Drehda Domestic SportsWire

[Drehda]

Drehda Domestic SportsWire

This feed is monitored and produced from an aggregate of various sports journalists around Drehda and the official press releases from the governing bodies of the respective sports. All sports and competitions documented in this wire are governed, authorised and commissioned by the Dreha National Athletics Council and the ruling administrative bodies.

National Athletics Council: CEO - Elouise Dubois
National Cricket Board: Chair - Ravi Akram
Football Association of Drehda: President - Alexander McBridge
Professional Boxing Council of Drehda: President - Ellis Barnes
Basketball Drehda: COO - Grant Steele
Drehda Field Hockey Conference: Chair - Luci Woods
Rugby Football League Board of Drehda: President - Arthur James

Association Football

Season 1*

National First Division - Cadderick Rovers F.C
National Second Division - Tillerbury F.C
FAD Cup - Metlock Town

*(Pre-EPM, Men's Only)

Cricket

Season 1*

National T20 Cup - Combined Services XI
National 3-Day Shield - National Defence Board XI

Season 2

Akram Cup (FC, Men's) - Northern Sharks
National T20 Rampage (Men's) - Central Magic
Lavender Cup (OD, Men's) - Southern Hawks

National T20 Rampage (Women's) - Northern Sharks
National 50 Over Challenge (OD, Women's) - Southern Hawks

National T20 Cup (Club cricket, Men's) - Hennerton Unicorns
National 3-Day Shield (Club cricket, Men's) - Wilhelmsbrook CC


*(Pre-EPM, Men's Only)

Field Hockey

Season 1 (Men's) - Fort Hope Lions
Season 1 (Women's) - Western Stars

Season 2 (Men's) - Fort Hope Lions
Season 2 (Women's) - Northern Sharks

Basketball

Season 1 (Men's) - Fort Hope Lions
Season 1 (Women's) - Southern Hawks

Athletics

Season 1 (Men's) - Western Stars
Season 1 (Women's) - Northern Sharks

Rugby League

Season 1 (Men's) - Northern Sharks
Season 1 (Women's) - Western Stars

Lacrosse

Season 1 (Men's) - Central Magic
Season 1 (Women's) - Southern Hawks

Season 2 (Men's) - Western Stars
Season 2 (Women's) - Eastern Comets

All Time, All Sports

-1. Northern Sharks - 5 Titles
-1. Southern Hawks - 4 Titles
-2. Fort Hope Lions - 3 Titles
-2. Western Stars - 3 Titles
3. Central Magic - 2 Titles
4. Eastern Comets - 1 title

OOC note: Please do not post in this thread unless you are invited to do so. Any questions regarding anything posted in this thread or expressions of interest in collaborating should be sent via a Telegram here in NS in the first instance. If you have any skills and interest in assisting with this thread by providing graphics, kits or badges for any of the referenced teams, sports or organsations please do get in touch! Thank you.

[Drehda]

FIGHT NIGHT FRENZY

There was an electric feel in the air inside the Municipal Indoor Arena last night as hundreds of boxing fans flocked to the nation's capital, Fort Hope, for a stacked card of both men's and women's bouts. The event marked the first showpiece held by the newly founded Professional Boxing Council of Drehda and as such PBCoD President Ellis Barnes was on hand to raise the curtain on no less than thirteen title fights, with gold being handed out in every available weight category and a draft of inaugrial champions being crowned.

All men's bouts were fought over a maxium of ten rounds, each round lasting 3 minutes. All women's bouts were fought over a maximum of eight rounds, each round lasting 3 minutes.

Men's Results

Heavyweight (91+kg) - Jurgen Dierick defeated Simon Burns by 7th round T.K.O. Dierick crowned PBCoD Heavyweight champion.
Cruiserweight (81+kg) - Ian Matthews defeated William Brady by unanimous points decision. Matthews crowned PBCoD Crusierweight champion.
Middleweight (75+kg) - Tom Fitzgerald defeated Pedro Sanchez by 8th round K.O. Fitzgerald crowned PBCoD Middleweight champion.
Welterweight (69+kg) - Kelvin Croft defeated Craig Winchester by unanimous points decision. Croft crowned PBCoD Welterweight champion.
Light Welterweight (64+kg) - Radolph Westcutt defeated Alfredo Mendoza by 9th round K.O. Westcutt crowned PBCoD Light Welterweight champion.
Lightweight (60+kg) - Marcel Ambrose defeated Andre Essien by split points decision. Ambrose crowned PBCoD Lightweight champion.
Featherweight (56+kg) - Christoph Lötzsch defeated DeMarco Walsh by unanonimous points decision
Flyweight (52+kg) - Jon Simmons defeated David Page by 4th round T.K.O. Simmons crowned PBCoD Flyweight champion.

The most controversial result of the night was found in the Lightweight division, where the judges decided that 25 year old Marcel Ambrose's cautious and measured counter punching was enough to give him the title over the more positive but less efficient work of Andre Essien. Essien was on the front foot almost from the first bell, but Ambrose proved an intelligent and resourceful customer and took the openings that presented themselves even if he never caused Essien any signifiant damage. Fight fans in attendance were vocal when the decision was announced, demonstrating their collective preference for a head-hunting, aggressive style over Ambrose's more methodical mode of operation. Expect this one to have a sequel in the near future to settle the score.

The most remarkable performances of the night came in the Heavyweight class where 32 year old Jurgen Dierick (196cm, 101.6kg / 6'4, 224lbs) laid down the gaunlet to all future challengers with a dominant display to best a gutsy but thoroughly out-matched 26 year old Simon Burns (189cm, 98.4kg / 6'2, 217lbs). Burns showed tremendous heart to get up from two early knock downs and he will have earned the affection of many supporters by clinging on until the 7th, but the older and larger fighter picked his opponent apart with long range, crushing hooks to the body and a whiplash inducing jab before the referee was forced to intervene with 20 seconds left in the round.

Women's Results

Middleweight (75+kg) - Jennifer Cook defeated Katie Black by unanimous points decision. Cook crowned PCBoD Middleweight Champion.
Welterweight (69+kg) - Jannisha Hart defeated Emily Foley by 8th round K.O. Hart crowned PCBoD Welterweight Champion.
Lightweight (60+kg) - Nicola Brady defeated Daniella Hewitt by unanimous points decision. Brady crowned PCBoD Lightweight Champion.
Featherweight (56+kg) - Kelly Barksdale defeated Stacey Glennister by 2nd round T.K.O. Barksdale crowned PCBoD Featherweight Champion.
Flyweight (52+kg) - Rosie Wolfe defeated Cecila Martinez by 4th round T.K.O. Wolfe crowned PCBoD Flyweight champion.

There was a poetic moment as Nicola Brady avenged her brother William's defeat earlier in the night to ensure that their on-looking parents could go home with a smile. Kelly Barksdale threw her hat in the ring to claim the role as face of the women's division with what can only be fairly described as a steamrollering of 19 year old Stacey Glennister. The power and brutality that Barksdale demonstrated has led many to speculate that she could easily hold her own at a higher weight class and it will be interesting to see if any challengers are able to emerge at the sub-60kg category in the coming months. There was intriguing battle in the Middleweight category where southpaw Jannisha Hart managed to avoid what was looking like an inevitable points defeat when she dropped the otherwise imperious Emily Foley in the dying seconds of the final round to go home with the gold. One has to wonder if Foley thought she was home and dry when Hart unleashed a savage flurry of close-range punches, seemingly out of nowhere to completely turn the tables.

[Drehda]

SPORTING HEROES

Head of the National Athletics Council Elouise Dubois held a press conference today alongside Ravi Akram (Chair of the National Cricket Board) and Alexander McBride (President of Football Association of Drehda) to announce that some of Drehda's greatest heroes will be represented in both the upcoming cricket and football competitions.

The National Defence Board XIs will be comprised of serving members of the Drehda's Air Force, Naval Group and Army. Current serving members of the Fire & Rescue Service, Health Service and Provinical Police Services will play under the Combined Services XIs

Combined Services XI football home shirt - Green for the health service, blue for police service and red for fire & rescue

National Defence Board XI football home shirt

Dubois said "We're delighted we've been able to ensure that some of the bravest and finest of Drehda's society will get the opportunity to showcase their sporting talents alongside the professional clubs. Both the military and emergency services have fantastic sporting traditions and we really believe they'll be competitive in all forms and do their organisations and the wider population proud out on the pitch.

[Drehda]

Football Leagues Announced

Football Association of Drehda boss Alexander McBride today announced that the clubs that will comprise the top two national divisions for the upcoming inaugral season.

It's been confirmed by McBride that the First Division will comprise of ten teams playing each other twice, with the top four finishers qualifying for a play off system to crown a league champion. The two leagues will swap teams on a simple "One Up, One Down" basis with the lowest ranking team from the First Division slipping down a tier and being replaced by champions of the Second Division, made up of 12 teams playing a 22 game season. Currently, there are no plans to establish relegation from the Second Division to any lower divisions but McBride told the gathered press that "We're looking at a range of proposals for the wider lower league structure, currently we're favouring the creation of a raft of amatuer county leagues where clubs compete against others from their own geographic region. If we're satisfied there's sufficient quality, competitiveness and fan interest, we'll consider formalising a third tier with relegation and promotion."

First Division

Cadderick Rovers F.C
Currilow F.C
Fort Hope S.C
Fort Hope United F.C
Fortuna Hollenwaard F.C
Hennerton F.C
Metlock Town F.C
Russford Blues F.C
F.C Victoria Shankwell
Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers F.C

The immediate eye-catcher in this league has to be the prospect of a capital city derby between Fort Hope United and Fort Hope Sporting Club. It will also be interesting to watch how any rivalries shape up between the capital's clubs and the side's from other major cities such as Hennerton, Metlock or Wilhelmsbrook.

Second Division

Bay Of Mercy F.C
Combined Services F.C
Cullibrigg F.C
Dennelbridge F.C
F.C Phemway Phoenix
Jexton Rangers F.C
Medikau Glory F.C
National Defence Board F.C
Shankwell Swifts F.C
Sporting Piraz F.C
Tillerbury F.C
Yennet Valley F.C

Plenty of neutral eyes will be drawn to the two representive sides announced earlier this week - National Defence Board F.C made up of active service personnel from Drehda's armed forceds and Combined Services F.C who will field players drawn from across the three branches the country's emergency services. One can expect a keen rivalry between these two clubs.

It's expected that league fixtures will kick off in the coming days with a mid season knock out competition for every team from both divisions, the National Cup, also being scheduled

[Drehda]

Kit Reveals

The first official images of the home kits to be worn by each of Drehda's top 22 teams for the upcoming football season have been released today.

First Division

Cadderick Rovers F.C

Currilow F.C

Fort Hope S.C

Fort Hope United F.C

Fortuna Hollenwaard F.C

Hennerton F.C

Metlock Town F.C

Russford Blues F.C

Victoria Shankwell F.C

Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers F.C

Second Division

Bay Of Mercy F.C

Combined Services F.C

Cullibrigg F.C

Dennelbridge F.C

F.C Jexton Rangers

Medikau Glory F.C

National Defence Board F.C

F.C Phemway Phoenix

Shankwell Swifts F.C

Sporting Piraz F.C

Tillerbury F.C

Yannet Valley F.C

It's been confirmed that replicas have been put on sale (sold at all good sporting goods merchants and some crap ones too) and it's expected that this will help generate buzz and excitement amongst fans ahead of the the first round of fixtures. Which club's colours would you be repping on the terraces on a saturday afternoon?

[Drehda]

Dierick Welcomes All Comers

It was all smiles this afternoon as Ellis Barnes, president of the Professional Boxing Council of Drehda, held a lavish press event to mark the official crowning of the organisation's first Heavyweight champion - Jurgen Dierick.

The 32 year old Dierick, fresh off his comprehensive 7th round demolition of Simon Burns, cut a relaxed and jovial figure as he posed for photos with a select group of fight fans to show off his newly earned strap and took questions from the journos in attendance.

"I'm the first one to get my hands on the belt because this belt belongs with me, it was made for me. I won't be giving it up for a long, long time" Dierick promised. "Bring on anyone, bring them on two at a time. I'll knock the first one out with my right then drop the second bloke with my left. It's my belt until I decide otherwise".

Barnes seemed to be revelling in his champion's confidence "Look, any sporting product needs stars to attract an audience and it's clear that's what we've uncovered in Jurgen. He's got the style, the attitude and he's shown his quality inside the ropes. But there's quality opponents in his weightclass and he'll be tested, he'll have to back the words up. Other fighers will be watching today and this is where they want to be, they want to steal this limelight from him. I look forward to watching those challenges and we're hopefully to announce the next contender soon."

[Drehda]

Opening Weekend

There was a near-audible sigh of relief shared across the country this weekend from the nation's football fans as the top two divisions of the much anticipated Drehdan National League got underway. There was no shortage of excitement and goals as the attending fans were treated to some pulsating action.

First Division

Currilow F.C 3 - 1 F.C Fortuna Hollenwaard
(Lambert, 22')
(Wiems, 37')
(Duran, 43')
(Hellman, 61')

Russford Blues F.C 2 - 4 Cadderick Rovers F.C
(Mészöly, 33')
(Mészöly, 39')
(Lopez, 52')
(Morris, 81')
(Jacks, 84')
(Gray, 89')

F.C Victoria Shankwell 0 - 3 Hennerton F.C
(McEwan, 17')
(Summers, 51')
(Summers, 77')

Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers F.C 3 - 3 Fort Hope S.C
(Kempton, 45+1')
(Cameron, 50')
(Phipps, 55')
(Bower, 66')
(Buck, 73')
(Briggs, 83')


Metlock Town 1 - 2 Fort Hope United F. C
(Black, 71')
(Halfpenny, 77')
(Appiah, 90+2)

Frankie McEwan. Remember the name, because in five years time you'll be the star of your local pub quiz with the answer to "Who was the first ever National First Division goalscorer?". The 31 year old left midfielder inked his name in the history books in the 17th minute when he broke the deadlock for Hennerton in their away fixture at Victoria Shankwell. A deep free kick for Hennerton was floated over the penalty box and it was McEwan who was alive to the opportunity, popping up unmarked at the backpost to volley home from point blank range.

Things only got worse from there for Victoria, as Hennerton's 30 year old striker Joe Summers bagged two second half goals to crown out a comfortable victory to send the Hens top of the league after week one.

Elsewhere, Currilow, Cadderick Rovers and Fort Hope United all registered wins to start their campaigns off on the right foot. Fort Hope United in particular will look back on this game with a wry smile as they battled back from a goal down to snatch all three points with a last gasp thunderbolt strike by holding midfielder Jean-Louis Appiah.

Second Division

Yennet Valley F.C 0 - 0 Sporting Piraz F.C
Tillerbury F.C 0 - 4 F.C Phemway Phoenix
Snow, 33'
Snow, 45+3'
Snow, 67'
Zunygia, 90+1'
Combined Services F.C 0 - 1 Dennelbridge F.C
Mendoza, 52'
Cullibrigg F.C 0 - 2 Medikau Glory F.C
Morgan, 40'
Molina, 78'
Jexton Rangers 1 - 2 Shankwell Swifts F.C
McKinney, 46'
Gaines, 70'
Mills, 83'
National Defence Board FC 1 - 1 Bay Of Mercy F.C
Flgt Sgt Watts, 20'
Alfrado, 57'

Phemway Phoenix have set the pace to mark themselves as early favourites for promotion as they dishes out a drubbing of Tillerbury thanks to a hattrick from young striker Fergus Snow, while Yennet Valley came away from their no-score draw feeling aggrieved after having not one but two goals controversially chalked off for offside against a Sporting Piraz side who never really got out of first gear.

[Drehda]

New heros emerged as the King of the Jungle walks tall

Boxing fans across Drehda had their eyes glued to the Shankwell University Athletics Centre last night,where a stacked card of eight fights across both the male and female divisions saw wounded heros avenge past defeats, new contenders pitch their bid for supremecy and a reigning giant mark himself out as the stand out titan of the national scene.

All men's bouts were fought over a maxium of ten rounds, each round lasting 3 minutes. All women's bouts were fought over a maximum of eight rounds, each round lasting 3 minutes.

Men's Results

Heavyweight (91+kg) - Jurgen Dierick defeated Alan Patterson by 3rd round T.K.O. Dierick retains PBCoD Heavyweight championship.
Cruiserweight (81+kg) - Ian Matthews defeated Jason Hodgkinson by 9th round T.K.O. Matthews retains PBCoD Cruiserweight championship.
Welterweight (69+kg) - Antonio Castillo defeated Craig Winchester by 8th round K.O. Castillo becomes #1 Welterweight contender.
Lightweight (60+kg) - Marcel Ambrose defeated Andre Essien by 7th round K.O. Ambrose retains PBCoD Lightweight championship.
Featherweight (56+kg) - Samuel Page defeated Aziz Lakmal by unananimous points decisions. Page becomes #1 Featherweight contender.

It was a busy night in the men's division. Ian Matthews enhanced his credentials as Cruiserweight champ by recording a late stoppage to defend his strap against 20 year old Jason Hodgkinson, improving his reputation after a competent but unremarkable win over William Brady in his first outing. Craig Winchester sunk to his second successive defeat when southpaw Antonio Castillo knocked him out in the 8th round. Winchester will have to regroup and rebuild his career from this point, while Castillo has marked his card to challenge reigning Welterweight champion Kelvin Croft in the near future.

In the Lightweight class, Marcel Ambrose cut a much more impressive figure in his rematch against Andre Essien. Ambrose only just edged out Essien in their first clash, but this time Ambrose showed much more rhythm and great timing to pull apart the wild and overly aggressive Essien. All eyes will be on if Ambrose chooses to entertain a third fight between the two. It's undeniable that they match up for a great rivalry, but Ambrose has an argument to make that he has proven himself too good and deserves to move on to the new challenges.

In the lightest Men's class, two debutants squared off as 21 year old Samuel Page cruised to a comfortable judge's decision win over Aziz Lakmal.

The true attention grabber though was, again, National Heavyweight Champion Jurgen Dierick who backed up plenty of press chatter with a crushing win over the challenger Alan Patterson. This latest outing, with Dierick hardly breaking sweat before opening up a vicious cut over Patterson's left eye that warranted the referee's deceisive intervention, he has only fueled speculation that maybe there really is nobody within Drehda who can match his combination of footwork, punching power and shark-like ability to exploit defensive openings. If the 6'4, 16 stone champ continues to bulldoze his way through the division, he may be forced to cast his eyes abroad in search of serious competition.

Women's Results

Welterweight (67+kg) - Emily Foley defeated Jannisha Hart by split points decision. Foley crowned PCBoD Welterweight Champion.
Lightweight (60+kg) - Jo-Jo Weston defeated Daniella Hewitt by 5th round T.K.O. Weston becomes #1 Lightweight contender.
Featherweight (55+kg) - Kelly Barksdale defeated Katrina Robins unanimous points decision.

Kelly Barksdale continued her hot streak with a professional although unspectacular decision win over Katrina Robins, who showed good heart and technical skills but lacked the power to sting the champion. Jo-Jo Weston stood out a possible star of the future by sinking Daniella Hewitt to her second straight loss. Weston sets up a title shot in her future, earning the right to square off with belt holder Nicola Brady in her next outing. The most intriguing fight was Foley-Hart II, fresh off a last-gasp, shocking knock out victory for Hart in the first installment. Foley cut a focused and determined figure, hungry for revenge as she was on the front foot from the first bell. Despite her energy, Foley was only able to record a split decision win and although she went home with the gold, it seems a near certainty that we will see Foley-Hart III in the near future for all the marbles and to settle the argument once and for all.

[Drehda]

Forces Champ Considers Pro Switch

The rumour mill has been working over time today after Ellis Barnes, head of Drehda's pro boxing committee, was spotted in the crowd observing the action at last night's Armed Forces Grand Prix. Pugilists from each branch of the country's military squared off to crown this year's winners in both men's and women's weight categories. All fights were held over eight rounds of three minutes and all fighers were required to wear vests and headguards.

The stand out performer was, without a doubt, was southpaw Lance Corporal Bruno Higgins (3rd Battalion, Marine Commando Regiment) who took home the Heavyweight crown with a comprehensive deconstruction of the Airmen 1st Class Oliver Bunce (No. 7 Squadron, No. 1 Fighter Group, Air Force). Higgins cut an imperious figure and was a clear step above in technical skill, footwork and athleticism amongst the other heavyweight servicemen on display. This breathtaking display, coupled with the unofficial but poorly hidden attendance of Ellis Barnes, has set tongues waging in pro circles that Higgins could set to hand in his service papers and take up the gloves full time with a view to challenge the Professional Boxing Council of Drehda's heavyweight king, Jurgen Dierick. This reporter managed to speak to Lance Corporal Higgins after the fight and he had this to say on his fighting future:

"I'm confident of my ability and I believe I could walk in to the professional division and perform well, acquit myself well in that world. If that happens, I'm not entirely sure. I obviously signed up to be a Commando and that's my job and my duty to the country. The technicalities and legalities of if I can stay in service and look to fight pros at the same time, I don't know and will leave for others to decide. If they decide i can then i'll happily look at those options. If they decide I can't, I'm comfortable with where I am and proud to serve Drehda and represent my regiment."

It's undeniable that people were starting to worry that the domestic professional heavyweight class was running short of quality challengers for Jurgen Dierick after a string of monsterous wins, so the prospect of introducing a new major player is an obviously attractive one. It'll be deeply intriguing to see how this pathway pans out. Keep your eye on this one, fight fans.

Elsewhere on the night, there was a bruising tear up in the men's middleweight class as Midshipman Conor Westerly (FS14 Tempest) and Corporal Freddie Widdowson (2nd Battalion, 1st Artillery Regiment, Army) stood toe-to-toe and slugged out a classic. Both fighters put on great displays and represented their respective forces admirally. The attending judges, equally drawn from every wing of the Armed Forces, decided that Widdowson's sniping shots to the body and clinical footwork were just enough to edge a decision victory over Westerly's steady, ever-pressing and mauling style. It has to be said that the gathered audience, while a fairly well lubricated crowd of hard-drinking service men and women, weren't overly upset with the judges decision but one could fairly and robustly argue that Westerly would have been just as worth a winner.

From the women's bouts, the pick of the action was widely seen as the lightweight match up between finalists Flight Sergeant Claressa Hardy (No. 3 Squadron, Intergrated Operations Group, Air Force) and Private Victoria Ford (3rd Battalion, Signals Regiment, Army). Whereas the majority of the male contests had been raw displays for speed, power and guts, this was more of a delight for the sport's purists. 36 year old Hardy and the 22 year old Ford made for a fascinating stylistic chess match. Hardy looked to utilise her significant height and reach advantage, standing tall and working behind a reaching jab against Ford's busy, combination based work on the inside. The result was a contest which wasn't as frantic and fast paced as others seen on the night, with large spells where Hardy was able to dictate the pace and look to score points surgically. That said, in the moments where Ford was able to slip and weave up close, business really did pick up and there were a few occassions when Ford lured her veteran opponent to stand and trade blows.

Although this fight did go the distance the fans were left wishing we could have been treated to at least two more, such was the quality of competition these warriors treated us to. While it's likely too late in the day for Hardy, Ford certainly showed the skills needed to succeed in the pro game and she has time on her side to make the switch in the near, medium or even long term future. The judges were ultimately wooed by Ford's hungrier and more aggressive style, awarding her the win and perhaps symbolically illuminating her first major step in the beginning of what could be truly immense career, either in the amatuer or pro ranks.

[Drehda]

Tournament to shake up Lightweight Div

Professional Boxing Council of Drehda President Ellis Barnes was getting all eyes on his organisation once again as he today announced plans for a Lightweight tournament to be held over the coming months to decide the #1 challengers for gold in both the men's and women's divisions.

Both competitions, announced today as the Emerald Cup for the Men and the Jade Shield for the Women, will see sixteen warriors face each other down in one-off, randomly drawn bouts with the over-all winner being given the first opportunity to face current reigning champion Marcel Ambrose (Men's) or Nicola Brady (Women's).

Men

Andre Essien
Dean Mills
Cyrus Donnelly
TJ Lewis
Frank Carpenter
Liam Bottomley
Rahul Patel
Apollo Arthurton
Troy Essuman
Sunny Dussen
Mark Elgar
Adonis Price
Graeme Mulder
Sajid Miah
Trevor Jones
Lawrence Windsor


Women

Olivia Jansen
Clare Roberts
Sophie Evans
Caroline Palacios
Esmerelda Zola
Rashida Pollock
Victoria Adams
Gabriela Ducza
Naomi Clarke
Isabella Cunningham
Jo-Jo Weston
Daniella Hewitt
Tammy Taylor
Suzie Gunn
Amelia Sharpe
Deborah Hodges

The name immediately that leap off the page in the Men's division are Andre Essien, who has already battled the champion Ambrose twice in gruelling and hotly contest battles. Early movements by the bookies are showing Sajid Miah and Sunny Dussen as contenders. Miah has recently vacated the national Lightweight amateur strap in order to make the step up to the pros, while Dussen fought mostly at Feathweight in his amatuer matches but has bulked up and is looking to show he can mix it up in this higher weightclass.

In the women's field, Jo-Jo Weston has recently completed a knock out victory over fellow competitor Daniella Hewitt and so will be regarded as the hot favourite to secure the plate, while Tammy Taylor and Amelia Sharpe have been the dominant forces in the amatuer ranks for the last two years.

Barnes announced that the draw will taken place in the coming days and that, should these tournaments prove a success with the fans, the formats could be rolled out to other weight classes as well.

[Drehda]

Brave New World

Today saw a landmark announcement which seems poised to profoundly shake up the professional sporting landscape in Drehda.

Today National Athletics Council CEO Elouise Dubois was joined by Ravi Akram (National Cricket Board Chair), Alexander McBride (Football Association of Drehda President), Kate Carter (Drehdan Combined Rugby Administration Chair), Sanjay Prabhakar (Field Hockey Drehda COO) and Steven Reed (Basketball & Netball Union of Drehda President) for a press conference at the NAC's head offices in Fort Hope.

Dubois spoke to the gathered press to announce that the current system is of each sport having independent league structures to one universal elite league model. Eight franchises will field male and team teams in each sport with no promotion or relegation from this batch of new elite leagues.

The existing leagues and the traditional clubs which compete within them will continue to exist but the immediate press speculation is that they'll be forced to take on a semi-professional status at most.

"We understand that there may be some resistance and disappointment among supporters and staff of existing teams. I want everyone who feels that way to know that we passionately appreciate and respect your love and dedication to your respective sports. But we've made this decision because we all believe that a new structure will have great benefits for those involved in the Elite Performance model and those at the grass-roots level. We are expecting a higher level of on-field performance and increased level of financial revenue, all of which can be utilised to increase amateur and junior engagement in the short and long-term future. This is a move to protect and develop each and every one of the sports the Council represent. That includes those in attendance here today and beyond."

Promotion and relegation is a much beloved trademark of Drehdan sport and the new model completely does away with this across the board. Dubois said "Promotion and relegation will continue at in the secondary and grass-roots levels and will continue to bring all the drama and excitement that fans love. However for the Elite Performance model we've done away with that structure and there's good reason to believe this will lead to a better on field product. We also think it'll give players and staff greater stability and confidence in the contracts they sign knowing that their personal financial situations won't be put at risk one season to the next".

Dubois went on to confirm the identities of the new franchises:

Northern Sharks
Eastern Comets
Central Magic
Western Stars
Southern Hawks
Fort Hope Lions

It's immediately notable how this new system marks a shift away from teams localised around particular towns and cities towards more general geographic representation, with the exception of one team for the nation's capital and largest metropolitan area. When questioned on this move, Ravi Akram appeared upbeat:

"It's our hope that this change of direction will mean we attract a larger and more diverse fan base for each club. The move to a unilateral franchise set up also means that fans of one sport will have more incentive to watch their team compete in others. Traditionally fans support their own club and have no reason to have any interest beyond that. It's our hope that this method will mean that, for example, a rugby fan supporting the Eastern Bulls will be more inclined to show their support for the club by going along and watching their cricket or basketball teams and vice versa. It's a really exciting move and think that it'll really capture the fan's imagination if everyone gives it a proper chance"

It was also commented on that the franchise identities could be accused of being bland or generic. Football chief Alexander McBride tackled this issue head on by saying:

"These are new organisations who will be starting out with fresh squads and new groups of supporters. Each franchise has a completely blank slate and everyone involved with have the opportunity to contribute and held define their new identities."

Social media has been buzzing with a wide range of reactions to the announcement. Wether you're excited or horrified by the move, there can be no doubt that sports fans all over Drehda will have their eyes glued to the new structure. Dubois confirmed that there will be further announcements regarding rosters, club kits and fixtures in the coming days and weeks.

[Drehda]

Social media buzzing for new Franchises

Following the recent announcement of a unilateral "Elite Performance Model" across all of Drehda's major team sports, pundits and fans alike have been pouring out with their reactions and opinions on the six newly established Franchises. We've also been able to get the first public communications from each team and get eyes on the official logos for each organisation.

Some fans are definitely intrigued by the new set up



While others remain loyal to their traditional clubs and structures





The Fort Hope Lions and the Northern Sharks have been getting their official accounts set up and engaging with the online community

An official press release from the National Athletics Council also unveiled the official logos of each franchise:

Will this new model be a success and propel Drehda to the fore-front of commercial and sporting success? Or is this just another win for corporate fat-cats to turn our beloved games into profitable commodities?

[Drehda]

New & Old Tournaments Announced

Further information has been released regarding the recently remodeled national elite sporting structure and the tournaments which will make up the future of each sport.

Rugby League, Association Football and Basketball / Netball will hold double round robin competitions with each team playing each other twice. Overall placings will be decided on Highest Total Points / Highest Goal Difference / Most Goals For. If an overall champion can not be decided after Most Goals For is considered, a one-off play off final will be held by the highest two ranked sides. In the event that more than two teams cannot be separated even by Most Goals For, coin tosses will be held to eliminate sides until two remain. After this point, a play off final will be held. Each sport will use the same formats for both Men's and Women's competitions (with the exception of Netball which will be women's only). Each league will be branded National Premier Divison.

Cricket will hold a T20 competition branded the National T20 Rampage. This will be a double round robin with overall placings being decided on Highest Total Points / Total wins / Net Run Rate. In the event of teams still being tied after NRR is considered, coin tosses will be held to eliminate sides until a top two teams can be established. These top two teams will be then play a best-of-three finals series. The same format will be used for both Men's and Women's cricket.

Currently there is no word on if there will any longer format cricket competitions, althought it is understood that National Cricket Board chair Ravi Akram has a strong appitite to do so in the future.

There will be a sigh of relief from those not totally enamoured with this new Franchise model as Akram confirmed that the draw has been held for the first round of the Drehda T20 Cup. This is the competition held between the "Traditional" clubs who came before the new dawn of Franchise sport. Five local cricket clubs will compete amongst themselves, joined by representative teams from Drehda's armed and emergency services as well as the Drehda Under-19s national team.

The first round of fixtures will be:

Bracket A: Cadderick Stampede vs Metlock Bears
Bracket B: Combined Services XI vs Hollenwaard Hurricaines
Bracket C: Hennerton Unicorns vs Wilhelmsbrook Warriors
Bracket D: National Defence Board XI vs Drehda U19s

The T20 cup is a simple three round knock out. The winners of Brackets A & B will play off in a semi final, as will the winners of Brackets C & D. The winners of these semi finals will then progress to a one game final.

It has been confirmed that once the T20 cup is complete, the same teams will compete in the Drehda 3-Day Shield.

[Drehda]

"Lower" Leagues Progress, FAD Cup Begins

Despite the recent buzz around the newly promised Franchise era which will take over soccer and other team sports in Drehda, the on-going tournaments are all well under way and providing thrilling viewing for fans across the country.

First Division

Week 2
Fortuna Hollenwaard 0 : 1 Fort Hope United
Fort Hope S.C 3 : 2 Metlock Town
Hennerton 0 : 0 Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers
Cadderick Rovers 2 : 0 Victoria Shankwell
Currilow F.C 1 : 0 Russford Blues F.C

Week 3
Russford Blues F.C 2 : 1 Fortuna Hollenwaard
Victoria Shankwell 0 : 1 Currilow F.C
Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers 0 : 0 Cadderick Rovers
Metlock Town 2 : 0 Hennerton
Fort Hope United 4 : 4 Fort Hope S.C

Week 4
Fortuna Hollenwaard 0 : 1 Fort Hope S.C
Hennerton 1 : 0 Fort Hope United
Cadderick Rovers 2 : 0 Metlock Town
Currilow F.C 0 : 1 Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers
Russford Blues F.C 2 : 2 Victoria Shankwell

Week 5
Victoria Shankwell 2 : 0 Fortuna Hollenwaard
Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers 1 : 2 Russford Blues F.C
Metlock Town 1 : 0 Currilow F.C
Fort Hope United 0 : 1 Cadderick Rovers
Fort Hope S.C 3 : 3 Hennerton

The game of the season so far simply as to be the Week 3 Capital Derby, where Fort Hope United hosted a frantic, unpredictable affair which saw them share a total of eight goals with their cross-town rivals Sporting Club. It was a game that had absolutely everything except a winner. United flew into a 2-0 lead after just 13 minutes with goals from their flying wingers Toure and Barella and extended their lead on the stroke of half time when young #9 Ross Douglas darted in to capitilised on some defensive miscommunication to intercept a back pass and roll the ball into an empty net from just outside the penalty area.

Where most sides would have capitulated, Sporting Club came back roaring with a wonderful team move directly from the 2nd half kick, linking together 16 passes to allow subsitute attacker Antonio Baptise to nip in at the front post and turn the ball home. The first touch of the half by a United player was for goalkeeper Donald Carter to fish the ball out of his net!

SC kept the pressure up and drew level in the 73rd minute thanks to a 2nd for Baptise and a towering header from centre-half Sammy Woods.

With little time left on the clock and the home fans roaring with frustration, United were able to catch a second wind. Dimunitive attacking midfielder Dominic Halfpenny danced his way through the SC midfield before getting into an ugly tangle with SC full-back Demola N'dua. The United faithful were over-joyed when Referee Lucy Cooley ajudged N'Dua to have been the last man and a deliberate foul, meaning he was issued with a straight red card. 36 year-old anchorman Bill Fulton duly stepped up and slotted home the resulting spot-kick to give United a 4-3 lead with less than 10 minutes left.

In the dying moments it was all hands to the pump for Sporting Club's remaining 10 men. A throw in won deep in the opposition half saw both centrebacks and even the goalkeeper waved forward. The throw was taken short, immediately followed by a long, booming hoof forward into the United penalty box. Woods leaped above the crowd and got a glancing flick-on, Sporting goalie Craig Gayle found himself unmarked at the back post and stuck a leg out for a desperate volley, only to see his shot clip the underside of the crossbar and land at the feet of that man Antonio Baptise who bundled the ball over the line to the level the scores once again and leave United with barely enough time to restart.

All in all a real classic where both sides gave their all to leave long lasting memories for both sets of supporters.

The stand out team so far has to be Cadderick Rovers, who are unbeaten so far and look set to mount a serious title challenge down the back half of the campaign.

Second Division

Week 2
Sporting Piraz 0 : 0 Bay Of Mercy
Shankwell Swifts 5 : 3 NDB FC
Medikau Glory 0 : 1 Jexton Rangers
Dennelbridge 2 : 1 Cullibrigg
Phemway Phoenix 1 : 1 Combined Services
Yennet Valley 4 : 1 Tillerbury F.C

Week 3
Tillerbury F.C 1 : 2 Sporting Piraz
Combined Services 2 : 1 Yennet Valley
Cullibrigg 1 : 1 Phemway Phoenix
Jexton Rangers 0 : 0 Dennelbridge
NDB FC 0 : 0 Medikau Glory
Bay Of Mercy 1 : 0 Shankwell Swifts

Week 4
Sporting Piraz 4 : 1 Shankwell Swifts
Medikau Glory 1 : 2 Bay Of Mercy
Dennelbridge 1 : 2 NDB FC
Phemway Phoenix 2 : 2 Jexton Rangers
Yennet Valley 0 : 1 Cullibrigg
Tillerbury F.C 1 : 3 Combined Services

Week 5
Combined Services 0 : 1 Sporting Piraz
Cullibrigg 1 : 1 Tillerbury F.C
Jexton Rangers 2 : 2 Yennet Valley
NDB FC 1 : 0 Phemway Phoenix
Bay Of Mercy 2 : 0 Dennelbridge
Shankwell Swifts 1 : 1 Medikau Glory

Week 6
Sporting Piraz 1 : 0 Medikau Glory
Dennelbridge 0 : 0 Shankwell Swifts
Phemway Phoenix 3 : 4 Bay Of Mercy
Yennet Valley 1 : 0 NDB FC
Tillerbury F.C 3 : 1 Jexton Rangers
Combined Services 3 : 2 Cullibrigg

At this stage of the student it becomes time for the sides in the Second Division to turn their attention to knockout competition, as those 12 teams will play off against each other in the qualifying round of the FAD Cup. The six winners from this round will then go forward to battle with the 10 First Division sides as the tournament progresses. The qualifying round draw is:

Tillerbury F.C vs Phemway Phoenix
Cullibrigg vs NDB
Sporting Piraz vs Shankwell Swifts
Medikau Glory vs Combined Services
Dennelbridge vs Jexton Rangers
Yanet Valley vs Bay of Mercy

[Drehda]

Lightweight Tournaments Underway

The Emerald Cup and The Jade Shield both got underway last night at two simulanteous events for the Professional Boxing Council of Drehda Male & Female Lightweight divsions.

Men's Results

Liam Bottomley defeated Apollo Arthurton by unananimous points decision
Frank Carpenter defeated Cyrus Donnelly by unananimous points decision
Mark Elgar defeated Sunny Dussen by 5th round TKO
Andre Essien defeated Trevor Jones by split points decision.
TJ Lewis defeated Sajid Miah by 8th round K.O
Dean Mills defeated Graeme Mulder by 10th round K.O
Rahul Patel defeated Adonis Price by unananimous points decision
Troy Essuman defeated Lawrence Windsor by unananimous points decision

Two huge shocks in this first round, as both premier amatuer stars both fell to convincing knock out defeats. Sajid Miah, who vacated the lightweight amatuer belt to compete in this tournament was brutally dropped by southpaw TJ Lewis while Sunny Dussen, who was undefeated at amatuer Featherweight, tasted defeated following a 5th round stoppage when the referee decided a cut and swelling to Dussen's left eye rendered him unable to appropriately defend himself and that continuation of the fight would be inappropriately unsafe. Both will be forced to reconsider their futures in the professional ranks for the time being at least.

There was also a happy moment as Andre Essien finally claimed his first victory as a professional after he had twice been defeated by the reigning champion Marcel Ambrose

Women's Results

JoJo Weston defeated Sophie Evans by unananimous points decision
Naomi Clarke defeated Victoria Adams by 8th round TKO
Suzie Gunn defeated Isabella Cunningham by unananimous points decision
Olivia Jansen defeated Clare Roberts by 6th round K.O
Rashida Pollock defeated Esmerelda Zola by unananimous points decision
Daniella Hewitt defeated Deborah Hodges by 8th round K.O
Tammy Taylor defeated Caroline Palacios by 7th round TKO
Amelia Sharpe defeated Gabriela Ducza by 3rd round K.O

No such surprises in the women's division as all four favourites (Sharpe, Taylor, Hewitt and Weston) all cruised through to the second round.

Second round draw to follow in both divisions

[Drehda]

Cup Fever Sweeps The Nation

It's been a gripping day of knock-out action in both the Football Association of Drehda Cup and in the cricket with the Drehda T20 Cup.

In the FAD Cup, teams from the National Second Division were pitted against each other for the Qualifying Round. The winners of these matches go forward to compete against National First Division clubs for the rest of the tournament. As such, the Qualifying Round represents a great opportunity for one of the smaller clubs to secure a big-pay day by qualifying for a match up against one of the giants like Cadderick Rovers.

Tillerbury F.C 1
F.C Phemway Phoenix 2


Cullibrigg F.C 3
National Defence Board F.C 4

Sporting Piraz F.C 3
Shankwell Swifts F.C 1

Medikau Glory F.C 0
Combined Services F.C 1

Dennelbridge F.C 3
Jexton Rangers F.C 1

Yennet Valley F.C 0
Bay Of Mercy F.C 2

Having lost their first four games of the league season, Tillerbury were hoping to build on their performance in Week 6 were they had registered their first win of the campaign with a 3-1 home victory over Jexton Rangers. Unfortunately they've crashed back down to earth with gutting defeat at home to F.C Phemway Phoenix. There will have to be a serious inquest and some difficult conversations behind closed doors if Tillerbury are to find a way to get their season back on course and salvage some pride from their remaining games.

The tie of round was unquestionably the thrilling match at Cullibrigg, where the National Defence Board XI dragged themselves back from a three goal first half deficit to steal the victory in extra time. Both Lance Corporal Tyler Robinson and Marine Shaquill Jenkins got themselves on the scoresheet in the second half. Army Sergeant Craig Haynes was able to find a yard of space at the front post to get on the end of Jenkins' free kick in the 73rd minute to bring the scores level. In Extra Time, Cullibrigg looked absolutely shell-shocked and there was an air of inevitability when Marine Lance Corporal Johnny Fox was able to latch on to a long ball up field and slot the ball past Cullibrigg goalie Frances Horne. A gripping match which will live long in the memory and saw Drehda's fighting men do the nation proud.

In the same spirit there was a brilliant, backs-to-the-wall defensive performance by the Combined Services team (representing Drehda's Blue Light Emergency services - Police, Ambulance Service and Fire & Rescue Service) as they weathered a manic barage from Medikau Glory, only for Paramedic Alex Hodge to snatch the winner with a delightful free-kick against the run of play.

The winning sides all go forward to the round of sixteen, where things only get harder thanks to the introduction of the First Division clubs:

National Defence Board F.C vs F.C Phemway Phoenix

Sporting Piraz F.C vs Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers

Cadderick Rovers F.C vs Combined Services F.C

Jexton Rangers F.C vs Metlock Town F.C

Russford Blues vs Bay Of Mercy F.C

Fortuna Hollenwaard F.C vs Hennerton F.C

Currilow F.C vs F.C Victoria Shankwell

Fort Hope S.C vs Fort Hope United F.C

All eyes will be drawn to the Capital Derby, where Fort Hope Sporting Club will lock horns once again with Fort Hope United. There was an exilerating 4-4 draw in their first league match up, so expect more fireworks when they square off in the cup.






In the cricket, there was plenty of six-hitting and wicket-taking to keep fans entertained in the shortest form of the game:

Cadderick Stampede 121/7 (20 overs)

Metlock Bears + 160/5 (20 Overs)



Combined Services XI + 187/6 (20 overs)

Hollenwaard Hurricanes 145/5 (20 overs)



Hennerton Unicorns 130/8 (17 overs)

Wilhelmsbrook Warriors + 127 a.o (14.4 overs)



National Defence Board XI 124 a.o (18 overs)

Drehda U19s + 145/6 (20 overs)

(+ indicates this side batted first)


There was a pleasing win for Drehda U19s, as the young talents hoping to be the future stars of Drehdan cricket were able to post a competitive total batting first and then back it up with bowling firepower to blow away the NDB batsmen.



The winners all go forward to the Semi Finals where the matchs are:

Metlock Bears vs Combined Services XI

Hennerton Unicorns vs Drehda U19s

Stay tuned for further updates as both these competitions head towards their final stages...

[Drehda]

League Campaigns Roll On, Reach Halfway Mark

First Division

Week 6
Fortuna Hollenwaard 1 : 1 Hennerton
Cadderick Rovers 2 : 0 Fort Hope S.C
Currilow F.C 1 : 1 Fort Hope United
Russford Blues F.C 0 : 1 Metlock Town
Victoria Shankwell 2 : 1 Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers

Week 7
Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers 2 : 1 Fortuna Hollenwaard
Metlock Town 1 : 1 Victoria Shankwell
Fort Hope United 1 : 0 Russford Blues F.C
Fort Hope S.C 2 : 0 Currilow F.C
Hennerton 1 : 2 Cadderick Rovers

Week 8
Fortuna Hollenwaard 0 : 0 Cadderick Rovers
Currilow F.C 3 : 0 Hennerton
Russford Blues F.C 4 : 3 Fort Hope S.C
Victoria Shankwell 0 : 3 Fort Hope United
Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers 4 : 2 Metlock Town

Week 9
Metlock Town 0 : 2 Fortuna Hollenwaard
Fort Hope United 0 : 0 Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers
Fort Hope S.C 2 : 0 Victoria Shankwell
Hennerton 3 : 1 Russford Blues F.C
Cadderick Rovers 0 : 1 Currilow F.C

Second Division

Week 7
Cullibrigg 1 : 1 Sporting Piraz
Jexton Rangers 0 : 0 Combined Services
NDB FC 0 : 3 Tillerbury F.C
Bay Of Mercy 0 : 2 Yennet Valley
Shankwell Swifts 1 : 1 Phemway Phoenix
Medikau Glory 1 : 1 Dennelbridge

Week 8
Sporting Piraz 1 : 1 Dennelbridge
Phemway Phoenix 2 : 4 Medikau Glory
Yennet Valley 1 : 2 Shankwell Swifts
Tillerbury F.C 2 : 1 Bay Of Mercy
Combined Services 2 : 1 NDB FC
Cullibrigg 0 : 1 Jexton Rangers

Week 9
Jexton Rangers 0 : 2 Sporting Piraz
NDB FC 2 : 2 Cullibrigg
Bay Of Mercy 0 : 1 Combined Services
Shankwell Swifts 0 : 0 Tillerbury
Medikau Glory 1 : 1 Yennet Valley
Dennelbridge 1 : 0 Phemway Phoenix

Week 10
Sporting Piraz 1 : 0 Phemway Phoenix
Yennet Valley 0 : 0 Dennelbridge
Tillerbury 2 : 1 Medikau Glory
Combined Services 0 : 1 Shankwell Swifts
Cullibrigg 0 : 2 Bay Of Mercy
Jexton Rangers 3 : 1 NDB FC

Week 11
NDB FC 1 : 1 Sporting Piraz
Bay Of Mercy 3 : 2 Jexton Rangers
Shankwell Swifts 1 : 1 Cullibrigg
Medikau Glory 3 : 2 Combined Services
Dennelbridge 0 : 1 Tillerbury
Phemway Phoenix 1 : 1 Yennet Valley

[Drehda]

Cups Heat Up, Upsets Galore!

Round two of the FAD Cup means that we saw 2nd Division minnows pitched against more illustrious counter-parts from the 1st Division and there was more than one surprise result:

National Defence Board F.C 1
F.C Phemway Phoenix 0

Sporting Piraz F.C 2
Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers 0

Cadderick Rovers F.C 2
Combined Services F.C 1

Jexton Rangers F.C 0
Metlock Town F.C 1

Russford Blues 1
Bay Of Mercy F.C 4

Fortuna Hollenwaard F.C 1
Hennerton F.C 0

Currilow F.C 4
F.C Victoria Shankwell 1

Fort Hope S.C 2
Fort Hope United F.C 1

Russford Blues rather average campaign continue to sputtered towards insignificance as they were resoundingly thumped at home by 2nd division Bay Of Mercy F.C. The Sea-Siders looked utterly rampant, flooding forward en masse at will and showing a clear gulf in terms of effort and teamwork over the long-struggling Blues. Bay Of Mercy were cruising after just 61 minutes thanks to a hat-trick of clinical finishes from fox-in-the-box striker Ricky Vincent, who played merry havoc amongst the proverbial headless chicken coop which is the Russford backline, and a long-range wonder goal from central midfielder Miguel Soto. With just four minutes left of normal time and most of the home fans long since departed from the terraces, 33 year old target man Dillon Gray managed to grab a consilation goal. The small contingent of traveling Bay Of Mercy fans lept in wild scenes of cruelly ironic jubilation before descending into even crueler and utterly unironc jeers and foul-mouthed chanting. The Blues displayed the toxic combination of gun-shy up front and completely leaderless at the back, leaving manager Ryan Clifford has just nine league games to find solutions at both ends of the pitch and turn the clubs fortunes around. Despite the woeful cup outing, most pundits think that Russford Blues will have enough to preserve their current five point lead over fellow strugglers Fortuna Hollenwaard. It'll be important to look out for a newly buoyed Fortuna down the back end of the league campagin however after they were able to narrowly see off Hennerton F.C in their closely fought cup tie.

There was also a tremendous game where unbeaten Sporting Piraz showed their quality and First Division credentials by posting a clean-sheet victory over Wilhelmsbrook Wanderers. Sporting have been racing away at the top of their league and this latest outing made them appear to be every bit a first rate outfit. If they keep this form up they should win their league at a real canter and also make a strong push into the later stages of the cup.

Other notable results included the National Defence Board continuing to confound the talking heads, as they threw off the shackles of their rather indifferent league form to brush aside divisional rivals Phemway Phoenix and a pulsating Capital City derby which saw Fort Hope Sporting Club claim bragging rights with a 2-1 home win over their cross-town rivals.

The Quarter Finals have been drawn and the ties are:

Bay Of Mercy F.C
Cadderick Rovers F.C

Currilow F.C
Fort Hope S.C

Fortuna Hollenwaard F.C
Metlock Town F.C

National Defence Board F.C
Sporting Piraz F.C

At least one 2nd Division side is guaranteed a semi-final berth due to the NDB's match up against the rampant Sporting Piraz, and plenty of neutrals may be quietly hoping to see Bay Of Mercy continue their cup run by overturning First Division title contenders Cadderick Rovers.



There was also plenty of drama and excitement in the T20 Cup Semi Finals

Metlock Bears + 148 a.o (19.1 overs)
Combined Services XI 149/6 (19.3 overs)

It was a fantastic display of hostile fast bowling from Police Constable Tommy Drake who took 4/18 from just 3.3 overs to set up the Combined Services, which was then backed up with a brutal display of hitting from Firefighter Colin Healy (81* from 46 balls) to seal the victory.

Hennerton Unicorns 157/7 (17.4 overs)
Drehda U19s + 154/7 (20 overs)

It's hard to deny there was a real sense of disappointment in the press box when Unicorns' all-rounder Ezra Osbourn knocked off the winning runs by swishing a knee-high full toss to the fine leg boundary. Plenty of fans were hoping to see the nation's most promising talents take the next step and have their moment to shine in a grand final, but alas it was not to be as the young bowlers seemed unable to keep their discipline and Hennerton's greater depth of experience won the day as they comfortably reeled in the target with more than two overs to spare.

Dispite the journalistic desire for the U19s fairy-tale, it must be said that these result set up an intriguing final between Combined Services and Hennerton Unicorns. The final is to be played at Hollenwaard Oval. Once this T20 competition is done and dusted, the same eight teams will turn their attention to the red-ball format as they compete in the 3-Day Shield.

[Drehda]

FAD Announce Expansion Leagues

FAD Chairman Alexander McBride today confirmed that the national lower league structure will be expanded beyond the existing First & Second Divisions, with the new feeder leagues intended to commence next season and provide a total of 24 new clubs to the system.

"We are satisfied that the ongoing success of this year's on-field product demonstrates that there is an incredible appetite amongst Drehdans to have access to more professional football at all levels and that's why we've decided to proceed with these proposals. This clearly demonstrates our commitment to developing the game at all levels, it will be an amazingly exciting campaign next season with the establishment of our Premier Division franchises and four leagues of club football for supporters to enjoy."

The initial draft proposals indicate that the new leagues will take the form of a two equitable Third Divisions. The winners of these leagues will play off against each other, with the overall winner going forward to play against the team which finished last in that season's edition of the Second Division.

The move has been largely welcomed by fans, but there are large question marks over the complexity of the promotion and relegation pathway with some pundits speculating that each extra hoop is intended to make it harder for Third Division clubs to make progress up the leagues.

"It's my belief that the proposed model would ensure maximum intensity and excitement, which would mean more revenue and media attention for clubs who qualify for the play offs. That's not to say that we aren't open to feedback, there's still plenty of time for us to remodel and reconsider if it's what the fans want".

Despite McBride putting a positive public spin on the proposal, this journalist understands that several of the FAD board are in favour of a much simpler method of the two Third Division winners being promoted automatically and the lowest two ranked sides from the Second Division being plunged into the bottom tier.

Clubs who wish to enter the new divisions have the next four weeks to get their bids in, as they have to demonstrate they have sufficient infrastructure and financial stability to be given professional status.

Shocks Continue In Quarter-Finals!

Bay Of Mercy F.C 2
Cadderick Rovers F.C 1

Currilow F.C 2
Fort Hope S.C 1

Fortuna Hollenwaard F.C 0
Metlock Town F.C 1

National Defence Board F.C 1
Sporting Piraz F.C 2

There was one truly sensational result in the FAD Cup Quarter Finals where Second Division Bay Of Mercy F.C knocked out First Division heavyweights Cadderick Rovers thanks to a thrilling second half come back.

Cadderick went into the half time break a goal to good after Left Wing-Back Oscar Lopez flashed a low, driven cross through the six yard box and Sándor Mészöly was able to lose his marker and stab the ball home to open the scoring. Bay Of Mercy got themselves level not long into the second half, Carlos Lozano able to find time and space to stand his defender up, drop the shoulder and find half a yard of space to get a shot off past Rovers' Mike Roberts between the sticks. Centre-Back Isaiah Skinner then sealed the victory for the lower league side, rising above Cadderick's defence and getting onto the end of a high, looping corner kick to steet the ball in down low.

The other three ties were all intra-divisional affairs, Currilow and Metlock Town both carrying the banner forward for the First Division clubs while Sporting Piraz stayed true to their league form by knocking out the National Defence Board in a largely comfortable win. Piraz were cruising and full value for their 2-0 lead, but Midshipman Jawaan Cisco lashed a long range effort home on the stroke of the 89th minute, setting up a frantic flurry for injury-time action that ultimately failed to turn the tide.

We really are getting down to the nitty-gritty now as this brings on the Semi Finals. Fans will be a muddle of emotions, proud to see their teams have made it this far but equally with no appetite to be sent packing just yet. It's a widely held belief that a semi-final defeat is more painful than being beaten in the final, so expect both these games to be nervy and emotionally charged match-ups with plenty of controversy and talking points.

Bay Of Mercy F.C
Currilow F.C


Metlock Town F.C
Sporting Piraz F.C

[Drehda]

Semi-Final Superstars!

There were no fewer than 10 goals between the four semi-finalists of the FAD Cup, as teams battled to overcome the last hurdle before reaching the promised land of the final.

There were real mixed emotions across the footballing landscape as one side saw their fairy-tale continue, while another club saw their dream cruelly brought to a hault in controversial circumstances.

Bay Of Mercy F.C 3 - 2 Currilow F.C
Blake (13')
Leventhal (OG, 31')
Vincent (42')
Woodburn (57')
Leventhal (63')
Vincent (78')

Second Division Bay Of Mercy F.C saw themselves drawn against First Division opposition for the third round in succession and once again they were able to demonstrate tremendous heart and desire, out-doing their opponents in work-rate and committment to make up for any gulf in technical ability.

Currilow opened the scoring with a lightning quick counter attack after just 13 minutes, central midfielder Henrik Hellman pouncing on a loose ball on the half way line and showing near-telepathic understanding of the game to hit the ball first time with a long, low driven pass which sythed through Bay Of Mercy's flat-footed defensive line and directly into the stride of pacey striker Billy Blake. Blake showed great composure and easily rounded the on-rushing goalie Russell Hammond before steering the ball into the empty net.

The first real point of debate and dispute occured ten minutes later, Seasiders' left winger Carlos Lozano appeared to have been fouled by Currilow full-back Dave Baxter. Lozano stood Baxter up on the edge of the penalty area, skipped the ball past the defender and raced for the byline. Baxter had been caught cold and seemed to take a deliberate fistful of Lozano's jersey and wrap an arm around Lozano's midrift in order to haul the winger down to the floor. Despite there being no question of who was involved or if Baxter had made any legitimate play on the football, referee Thierry Leboeuf shook his head and indicated for play to continue.

Rather than letting this apparent stonewall decision get their heads down, Bay of Mercy continued to throw men forward and keep the pressure up on their big-time opponents. Lozano continued to be the main source of promise and continued to have Baxter's number - several times Lozano was able to spin his marker and attack the space in behind the back-line. Indeed, this proved to be Bay Of Mercy's route back into the game when Lozano once again proved to be too fleet-footed and agile for Baxter then flashed a wicked, buzzing ball across the face of goal which Currilow captain Yossi Leventhal inadvertanly turned into his own goal.

With a little over 10 minutes left of the first half, Bay Of Mercy had the scent of blood and they continued to storm forwards and try and seize the day. A corner was whipped over by Lozano, Leventhal headed clear of the penalty area and urged his fellow defenders to clear their lines but the ball fell to 34 year old defensive midfielder Miguel Soto who show wonderful composure to clip a delicate 30 yard forward pass back into the Currilow penalty box and on to the left boot of darting striker Ricky Vincent who stabbed the half-volley home past Currlow goalie Chris White from 14 yards. 'Keeper White and centre-back Leventhal were absolutely incensed at the the assistant referee's refusal to flag Vincent off-side and referee Thierry Leboeuf gave Leventhal a yellow card for his dissent, although slow-motion replays later suggested that the Currilow skipper had been spot on in his assertions about the timing of Vincent's run.

The half-time break came at the wrong time for Bay Of Mercy and through the first few minutes of the second half it was apparent that they had lost the imputus. The first few minutes of the second half were a much more cagey and scrappy affair, with a few crunching tackles flying around and several instances were players gathered en-masse with words exchanged and handbags drawn. As the game threatened to devolve into this more physical and gritty style, the odd moment of Currilow's superior technical abilities did shine through and it was a moment of magic from left midfielder Gordon Woodburn which saw the First Division side draw themselves back level. Woodburn demonstrated a wonderful change of pace to get the better of aging Seasiders full back Nico Beasley, then danced past the easily-telegraphed tackle of Miguel Soto to cut inside and flash a rifled shot into the far corner past the flayling gloves of Hammond.

With the game all square at 2-2, it really did start to descent into a fractured, stop-start muddle of a game. In the 63rd minute, Miguel Soto flew into a cynical chop-down on Woodburn and seconds later Currilow captain Yossi Leventhal steamed into the meele in defence of his side's goalscorer, gripping Soto by the scruff of his jersey and giving a frank exchange of views on the tackle. Soto was shown a yellow card for the tackle but Leventhal, already booked for his earlier infraction against the linesman, saw red.

With Currilow down to 10 men and both sides gunning for a winning goal, there was a tension in the crowd which gave the game an almost electrical static atmosphere. Playmaker Henrik Hellman picked up a yellow card of his own for a vengful hack on Soto and the traveling Currilow fans were up in arms once again when Bay Of Mercy centre back Isaiah Skinner (who scored the winning goal in the last round) looked to have jumped into an aerial challenge and caught Billy Blake in the face with a leading elbow but referee Leboeuf only saw fit to award a free kick.

With just twelve minutes of regular time remaining, Bay Of Mercy summonsed yet another effort to throw numbers forward and try to snatch victory. 23 year old midfielder Reilly Hutchinson picked Woodburn's pocket as he dallied in possession, then Hutchinson bent a inch-perfect cross field pass into the path of right winger Valentino Alfrado. Alfrado had been quiet all game but was johnny-on-the-spot here as he delivered a cross directly onto the forehead of Ricky Vincent who, now freed of the attentions of Yossi Leventhal, was unmarked at the back post and made no mistake in slotting the ball home from 8 yards out to secure the shock victory.

Metlock Town F.C 3-2 Sporting Piraz
Alvarez (9')
Alvarez (23')
Akinoyla (36')
Tucker (68')
Gorlingo (82')
Luna (p, 82')

It was an equally dramatic although somewhat more straight forward story in the tie between Metlock Town and their Second Division opponents Sporting Piraz. Metlock flew into a comfortable early lead and thanks to a brace from striker Roberto Alvarez in addition to net-busting long range free kick from box-to-box midfielder Max Akinoyla they were 3-0 going into the half time break.

This level of domination seemed set to continue through the second half, although it settled in to a gentle, comfortable rhythm with Metlock controlling possession and forcing Piraz to exert more and more energy trying to chase the ball down. However, Piraz were game to the challenge and never stopped their pressing. This level of committment and hard work gave them a lifeline when Metlock anchor man Loïc Dustaine slipped and hurt his knee while in posession and allowed Piraz winger Zach Tucker to nip in and lash a strike into the net. There were some protestations from Metlock, who insisted that Tucker should have put the ball out of play as Dustaine had been injured in his stumble but as the old adage says, you have to play to the whistle and take every opportunity that presents itself.

Metlock were notably begin to wobble now, having given away a soft goal and seen Dustaine carried off with an injury. They retained most of the ball but their passing and off-ball movement lacked the zip and timing they had displayed in the first half. Piraz, having nothing to lose, went for broke and subbed on a second striker in the form of 25 year old Isidro Hayes.

With Metlock evidentially playing for time and hoping to run out the clock, Piraz were again able to pounce on a lapse of concentration. Hayes chased down Metlock centre-half Gianluca Gorlindo and caused the defender to panic and undercook his back pass. As Hayes continued to press into the penalty area and tried to chase the ball down, Gorlindo snatched a bunch of the striker's sleeve and drag him back. Hayes was alert to the chance and went down in a heap. It was dramatic but Gorlindo's infringement was plain for all to see and referee Jan Zorka had no choice but to award both the penalty and send Gorlindo off with a straight red card.

Young striker Mohammed Luna duly stepped up and rifled the resulting penalty kick home but Sporting Piraz were out of gas, emotionally and physically. They were unable to muster up the energy to press home their momentum and Metlock, although shaky, were able to see out the rest of the game with no further incidents.

Ultimately, Metlock end up limping through to the final where they'll be up against a pumped up Bay Of Mercy. Things will be made all the worse by the fact that Metlock will be missing Gianluca Gorlindo through suspendsion and could also be without Loïc Dustaine unless the club doctors can work some magic and get him fit of the final

Metlock Town F.C

Bay Of Mercy F.C

Will Metlock Town be able to steady the ship and claim the first available element of silverware for the season? Or will it be Second Division Bay Of Mercy who will continue to rise above all expectations and carry the day as the nation's sporting underdogs?

[Drehda]

Pugilists Progress

Last night saw a range of engaging and interesting developments across the Drehdan boxing scene, with Round 2 of the Emerald Cup & Jade Shield both complete in the Lightweight division and also a new contender emering in the Heavyweight world.

Emerald Cup Results

TJ Lewis defeated Liam Bottomleyby unananimous points decision
Dean Mills defeated Rahul Patel by 9th round technical knock out
Troy Essuman defeated Andre Essien by split points decision
Mark Elgar defeated Frank Carpenter by 3rd round knock out

A desperately sad result for Andre Essien. He had a difficult start to his career with two narrow defeats to the current reigning champion Marcel Ambrose but looked to have a turned a page with a first round victory. This match up against Essuman was a scrappy and unattractive bout, with neither man able to establish any real rhythm or fluency. Essuman will take heart from getting the victory regardless of the manner in which it came - to be a champion you've got to have guts and grit to go with style and grace.

Jade Shield Results

Tammy Taylor defeated Rashida Pollock by 1st round knock out
Amelia Sharpe defeated Danielle Hewitt by unanimous points decision
Jo-Jo Weston defeated Olivia Jansen by 8th round technical knock out
Suzie Gunn defeated Naomi Clarke by 5th round knock out

Another fairly predictable round of results in the women's division here with Weston and Taylor both manouevering through to the semi finals with comfortable victories. Tammy Taylor in particular stood out as she took just 147 seconds to turn the lights out for Rashida Pollock, showing punching power and ring IQ that will catch the eyes of everyone else in the division.

The real story of the night was the other two pre-tournament favouries, Amelia Sharpe and Dani Hewitt, being thrown together. Similar to Essien, Hewitt struggled in the early stages of her pro-career but was hoping to use this tournament to spark a revival. Hewitt showed some fine technical skill but was out-thought and in all truthfullness out-worked by Weston, marking her second win over this opponent in their careers.

As we get to the semi-finals this is where things really start to heat up and fighters really need to step their game up and show their worth. It's worth each fighter remembering - winning this tournament is only the beginning as the Emerald Cup and Jade Shield winners will then have to match off against the actual belt holders in this weightclass.

The big news in the heavyweight's division is that southpaw Bruno Higgins has formally handed in his service papers and retired from military service to turn pro. Higgins shot to sporting fame after a commanding performance in the recent Armed Forces Grand Prix. With current heavyweight champion Jurgen Dierick having crushed all before him, Higgins makes a tantilising match up on paper and it seems to be only a matter of time until we see these two monsters squared off between the ropes.

[Drehda]

Combined Services reach T20 Glory!

It was a wonderful day of T20 six hitting and stump smashing excitement last night as the Hollenwaard Oval (Ovaal van Hollenwaarder) played host to the first ever final of the Drehda T20 Cup, played between Combined Services XI and the Hennerton Unicorns. As well as the Cup Final, we also got to enjoy a sneak peak of next seasons women's Franchise teams, as the Southern Hawks played the Western Stars in an exhibition wT20.

Stars won the toss and elected to bat first

Western Stars 155/5
Southern Hawks 151/7

The Stars won the toss and elected to bat on a flat track. It was a fine battle between bat and ball as they were guided through to 122/4 when Jane Thorpe was dismissed for 60 from 50 balls. At this stage in proceedings, the Hawks would have been fairly pleased with how they'd kept a lid on the Stars run rate. The dismissal of Thorpe introduced left handed wicketkeeper Georgia Smith, who played the most manic cameo to thrash 19* from just 8 deliveries to drag the Stars up to 155/5.

With the game now turned over for the Hawks chase, the game was balanced on a knife-edge. Similarly to the Stars' innings, the Hawks' opening batters were largely restricted to nurdgling the ball into space and pushing hard for runs. The deciding factor was the introduction of leg spinner Jessica Rusere, who deployed wonderful variations of flight and fizz to spin through the top order and claiming a wonderful 3-17 from her four overs. For such a short form of the game, it's remarkable how quickly the momentum of a T20 match can swing to and fro as Hawks #5 Katie Knight unleashed a flurry of creative sweeps and ramps to bring the game down to the final over. Stars opening left arm swing bowler Emily Rigby was brought back on to bowl the final over with 11 runs to defend. Rigby held her nerve and delivered a fantastic array of yorkers and slower balls to see her team over the line and seal a four run victory.

It was a promising debut for women's franchise cricket and sure to whet the appitite for next seasons competitions.

With the curtain raiser done and dusted, it was time to turn to the main event. Combined Services, representing cricketers drawn from Drehda's public emergency services (Police Drehda, National Ambulance Service and Drehda Fire & Rescue Service), won the toss and inserted the Hennerton Unicorns.

Combined Services Xi

Hennerton Unicorns

Combined Services XI won the toss and elected to field

Hennerton Unicorns + 132/9 (20 overs)

Combined Services XI 134/7 (18.5 overs)


It didn't immediately appear the right call, as Unicorns opening bat Andrew Castle launching the first delivery of the day for a huge six over backward square leg. Faith was restored however when left-arm seamer Paramedic Tommy Drake returned to his mark and found a path through to dislodge Castle's middle stump with just the second ball of the innings. A fantastic statement in reply from the bowler who has carried CSXI through to the final. Things went from bad to worse when the ball changed ends and Drake's fellow opening bowler and paramedic Rahul Patel delivered a steepling bouncer which claimed the shoulder of Rob Dunne's bat and Patel rushed forward to receive a simple return catch. Just seven deliveries in and Hennerton were 7/2 with both opening bats back in the shed.

In truth the Unicorns never recovered and for the majority of their innings it was little more than a parade of incoming and departing batsmen. Leg spinning Airman Dave Blackwood from Drehda Fire & Rescue spun his way through the middle order to record 4/27 and leave Hennerton perilessly stranded at 88/9 from 13.4 overs. Unicorns tailenders Jack Woods and Rickard Von Trest, more famous for their partnership as a fearsome quick bowling attack, were paired together with more than six overs to not just survive but try to post something resembling a defenable target. They battled diligently and were able to play out the remaining overs and were able to walk off with a score of 132/9. Not particularly strong, but certainly a lot better than most Hennerton fans will have feared.

Von Trest bustled in, shoulders rolling and nostrils flairing and bowled with his trademark hostility. He was ably supported by fellow seamers Jack Woods & Greg Hilton and they did make periodic inroads through the CSXI top order but there was always a feeling that they just didn't have enough runs on the board. Most CSXI batsmen were able to make a start without ever going on to build a particular score. Firefighter Marcus Drezner was able to take command of the situation and steer his team to victory with 7 balls still left in the innings to scenes of huge celebrations in the crowds.

A fantastic ending to this first edition of the competition. The tournament has laid the ground for a swell in fan interest in the upcoming 3 Day Shield, which starts next week.

[Drehda]

Metlock Canter to Cup Glory

It was a day of festivities, full-blooded competition and, ultimately, wild scenes of jubilation for Metlock Town supporters at the Fort Hope Recreation Fields today. Played out on the hottest day of the year so far, Town coasted to a comfortable 2-0 over plucky and robust underdogs Bay Of Mercy to mark their place in history as the first team to raise the FAD Cup.

Much of the pre-match chatter had been on the possibility of an upset and fairy-tale ending for the Seasiders, which bookies across the country seeing huge sums of money plonked behind the Second Division club who had overcome giants Cadderick Rovers and Currilow on their road to the final. The circumstances seemed perfect, a Bay Of Mercy side who had momentum behind them shaping up against a Metlock Town side who had almost thrown away a three goal lead in the semi-final and would be without two crucial first-teamers - central defender Gianluca Gorlindo missing through suspension and midfielder Loïc Dustaine failing a last-minute fitness test due to a knee injury.

Before the game, Metlock manager Jessica Gibbs spoke to the press and was in no mood to entertain the idea of providing Bay Of Mercy a day to remember.

"It's a huge day, a great day for both clubs and for Drehdan football and really for our country when you think about where we've come from. We're confident, it's upsetting that we've got a couple of lads out - they deserve to be here, but I have full faith in their replacements and know we have talent throughout this squad. It's about focus and application of skill on days like today, all that press romance sounds good but it'll come down to the 22 players on the pitch and if they can display their talents appropriately. I'm certain our guys can."

Bay Of Mercy boss Alina Strauss cut a much more excitable personality: "The club, the whole town, has been buzzing all week. It means a lot, financially of course - the gate receipts, the TV money is vital to our club, but also emotionally. We've had to overcome some incredible challenges to get this far and I've had to pinch myself sometimes to understand how we've done it. We want to bring that trophy home and etch out place in history, 100%"

It was a baking hot day and all four sides of The Rec were jam-packed with fans, an tidal wave of noise rolling out from the 11,000 fans in attendance out across the open expanse of the playing surface. The atmosphere felt like almost crackling with electricity such was the tension in the air when referee Hank Reynolds blew his whistle to get the 90 minutes underway.

Almost from minute 1, Bay Of Mercy were tearing around the pitch desperate to put the Metlock players under as much pressure as possible but there were immediate questions about if the Second Division outfit's fitness levels would allow them to sustain such intensity and high tempo in such aggressive heat. Metlock Town looked a completely different team from the one who staggered and stumbled past Sporting Piraz, deftly pinging assured passes across the turf and playing into space to stretch both the legs and desire of the Seasiders men. In this pattern, Metlock eased themselves into the game, controlling possession and the flow of the game but not flooding forward or peppering shots at Russell Hammond's goal. Midfielder Max Akinyola was dropped into a deeper position in the absence of Dustaine and he was a bustling dynamo in the middle of the pitch - keeping the ball moving with short one touch passes and matching the Seasiders' physicality by hurtling into the tackle time and time again.

This was largely the pattern for much of the first 45 minutes, Bay of Mercy aimlessly chasing an endless series of composed, simple passes in the opposition half, the middle of the park seeing play become much more combative and physical and then Metlock happy to recycle the ball and not over extend themselves around the Seasiders' penalty area.

Carlos Lozano, who has so often been the bright spark for Bay of Mercy going forward, cut an isolated figure far out on the left wing. For a player who thrives on being able to work the half-yard of space to produce a flash of magic, he was frustrated time and time again by the intelligent, committed Metlock defending. With his side seeing far less of the ball anyway, every time Bay of Mercy tried to get forward the pass was intercepted or Lozano found himself crowded out by two or even three Town defenders. As the game wore on, it started to expose the one dimensional nature of Bay Of Mercy's attacking play and demonstrate the extra level of tactical nous needed to compete in the top division.

The half time whistle blew and brought proceedings to a pause. Metlock the happier of the teams, but an optimistic Seasiders' fan would have said the longer it stays level, the better chance their team had of snatching a miracle.

The relentless beating sun forced both sides to make substitutions during the half time break and there was a worryingly delay to the second half when a Metlock Town supporter had to be attended to by first aiders suffering from a bout of heat stroke. A collective sigh of relief was emitted when the tanoy announcement went out to confirm the individual was safe and well and play could be resumed.

Play restarted in a similar fashion but both teams found an extra gear to raise their intensity. Imposing BoM centre-half Isiah Skinner unleashed a thumping tackle on Town's primary goal threat Roberto Alvarez, which was answered in kind when Miguel Soto took one touch to many and found himself firmly up-ended by Akinyola. Tempers were beginning to fray and both captains had to endure a lengthy talking to by referee Reynolds before a semblance of order was restored. To his credit, Reynolds declined to start dishing out the cards which can so quickly derail such a competitive match.

The deadlock was broken just after the hour when Metlock's measured approach finally wore down the hard working BoM backline. Akinyola fed the ball forward to Alvarez who gave the first time return and then spun away from Skinner to expose a world of space. Akinyola made no mistake in timing the pass and dropped a lobbed through ball right onto Alvarez' forehead as he flung himself forward to power a brilliant diving header past Russell Hammond.

A goal down and just 30 minutes to play left Bay of Mercy in a real predicament. They threw more attackers on to try and finally generate a goal threat. It didn't take long for the fitter and more technical astute first division Team to expose the holes this left, and the second goal was swept home just 13 minutes after the first. Alvarez ran on to a through pass, dummied to go one way then whipped the ball away from his marker Skinner before firing across the face of goal. Hammond was able to fling a hand up and got glove on the ball, but only enough to divert it up on to the underside of the cross-bar where it bounced down into the net.

A combination of physical effort, weather and emotional exertion left Bay of May completely spent and they simply didn't have the skill or heart to launch a comeback. Hank Reynolds blew his final whistle after just two minutes of stoppage time to round out the day and crown Metlock Town deserved winners of the first ever Drehdan Association of Football Cup. Roberto Alvarez was rightly crown man of the match thanks to his two goals, each displaying a different element of his individual brilliance.

Celebrations went on long into the night for the Town players and their fans, but they will have to bring themselves back down to earth quickly as the second half of league fixtures are yet to be played. Similarly, Bay of Mercy may kick their wounds but will have to take positives from this cup run and use it as fuel to power the rest of their league campaign as they target a run at promotion.

[Drehda]

Clubs, Divisions Confirmed for Second Season

The Football Association of Drehda today announced the finalised plans for the expansion leagues for next season.

The announced proposals differ significantly from the initial draft. Instead of two equal leagues of twelve making up one third level tier, there will a third and fourth division both comprised of sixteen teams. The eventual champions of the Fourth Division will be promoted, with one up and one down from the Third Division.

Chief administrator Alexander McBride said "Ultimately we were caught off guard by the volume and quality of the bids we received. In all honesty we thought we might struggle to find a sufficient number of clubs who would be able to bring competitive football and credible facilities, to really add value to the national game but we've been blown away by the passion and commitment that's been demonstrated. I'm just delighted that we've been able to develop Drehdan football so far."

Third Division

Ardswych F.C
Aurelius A.F.C
Bothwick & Hallesdon S.C
Brune Spitfires S.C
Eintracht Scorpius F.C
Excalibur F.C
Gold Star F.C
Hyperion F.C
National Alliance of Breweries & Distilleries F.C
National Steelworks Union F.C
Polaris F.C
Rainbows Youth & Community Athletic Club
Shankwell Reds F.C
St Jasper's Catholics F.C
1. F.C Wilhelmsbrook Grün-Schwarz
Wishelbury Athletic F.C

Fourth Division

A.F.C. Great Colmes
Associated Drehdan Dockyard Workers Union F.C
Barnlow Rangers F.C
Combined Universities F.C
Covelli Olympic F.C
Drehda U18s
F.C Octavia Holleenwaard
Green Jackets F.C
Hendrix A.F.C
Merchant Navy & Road Hauliers Union F.C
Mercury A.F.C
Metropolitan Fort Hope F.C
Old Rippons F.C
Radcott Park F.C
Ravens F.C
Unity F.C

Attentive observers will note that there's a number of teams from areas already represented in the existing legue structure, such as Metropolitan Fort Hope, Octavia Hollenwaard and Shankwell Reds. Also of interest will be the number of community and labour union teams. Combined Universities represent players taken from all higher education institutions in the country, Rainbows Youth & Community is a team put forward by a national out-reach and support charity for LGBT individuals and there are no less than four clubs entered from some of the largest Trade Unions in the country.

Currently there's no indication as to how the entry of these clubs will alter the lay-out of the FAD Cup, but expect to hear more details on this in the near future.

[Drehda]

3 Day Shield - Match 1 Results

The first round of fixtures in the national 3 day shield are complete, with teams exchanging the excitement and razz-ama-tazz of the T20 for the white flannels and strategic drama of red ball competition.

National Defence Board won the toss and elected to bat
NDB + 191a.o (55.1 overs), 225a.o (86.2 overs)
Hollenwaard 174a.o (50.3 overs), 244/8 (79.4 overs)
Hollenwaard win by 2 wickets

National Defence Board got themselves off to a losing start, mirroring their first round knock out from the T20 Cup. After winning the toss and electing to bat, they found themselves with a narrow lead on first innings after left arm seam bowler Flight Sergeant Roger Church took 5/61. Hollenwaard struck back however with the off-spin of Enzio Garcia and all-rounder Ross Ward's nibbling seam-up medium pacers restricting NDB to just 225. Hollenwaard left-hander opener Anil Chopra carried his bat for a gritty 117* to guide his team to a two wicket victory.

Cadderick won the toss and elected to field
Cadderick 183 a.o (57.2 overs), 105/2 (39.5 overs)
Metlock + 89a.o (27.1 overs), 197a.o (77.4 over)
Cadderick win by 8 wickets

It was another low scoring affair at Cadderick where the home team won the toss and stuck the visitors in to bat. With a tinge of green on the pitch and rain around, Lars Schumacher looked almost unplayable as he combined his natural, slingy pace with movement off the deck and through the air. With Metlock dismissed in the first session of the first day, Cadderick were able to build a commanding lead even though they could only post a fairly meagre total themselves. With both first knocks in the book before the end of Day 1, the weather began to improve and Metlock ground out a more respectable score thanks to a half century from top order wicketkeeper-bat Jake Maxwell. A chase of just 103 looked rather challenging given the context of the game and the early wickets of both openers gave Metlock a real sense of optimism. #3 Andre Silva and #4 Ricardo Cartwright came together with the score just 2/2 but were able to bat in a measured & determined manner. They put on the first 100 run partnership stand of the match, both recording 50s in the process and seeing their team over the line.

Combined Services XI won the toss and elected to bat
CSXI + 215a.o (57 overs), 137/6(47.3 overs)
Wilhelmsbrook 385a.o (116.3overs) -
Drawn - Rain effected

CSXI appeared to be suffering something of a championship hangover after lifting the T20 cup. They won the toss and decided to bat, however Wilhelmbrook's right arm quick Jerome Archer (7/83) bowled with genuine aggression and had CSXI all out before tea. First drop Brian Barker scored 140 along with wicketkeeper Keith Hoppersmith's 73 as Wilhelmsbrook batted through to just after tea of Day 2 to post a huge lead of 170 runs. Archer again lead the attack with a flurry of quick inroads and at stumps CSXI were periliously poised at 58/3. Much to the chagrin of Wilhelmsbrook and the delight of CSXI, rain washed out the entire first two sessions of Day 3. Gunning for victory and with an ace bowler in Jerome Archer, Wilhelmsbrook insisted the last 20 overs of the game be played out in the hopes they could force victory. Firefighter Franklin Smith and Police Constable Wes James were able to hold firm and secure a share of the points for their team.

Hennerton won the toss and elected to bat
Hennerton + 355a.o (110 overs) 180/8d (58.5 overs) Drawn
Drehda U19 317a.o (81.2 overs) 208/6 (50 overs)
Drawn

In a round of fixtures largely dominated by the ball and the influenced by weather, it was a relative run fest as Hennerton and Drehda U19s both posted over 300. Hennerton won the toss and took the opportunity to have a bat, with opener Andrew Castle falling agonisingly short of his ton (93) and left handed number 4 Ryan Close making 107 to drive up to 355. Drehda U19s fired back, led by the highly touted Carlos Croft's own score of 85. Drehda U19 then looked to take the ascendency as Waqar Raja tore picked up 4/60. Hennerton however looked to make a game of it as they declared their innings and set Drehda just 50 overs to chase down 218. The game came almost down to the wire, Croft again getting past fifty as his team ended up running out of time with just 10 runs left on the board.