrison nodded in on 41 minutes, Robin van Persie brilliant curled home two minutes later which changed my team talk somewhat. That team-talk clearly went well as Tomas Rosicky got his first for a couple of years six minutes later to put the Phoenix in control.

Trusted brushed aside the CFJs challenge 5-1. Recent signing Papiss Cisse stabbed Beef into the lead on six minutes beat it was nine minutes from time before Edin Dzeko doubled the lead. Grant Holt's smart turn and shot pulled one back for Chris two minutes later but Beef had three cleans to finish his opponents off. Turning our attention to the bottom of the table a third straight win for Ryan lifts him out of last place for the first time since week six. Paul Scholes opened the scoring then Jonas Gutierrez's screamer made it 2-0 after 18 minutes. Peter Crouch pulled one back for Julian before the break but the last score of the game was Ashley Cole's clean to make it 3-1 in the Muppets' favour.

If anything the foot of the table is closer than the top with eight points covering the bottom ten. The Dead Parrots edged Final Fantasy 1-0 by virtue of bagging one more clean and it's Ceri's team that are our new table-proppers. The Mega Bucks/Nil Satis game was postponed due to oooh... let's say a power failure due to a faulty generator.

The title race - How many points needed to win?

This year's title race is bubbling up nicely with the entire top half of the table within ten points of the pace-setting Artisans.

Looking back over the last ten years, the league has been won with between 55 and 69 points. The average number of points to win a 30 game season is around 63-64*. I'm not sure any team will reach those heights this season but what do you think?

Do you have a number in mind that you think will win the league? The Cheese Makers and Boston Rock will have to win ten out of their last 11 to have a chance by my reckoning but are the rest of the top half still in the race?

If you need a helping hand working it out take a look at the WSFFL fixture list to see who has still to play who. And if you're really bored here's the Premier League fixture list so you guess what our results might be.

The comments box is below - I look forward to hearing from you.

The Co-ordinator

*Mean average 63.7, Mode average 63, Median average 63.5 for any maths pedants out there.