Week 17 Results

Wins for the top three who are breaking away from the pack.

Aardvark Abacus 2 v 0 YTFIB
Athletico Phoenix 1 v 1 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Cheese Makers 1 v 2 Fred West Landscape Gardening XI
Claymore Athletic FC 1 v 5 The Wateringhole Society
Mega Buck Bandits 0 v 2 The Cow-Faced Juniors
San Dimas High School 1 v 1 Wheel Madrid
The Fabulous Artisans 1 v 0 Real Muppets
Trusted By Millions 5 v 1 Markian United 



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	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	17	12	2	3	50	23	27	38
2	Aardvark Abacus	17	11	1	5	37	26	11	34
3	The Wateringhole Society	17	10	1	6	34	28	6	31
4	San Dimas High School	17	7	5	5	35	28	7	26
5	Athletico Phoenix	17	7	5	5	29	26	3	26
6	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	17	7	3	7	32	30	2	24
7	Mega Buck Bandits	17	6	5	6	32	29	3	23
8	The Cow-Faced Juniors	17	7	2	8	37	36	1	23
9	Real Muppets	17	7	2	8	27	28	-1	23
10	Markian United	17	7	2	8	33	41	-8	23
11	Trusted By Millions	17	7	1	9	37	37	0	22
12	The Fabulous Artisans	17	7	1	9	30	39	-9	22
13	Claymore Athletic FC	17	5	5	7	29	37	-8	20
14	Cheese Makers	17	6	2	9	27	38	-11	20
15	Wheel Madrid	17	6	1	10	30	38	-8	19
16	YTFIB	17	4	2	11	17	32	-15	14

Not sure whether Fred was having a blip or a wobble but either way he may be out of that after a win at Cheese Makers. Goalless at half-time, the leaders moved in front when Mo Salah was fouled for a penalty and stuck it away himself. Kurt Zouma’s header doubled Fred’s lead 11 minutes later and Matthew could only reply with a Bruno Manga clean. That means the lead stays at four points because the Aardvarks saw off YTFIB 2-0. Declan Rice opened his WSFFL account with a first-time effort that wrong-footed Julian’s keeper, and Jordan Pickford’s clean completed the scoring for Ady.

Three points behind the Aardvarks, and five ahead of everyone else, are the Wateringhole Society. Kiran’s team didn’t take long to open the scoring against Claymore. The game was just two minutes old when Andre Schurrle controlled brilliantly before converting a half-volley. Clive’s team didn’t help themselves by scoring two first-half own goals and it was 4-0 at the break when Marcus Rashford fired across the keeper. Craig Cathcart, one of the own goal scorers, replied for Clive but Michael Keane’s clean restored the four goal margin. San Dimas are fourth after a 1-1 draw with Wheel Madrid. Pedro scored for me with a clever lob after nine minutes but Ashley Young’s clean meant Paul W took a point.

It was 1-1 for the Phoenix too who are level on points with my team. Brian’s team took the lead with James Ward-Prowse’s fierce penalty after 11 minutes but Dominic Calvert-Lewin grabbed an equaliser for Paul S five minutes into second-half injury time when he struck in at the near post. Mega Bucks and the CFJs are seventh and eighth on 23 points after Chris’s team saw off Dave’s 2-0 this week. The action was in the second half in this one as well. Willian’s curling effort opened the scoring just before the hour and Aymeric Laporte’s clean completed the win.

The Muppets and Markian are 9th and 10th, also on 23 points, but both lost this week. The Muppets were edged out 1-0 by the Artisans, Steve Morrison’s clean the only score at Goddard Park. Ben is up to 12th. Trusted are 11th after beating Markian 5-1. Trusted were three up at half-time. Two from the red-hot Gabriel Jesus (one from the spot) with a Denis Odoi own goal in between making it 3-0. Conor Coady gave an own goal back to give the away side hope but Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Jones delivered Trusted the cleans to make it 5-1.

FA Cup 1st Round Results

Julian fancying another cup run by the look of it.

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

I usually start with the holders but this time I’m going for the Cupset (TM). YTFIB saw off the Gardeners, who had won three FA Cups in a row before Ady triumphed last year,  3-1 with the deciding counters coming from back-up defenders Pape Souare and Carl Jenkinson. Now to the holders - where it was a similar story that got the Aardvarks over the line. Wheel Madrid thought they’d snatched a replay when Matt Ritchie scored with six minutes left but forgotten defender Emerson got the winning clean for Ady.

PCMT winners San Dimas are through but were given a scare by the high-flying Wateringhole Society. My team were three up with 17 minutes left but pegged back by an Alex Iwobi goal and Juan Foyth clean for Kiran but managed to hold on and are still on track to become only the second team to win both cups in the same season. The CFJs are after the FA Cup so they can complete the Grand Slam. Chris and Co. saw off the Muppets from 2-0 down, mostly thanks to a Fernando Llorente hat-trick. (Yes you did read that correctly.)

Three-time winners Claymore also came from behind as they beat Nil Satis. Serge Aurier scored twice to turn things in Clive’s favour. Late goals from the Phoenix helped to knock the Artisans out. Two from Nathan Redmond had Brian ahead before Divock Origi pulled one back for Ben. Jordan Ayew made it 3-1 with four minutes left and Chris Wood’s injury time penalty finished it off.

There were late goals too from Markian in their win over Mega Bucks. 1-1 with ten minutes left, Harry Kane and Andy Carroll in injury time gave the home side the win. Trusted last won this in 2003/4 but have a chance to add to that after seeing off Cheese Makers 2-1. Anthony Knockaert and Gabriel Jesus put Beef 2-0 up and a Phil Jones clean made sure they held off a Troy Deeney-led comeback from Matthew’s team.

Week 16 Results

Ady (with the help of Brian) trims Fred’s lead to four points.

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


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	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	Pts
1	Fred West Landscape Gardening XI	16	11	2	3	48	22	26	35
2	Aardvark Abacus	16	10	1	5	35	26	9	31
3	The Wateringhole Society	16	9	1	6	29	27	2	28
4	San Dimas High School	16	7	4	5	34	27	7	25
5	Athletico Phoenix	16	7	4	5	28	25	3	25
6	Mega Buck Bandits	16	6	5	5	32	27	5	23
7	Nil Satis Nisi Optimum	16	7	2	7	31	29	2	23
8	Real Muppets	16	7	2	7	27	27	0	23
9	Markian United	16	7	2	7	32	36	-4	23
10	The Cow-Faced Juniors	16	6	2	8	35	36	-1	20
11	Claymore Athletic FC	16	5	5	6	28	32	-4	20
12	Cheese Makers	16	6	2	8	26	36	-10	20
13	Trusted By Millions	16	6	1	9	32	36	-4	19
14	The Fabulous Artisans	16	6	1	9	29	39	-10	19
15	Wheel Madrid	16	6	0	10	29	37	-8	18
16	YTFIB	16	4	2	10	17	30	-13	14

Athletico Phoenix couldn’t quite complete a quick double over Fred as Cesar Azpilicueta’s clean grabbed a point for the leaders in a 2-2 draw. That result combined with an Aardvarks win means the gap at the top is now four points. Ady’s team found two cleans to beat the Wateringhole Society 4-2 and put three points difference between them.

San Dimas are a further three points back in fourth after beating Nil Satis. Romelu Lukaku and Ashley Barnes getting my goals in a ten-minute spell on the way to a 2-1 win. Mega Bucks are one of four teams on 23 points after beating YTFIB 2-0. The action came late, P-E Aubameyang scored with seven minutes left and Mamadou Sakho got a clean.

A rare Steve Mounie goal and not so rare Luka Milivojevic penalty were enough to give the Muppets a win over Trusted and put them eighth. Markian missed a chance to go fourth, losing at home to Claymore. Harry Kane bundled in to put the home side ahead after just three minutes, Sergio Aguero slammed in just before the break and Clive’s team took the points with Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s clean.

The CFJs needed two cleans to earn a 3-3 draw with Cheese Makers. Matthew’s team were three up too, thanks to a brace from Troy Deeney and Ryan Fraser’s placed effort, before the comeback started. Wheel Madrid and the Artisans had a great game, both teams leading at various times before the game was settled Ben’s way virtue of Patrick van Aanholt’s clean. After one win in his first ten games Ben is now just six points off fourth place.