Matchday 35: Serpentine haven't really done much of note this season so far, but their lethal strikers fired them to a 5-2 win over North Sabrefell, fast and direct football bypassing the Bohemians' midfield entirely. Crisisbless Athletic are the big losers at the bottom, beating Coret 1-0 against the run of play with half an hour to go. But then Qatintiki comes racing out to sweep the ball away... and airswings, letting substitute Stokes smugly roll the equaliser home, before fellow substitute Jozan Moreland thumps home the winner from outside the box in injury time. Gonen's also grab a vital win, Wynona Short's deflected strike enough to see off Ritter.
Matchday 36: A few real six-pointers, most obviously another scrappy 1-0 home win for Gonen's over a toothless Athletic, constantly undermined by clumsy, heavy attacking, but the most impressive result of all belongs to Crossroads Town. Visiting Belgrave? That's not meant to be an easy prospect. But the Gargoyles don't take their chances, a single goal aside, with Rainer Burgnich decisive for the Valiants. It's locked 1-1 at half-time, but something changes in the second half - Belgrave collapse, Crossroads score three more and take home the points, with young Laegjarn Martyn the star of the show.
Matchday 37: Belgrave's flirtation with being terrible continues with a third straight defeat - this time, they're pumped 3-0 by Vermillion Wanderers. Cheney Rutherford's lads have really benefited from some canny Audioslav signings in the offseason, both defender Zendegi and top scorer Kovaleski outstanding today. Chatswood have been forced to endure a mass clearout's consequences, and while their best players, like the midfield of Grear and Kouroglou, are able to stand up to North Sabrefell like few other clubs in the league, sloppy late defensive errors from backup leftback Dorran and substitute Blankman mean they choke away their half-time lead and lose 2-1.
Matchday 38: Crisisbless United have been basically invincible in the league so far... well, most of the time. But they're thoroughly outshined by Chenoworth Rovers, who just let them have all the possession they want while ruthlessly punishing them with counterattacks, set pieces and a genuine screamer from Misha Paterson, a 5-1 win the result. Coret's resurgence is violently and abruptly put to rest as Brookford maul them 4-0, Tanya Chilton continuing to look a class above in midfield. Crossroads, meanwhile, batter East Laithland 3-0 - say what you will about Lilas Sandoval, when it works for him, it really works.
Matchday 39: After four consecutive defeats, not so much as a goal in their last two, Belgrave unleash their frustrations on a hapless East Laithland, raining down goals and body blows until they have a 7-0 win to their name. It just doesn't look like the Harriers are going to make it out of this one. 1-0 away wins for Athletic and Coret heat things up at the bottom, but Ritter's visit to Chenoworth is excruciatingly poor, and a sequence of schoolboy errors and primitive tactics highlight how far the Stallions are falling.
Matchday 40: Gonen's Bridge make it four home 1-0 wins in a row, this time over Extreme Hills. The flying saves of Matthews, the staunch defence of Bartley and the quietly efficient Spinnett all play their part in the fight for survival, but it's 19-year old Casey Steward who comes off the bench to, uh, shoulder home the winning goal off an impeccable Short long free kick. Belgrave are dragged down to Sheridan's level and then kicked in the teeth for good measure, a gruelling scoreless draw that sees all three of Griffiths' substitutions enforced by injury. Nevertheless, Portia Bittroff's outstanding save of Mullen's penalty (retaken once for encroachment - how blatant do you have to be to actually get flagged for encroachment?) ensures a share of the points at the very least.
Matchday 41: Uncharacteristically, both of the top sides slip up - North Sabrefell find South Laithland difficult to lay a real hand on, and are only bailed out by a late equaliser from leftback Karagounis' hopeful smash, as a Hackett side that have happily flown under the radar overcome Crisisbless United. Sigrid Cooper, pretty good for them all season, is at fault for both the Chequers' first-half goals - flapping at Plath's cross for Schoenauer to nod home, then beaten at her near post by Antelmi - but atones for it by claiming Stamatellis' cross, rolling the ball forward, dribbling past four puzzled Chessmen and smashing a ball down the flank. Litton takes it, skins the last defender and stabs the winner past Sparwasser to seal a hugely impressive 3-2 comeback win.
Matchday 42: After these less than inspiring displays, the two horses racing for the title face one another - but perhaps the season's exertions are getting to the teams, neither one exactly renowned for its depth. A dull scoreless draw is the result, Crisisbless outplayed on home soil but the Bohemians simply unable to get anything past the formidable defensive partnership of Stokes and Banerman. Belgrave's troubles continue, as they allow Gonen's Bridge to snatch a point from the jaws of defeat with a late brace from, weirdly, winger Olenna Salthouse, who triples her tally for the season, while Chatswood, in the words of hulking forward Suttner (two goals and an assist), "devour" Locksley 4-1.
Matchday 43: The atmosphere at Stahlburg City is unpleasant, and by now it's very much fair to say that the ire has turned on manager Almuth Coppell after yet another midtable showing. #CoppellOut trends as the utterly blunt Smiths fail to get by Fyona Matthews in Gonen's goal, then get sucker-punched by David Sol and lose 1-0. Her contract runs out at the end of the season at any rate, having successfully stabilised the club and... not a whole lot else. While Crossroads, Locksley and Athletic would normally be happy enough with draws as Ritter almost don't lose to the Bohemians (but are ultimately undone by a screamer from Kranevitter in the 89th minute), Coret Rovers are the big winners at the bottom, pulverising East Laithland 4-1 away. Bess Gannon's managerial ability finally looks in the ballpark of his ego.
Matchday 44: Gonen's Bridge really should put East Laithland away, given the already (finally) relegated Harriers visit with nine defeats on the spin. But of course, they're not about to go down quietly or predictably. Bridge are pedestrian, perhaps too complacent for a team battling relegation concerns - they stroll into half-time 1-0 up and stagger out shellshocked an hour later, 4-1 losers. North Sabrefell destroy Athletic 3-0, Crisisbless United three-up them with a 6-0 thumping of Vermillion Wanderers while Stahlburg Rovers' predictably dreary campaign is made worse by a ruthless 5-1 shanking on home soil by a Belgrave side that still harbours promotion hopes despite their late slide.
Matchday 45: North Sabrefell trash Locksley 4-0, Crisisbless United eat Ritter 3-0 - easy wins, and is it any wonder those are the two at the top? They'll slug it out for the title, with South Laithland - who make short work of Athletic in a 4-1 win - secure in third. But Lilas Sandoval's Crossroads heroically turn back a half-time deficit to beat Chenoworth Rovers 3-2, opening things up in the race for the playoff place, as Belgrave, Brookford and Chatswood all win (in Chatswood's case, 6-0 over the Hounds), and all remain with a shot. Gonen's Bridge take a point from Sheridan, and it's enough to all-but-mathematically secure survival. Crossroads and Locksley are just above the drop, Athletic and Coret just below it, separated by one point. Ritter Town and East Laithland are relegated - the former nothing short of shambolic.
Cranequin City’s 3-0 thumping of Lazuli Diamonds allows them to lift the trophy a match early. Greygate, too, are in the clear, but below that it’s anyone’s game. Stonegrave and Mantlegrove have the advantage, but West Brinemouth, Lazuli and Pillars (who only have a goal a game) lie in wait to overtake them. At the bottom of the table, Martella and Barossia United are long gone. Alliance should by all rights have followed long ago, but maintain a slim chance of survival if they can win their final match. Kommissar currently sit in danger, with the Hanged Man somehow 20th despite scoring just 29 goals all season, and Peregrine (who have scored precisely twice as many) enjoying a healthy but not certain two-point and two-place lead on the drop zone.
Remarkably, Ox River almost failed to carry home the title, but fortunately had it sorted out a couple of weeks in advance by beating Pravenna. They flew home to parade the trophy in front of their home crowd, and evidently minds had wandered somewhat as they were hilariously pumped 4-0 by Aries Solitaire. Falston and the ex-Corinthians are also secure, with Ballardine, the insane Boltcroft and Kensey fighting over the last spot. Brookway Town and perennial yo-yo side Bodkin Road are both relegated, Seierstad and Ringway hoping to overtake Pravenna and Sirencall on the final day. Ingram Township, Gridlock, Downsparrow and Brunyard will replace them, while throwback club Sandrock (once a mediocre second-tier side in the pre-UICA days) are among those condemned to rot in the state leagues.
PREMIERSHIP
Pos Team P W D L For Ag +/- Pts
1 Brinemouth 45 28 8 9 98 48 +50 92
2 Sabrefell Athletic 45 25 14 6 94 50 +44 89
3 Crisisbless 45 27 8 10 67 37 +30 89
4 Starling 45 26 10 9 92 50 +42 88
5 Sabrefell Moths 45 24 12 9 89 68 +21 84
6 North Laithland 45 24 9 12 76 56 +20 81
7 Newrook City 45 22 11 12 74 51 +23 77
8 Chenoworth Harriers 45 21 13 11 59 38 +21 76
9 Violence Chariots 45 19 15 11 69 51 +18 72
10 AFC Treason 45 19 12 14 63 40 +23 69
11 Vermillion Rage 45 18 12 15 59 48 +11 66
12 Coret Hawks 45 18 8 19 55 64 -9 62
13 Southfell United 45 15 15 15 60 60 +0 60
14 Raven River 45 16 10 19 61 65 -4 58
15 AFC Corvistone 45 16 9 20 56 72 -16 57
16 Cypher Town 45 14 11 20 42 58 -16 53
17 Creed United 45 12 11 22 48 72 -24 47
18 Goodfeather FC 45 12 10 23 42 63 -21 46
19 Bishop 45 11 11 23 49 69 -20 44
20 Leichhardt 45 9 13 23 31 50 -19 40
21 Corvette Maulers 45 9 12 24 46 88 -42 39
22 Diamondqueen 45 9 12 24 38 83 -45 39
23 Parrhesia United 45 8 10 27 52 101 -49 34
24 Morningstar 45 6 8 31 27 65 -38 26
FIRST DIVISION
Pos Team P W D L For Ag +/- Pts
1 Crisisbless United 45 30 9 6 101 37 +64 99
2 North Sabrefell 45 29 11 5 103 41 +62 98
3 South Laithland 45 23 13 9 72 40 +32 82
4 Chenoworth Rovers 45 21 13 11 67 39 +28 76
5 Belgrave 45 23 7 15 74 53 +21 76
6 Brookford Otters 45 24 4 17 70 56 +14 76
7 Chatswood 45 22 8 15 72 40 +32 74
8 Stahlburg Rovers 45 18 12 15 65 51 +14 66
9 AFC Serpentine 45 17 14 14 55 53 +2 65
10 Armstrong 45 18 11 16 45 43 +2 65
11 Stahlburg City 45 16 16 13 51 38 +13 64
12 Iron City 45 16 11 18 38 49 -11 59
13 Cranequin Wanderers 45 14 14 17 47 46 +1 56
14 Vermillion Wanderers 45 14 14 17 55 62 -7 56
15 Sheridan 45 13 16 16 32 41 -9 55
16 Extreme Hills 45 15 9 21 57 73 -16 54
17 Hackett 45 12 17 16 48 66 -18 53
18 Gonen's Bridge 45 12 14 19 38 65 -27 50
19 Crossroads Town 45 12 11 22 55 72 -17 47
20 Locksley 45 11 14 20 57 80 -23 47
21 Crisisbless Athletic 45 13 8 24 40 79 -39 47
22 Coret Rovers 45 14 4 27 44 86 -42 46
23 Ritter Town 45 10 10 25 55 83 -28 40
24 East Laithland Harriers 45 6 14 25 46 94 -48 32