The final weekly round up of a pretty darn good 2018 shouldn’t take as long to write as you’d normally expect, with some people finding better things to do in the run up to Christmas and in a week where United played Liverpool before subsequently losing their manager. No such worries for most of the guys who run their Ballers teams. For now….
LEAGUE NEWS
As we head into 2019, we would hope and expect a lot of people who aren’t currently playing to get back into it. As it turns out, we can probably find spaces for new and returning teams in pretty much all of our league nights!
SUNDAY: Currently, technically full, but as we reduced the capacity due to the time of year, we would hope to quickly add new teams into the league early in 2019
MONDAY: Spaces currently available with the new league starting in early 2019
TUESDAY: Spaces currently available with the new league starting in early 2019
WEDNESDAY: One single space available. First in gets it!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, TO REGISTER A TEAM, OR TO ARRANGE A ONE OFF TRIAL GAME, COMPLETE A ‘JOIN A LEAGUE’ FORM FROM THE HOMEPAGE
SUNDAY LEAGUE
Wilmslow Whoppers took a few games to settle into Ballers life last season, but they look like they are going to be tough to dethrone in their second season after a solid opening day win over Gangs Of Dwight Yorke. The new look Bangers & Pash got off to a winning start last week but were up against it early on here despite Zach Widdowson putting them in front in the second minute. 4 goals each from Liam Delaney and Olly Ford, along with another from Tom Ratican ensured that Whoppers lead 9-2 at the break, with just a Rory Kelly in reply for Bangers. With the game effectively won, the second half was closer in terms of scoreline, but Delaney and Ford added two more each, Ratican and Tom Fox the others, while Chris Carroll got two, Widdowson and Olly McDonagh the replies for Bangers.
WILMSLOW WHOPPERS 15 BANGERS & PASH 6
MOM: LIAM DELANEY (WILMSLOW WHOPPERS)
Stockport Eagles had an absolute ‘mare this week, both in terms of a struggle for numbers and getting those numbers to turn up. When that happens, a wounded Gangs Of Dwight Yorke is probably not the team you want to be playing, and so it proved. We won’t dwell on this one too much as it can’t have been much fun for anyone, but (from the top down….) Ray Donnelly scored 6 against his former side, Aden Jones 5, Callum Jones and Chris Singelton three each, Wayne Reeves got a brace, and an own goal completed the scoring as Michael Winn and Shaun Mather scored two apiece as scant consolation for Eagles in a week to forget.
STOCKPORT EAGLES 4 GANGS OF DWIGHT YORKE 19
MOM: CALLUM JONES (GANGS OF DWIGHT YORKE)
Last season was one of struggle for Sevilla Lacatalent, so much so that they were hoping to drop down the divisions as far as they could for the new season. They went into their game with Nice Buns this week as the only team with a pair of wins from their opening couple of weeks, and lead briefly through Tom Jackson’s 10th minute goal. Jimmy Williamson leveled a minute later, and Buns looked set for a second win of the season themselves when Paul Cheetham and Williamson scored before the break. Sam Melling quickly got Sevilla back in it three minutes after the break, and we were level with 16 to play as David Witter grabbed their third. The leaders nicked it in the final 10 minutes as Dale Ward and Jake Riley scored to ease Sevilla to a third straight win and a 6 point lead in the very early stages of the season.
SEVILLA LACATALENT 5 NICE BUNS 3
MOM: JIMMY WILLIAMSON (NICE BUNS)
It could be all change for a couple of the League One teams after this week, with Inter Your Sister looking for new players after their game with Fat Boys Run Wild (apply within….). It didn’t start too badly for them this week as they lead 4-3 at the break as Steve Johnson, Phil Carroll, Craig Johnson and Brandon Byers-Wilkes got their 4, Aaron Donville, Curt Rothwell and Marcus Dean the Fat Boys replies. Dean’s second meant we were all square three minutes after the restart, and we were still level heading into the final 10 minutes before a late flurry of goals gave Fat Boys their second win of the season. An own goal edged them in front before Nicky Edwards, Kane Malone and Rothwell scored to give the Fat Boys a hard fought win.
INTER YOUR SISTER 4 FAT BOYS RUN WILD 8
MOM: KANE MALONE (FAT BOYS RUN WILD)
In friendly action, CA FC and Roman FC faced off for the second week in a row. CA, who were still without a Ballers win since joining, were looking set for that win when they lead 4-1 at half time with two goals from Lorenzo Rodriguez. They increased that three goal lead by one in the second half as they kept Roman at arms reach to pick up a first win, thanks in no small part to a solid goalkeeping display from Charlie Andrews.
CA FC 8 ROMAN FC 4
MOM: CHARLIE ANDREWS (CA FC)
TECHNICALLY THE SUNDAY LEAGUE REMAINS FULL, BUT WE WILL FIND SPACE FOR NEW TEAMS IN EARLY 2019 – GET IN TOUCH FOR DETAILS!
MONDAY LEAGUE
Netsix could have all but clinched the Monday Premiership title and got the cigars out before Christmas if they could see off Expected Toulouse this week and extend their unbeaten run to 14 years in the process (or however long it is, it’s been a while). Expected have really started to come together in recent weeks and looked set to end that run by going into the break 3-0 up with an own goal being followed by finishes from Liam Mottram and Scott Bennett. The run was definitely over when Mottram and Jordan Milne added to the Toulouse total within 5 minutes of the restart, before Milne made it 6 with 15 minutes to play. Netsix aren’t for quitting and they did pull a couple back through Wayne Reeves and James Bamgbose, but the unbeaten run is over and there could yet be a title fight to be had in the Premiership.
NETSIX & CHILL 2 EXPECTED TOULOUSE 6
MOM: LIAM MOTTRAM (EXPECTED TOULOUSE)
Fresh off the back of a first point of the season last week against Championship Diva Fever, Phantom Brazilians were looking to build on that against a LoL side who’ve been more miss than hit in recent weeks. Phantom quickly found themselves in the familiar position of being behind as Demell gave LoL a first minute lead, but they turned it around to lead at the break thanks to goals from Daniel Clayton and the returning Matt Barton. Demell made it Desmond two minutes after the restart, and this set the tone for a much more open second period. 2-2 quickly became 5-4 to Phantom as the goals flew in, two more for Barton and one from Calyton for Phantom, Demell and Ray Warburton and LoL with 13 minutes left to play. The wheels fell off for LoL in the final 10 minutes as they went in search of the leveler, as Clayton scored 5 more in 8 minutes as Phantom picked off their opponents at will. Anthony Pugh got what proved to be of little consolation for LoL in the final minute, and Phantom pick up their first three pointer of the season at the 5th attempt.
LOL FC 5 PHANTOM BRAZILIANS 11
MOM: DANIEL CLAYTON (PHANTOM BRAZILIANS)
As Grand Street Wanderers settle into Ballers life, they look like they could throw a spanner into the top division when the mixed division games take place. They also retain a hope of taking the Championship title, but they got off to a stinker against Ruby Kazam this week as Jordan Cunningham scored twice in the opening three minutes. They recovered throughout the half and went into the break 4-2 up as Jay Bebbington and Rob Morris drew them level before the sucker punch of two late goals from Joe Bowden gave them the half time advantage. Goals from Paul Langan and Morris in the early stages of the second period looked to have put the game out of reach, and they finished it off with Bebbington’s second late on after Cunningham had briefly given Kazam a sliver of hope.
RUBY KAZAM 3 GRAND STREET WANDERERS 7
MOM: PAUL LANGAN (GRAND STREET WANDERERS)
Monday Night Albion were back after a couple of weeks of struggle, but were facing a Diva Fever team who are showing signs of recovery after early season struggles. Diva got an early goal from Lewis Arden, but chances came and went at either end in the early stages following that, before the second Diva goal from Will Thatcher opened the floodgates. It was 6 by the break as Joe Dodd added two with Arden and Thatcher grabbing the others. Albion at least managed to stem the flow in the second half, but they couldn’t get on the board themselves as Arden and James Gandy grabbed the only goals on the period to ease Diva to a comfortable win.
DIVA FEVER 8 MONDAY NIGHT ALBION 0
MOM: JOE DODD (DIVA FEVER)
SPACES ARE AVAILABLE IN THE MONDAY LEAGUE AS WE HEAD INTO 2019 – GET IN TOUCH FOR DETAILS!
TUESDAY LEAGUE
A little shake up began this week as we filtered the two remaining Premiership teams into the Championship as a short term fix before the inevitable surge of new teams in the new year…… Former Premiership side Shaka came up against old foes Michu At De Gea Ba, and with the kick off time catching one of the Michu guys out, Shaka took advantage of the extra man in the first half as Marcus Issley scored two, Matthew Pownall, Dan Harwood and Liam Paull the others as they raced into a 5 goal lead inside the opening 16 minutes. Ryan Greenwood pulled a couple back before the break, and with 6 players in place for the second period it looked interesting when Paul Rice scored a minute after the restart to make it 5-3. Shaka put a stop to the comeback as Niall Carr and Paull scored to put them 4 up again heading into the final 10, and though Michael Jennison and Adam Porter reduced that lead to two again, Shaka were able to hold on for a big win.
SHAKA 7 MICHU AT DE GEA BA 5
MOM: LIAM PAULL (SHAKA)
Beercalona and FC AOTS was another top v bottom clash, and it was another one that looked like going the way of the Championship side as goals from Eoghan Scott, Kibs, Charley Hutchinson, two from Adam Atherton, along with an own goal saw them lead 6-2 at the break, with just Martin Bell and Tom Ratcliffe’s replies for Beercalona. It was a different story in the second half as Beercalona chipped away at that half time deficit, Bell and Ratcliffe reducing the lead to just two with a quarter of the game still to play. We were in for a frantic finish when Ratcliffe scored again with three minutes left, but Scott eased any nerves AOTS might have had two minutes later. Bell got his third in the dying seconds, but AOTS held on for an impressive scalp.
BEERCALONA 6 FC AOTS 7
MOM: KIBS (FC AOTS)
El Caliente continue to try and chase down the top two, and having once again thrown a last minute team together, they raced into an early 4 goal lead against Ballotellitubbies, ‘Rob’ scoring two, with Callum Jones and Nathaniel Kingsley also getting on the sheet. Dave Murphy pulled one back for Ballo, but it was 5-1 at the break as Jones got his second. He also got his third and Kingsley his second as they secured the points early in the second half, but Murphy and Andrew Barrington pulled goals back for Ballo to keep the scoreline respectable, before Kingsley got his third of the game in the final few minutes.
BALLOTELLITUBBIES 3 EL CALIENTE 8
MOM: STEVE SAMMONS (EL CALIENTE)
SPACES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE NEW TUESDAY LEAGUE WHICH WILL KICK OFF IN FEBRUARY – GET IN TOUCH FOR DETAILS!
WEDNESDAY LEAGUE
Just one game survived the last Wednesday before Christmas, and it was an early chance for Wellspring to avenge their only defeat of last season against Unprotected Cesc. AJ gave Cesc an early lead that was quickly wiped out by Mike Devitt’s immediate reply, and his second, followed by goals from Lewis Arden and Mike Cocks put them in control approaching the break. Abou Ali pulled one back on the stroke of half time for Cesc, but Cocks second and Nathan Wilknson’s strike early in the second half put Wellspring back in control. They finished it off with Shane Bridges late goal to move Wellspring to 6 points and an early lead in their attempt to retain their title.
WELLSPRING FC 7 UNPROTECTED CESC 2
MOM: SHANE BRIDGES (WELLSPRING FC)