4SR Season - Part 6
Matchday 26:
AFC Farnworth 0–1 St Bart's Dutch
Abingdon Celtic 1–2 Gaelic Club
Garton Bay Pirates 0–3 Stonehouse Athletic
Glenmount Town 0–1 SC Montfort
Montfort University 3–4 Montfort Wanderers
Newton Arran 3–2 St Thomas
Shieldhill 1–2 Blackheath
Waterfleet 0–1 Colesham Athletic
The Abingdon derby always has meaning, even if one side essentially knows where they’ll finish the season. With their loss to St Thomas last week, Celtic came into the final five weeks knowing that their title challenge was essentially done. For their visitors, Gaelic Club, there is still the fight to avoid the drop, so this was a vital fixture. They went close early, with an Eve Luther free kick parried away by Frank Johnson, before they got their first goal with help from the Nepharan winger. Luther found some pace down the left wing to beat Clay van der Hout, curling in a cross that was finished off by Èibhlin MacLeay. Celtic found their way into the game after that, but couldn’t get any efforts past Ualraig Dow in the final twenty minutes of the first half. At the beginning of the second half, they found their breakthrough. A long ball from Ayden Evers let Miles Henderson past Yunus Shamoun, and Henderson’s cross was met by Anna Findlay, who headed past Dow to level things up in the West End. Both sides had their chances as the second half continued, with both Li Romaine and Ruaridh Grant going close for their respective sides. In the end though, Gaelic Club would win out thanks to a late set piece. Leif Tannenbaum, the Quebecois midfielder who has perhaps been more visible in nightclubs than on the pitch in the past two years, curled a free kick that passed just out of Johnson’s reach and into the top corner, giving Gaelic Club the win and pulling Celtic ever further from the top of the table.
Celtic dropped out of the top two with their loss after Stonehouse got a dominant victory over Garton Bay, who look more and more likely to finally go down after years of brinkmanship. A double from Silke van der Linden, who was once again the star, helped the Latics towards a confident victory at the Anchor, and with four weeks to go they sit in the place that they occupied at the end of last season. Newton Arran shocked St Thomas at New McAllister Park to pull themselves out of the bottom two, and ensure that the lead at the top was reduced to nine points for the Saints. Lewis Hannah scored a fantastic goal from just outside the box in the first ten minutes, before St Thomas almost immediately hit back twice to take the lead. A header from Faye Nisbet and a late second goal for Hannah ensured that the Riversiders would take away three points. University Stadium played host to a thriller, with Wanderers scoring four on their way to a victory over the Scholars. Their hosts didn’t make it easy though, with Corinne Fontana and Conan Menzies both getting on the scoresheet, but the Whites front three was simply too powerful for the University defence, even as they pushed Helena Watson into a back five in an attempt to defend a slim lead.
A win for Blackheath over Shieldhill kept the Stags in the top four, despite falling behind early to a Ben Jamieson goal. They were helped as well by a win for SC Montfort at Glenmount, with Avery McAuley scoring the only goal of the game to give the Royals their third win on the trot. Colesham Athletic beat out Waterfleet to keep their place in the top half, with an Elizabeth Cochrane free kick being the difference between the two sides. That win for the Imps meant that despite St Bart’s beating bottom club AFC Farnworth, the Helligens could not pull themselves into the top half, though there is still time.
Matchday 27:
Blackheath 1–4 Glenmount Town
Colesham Athletic 1–1 Shieldhill
Gaelic Club 4–2 Newton Arran
Garton Bay Pirates 1–4 AFC Farnworth
Montfort Wanderers 3–1 Abingdon Celtic
SC Montfort 2–1 St Bart's Dutch
St Thomas 5–4 Waterfleet
Stonehouse Athletic 5–4 Montfort University
It’s seemed that, on occasion this season, the Premier League has collectively decided that no defence will be permitted for a weekend. On this particular example of what some pundits have been calling “a bloody mess”, our focus lies at the bottom of the table, where the two teams in relegation zone face off at the Anchor in Garton Bay. Farnworth might have expected a drop-off after Casey McMillan’s move to St Thomas, but they never would expected something this calamitous. They sat bottom without a win in ten weeks coming into this fixture, and Kelvin Muir’s side were desperate for a turn around. They started off strongly, with Mertagnian midfielder Erman Anteo scoring after just eight minutes with a curled shot from outside the box. He followed that with a perfect assist, threading the ball through Garton Bay’s defence to Calvin McPherson, who chipped Andy Young to score. The Pirates would get a goal of their own with the last kick of the first half, as Caelan McIntyre converted a Jack Scott corner with his left boot. After the break though, Farnworth would reassert their dominance. McPherson got his second goal of the game just before the hour mark, heading home from a Zander Campbell corner, and with the spirit of the Pirates already broken, Belle Fleming would score from a corner ten minutes from time, ensuring that Farnworth would peel themselves off the bottom of the Premier League table for at least this week.
St Thomas and Waterfleet were always bound to play an exciting game at the Recreation Ground, but nine goals wasn’t really the expectation. Nonetheless, a Lara Auðunsdòttir hat trick put the league leaders on their way to victory, though two goals each from Layla Paterson and Jonas van den Brink would ensure that Fleet made it a difficult task for their biggest rivals. Nonetheless, Fleet are now firmly entrenched in the bottom half going into the final few weeks. There was a nine goal thriller at Burnside too, as Stonehouse, who have scored the highest amount of goals of any team this year, put five past Montfort University. Corinne Fontana’s hat trick ensured that the Scholars would be in the game for most of the ninety minutes, but they never held the lead during the game, with Faucher-Leonsis, van der Linden, and de Lange just being too much for their defence. Glenmount Town pulled themselves back into the fight for an IFCF place with a 4-1 win over the team currently occupying fourth place, Blackheath. Pieter van de Velde was involved in all four goals for the Mountaineers, with the attacking midfielder scoring one, as well as two assists for the goals scored by Geomraff yCinrhadd and Oscar Umbridge, as well as drawing the foul that led to their final goal from a free kick.
A 2-1 win for SC Montfort at Adamson Park over St Bart’s Dutch would ensure that Vulav-Wanar Tla’s side remain within reach of the IFCF too, only two points behind Blackheath going into the last three weeks. Shieldhill’s challenge seems to have fallen away, with that being very much punctuated by a comparatively sedate 1-1 draw away to Colesham. Abingdon Celtic, after leading for a fair portion of the season, now seem at risk to not even reach the Challengers Cup, with Montfort Wanderers handing them their latest defeat as the honeymoon continues for Meriadoc Griffiths. Gaelic Club’s 4-2 win over Newton Arran pulled them five points clear of the relegation dogfight, and put their fate truly in their own hands, while Newton sit only one point ahead of Farnworth and the relegation zone.
Matchday 28:
AFC Farnworth 1–1 SC Montfort
Abingdon Celtic 1–1 Stonehouse Athletic
Glenmount Town 4–2 Colesham Athletic
Montfort University 1–1 Garton Bay Pirates
Newton Arran 3–0 Montfort Wanderers
Shieldhill 1–1 St Thomas
St Bart's Dutch 0–1 Blackheath
Waterfleet 1–1 Gaelic Club
With St Thomas leading Stonehouse by 9 points coming into the third to last game of the season, the Latics would need a win to have any chance of keeping the title race going. For their fixture this week, they were travelling to Abingdon Celtic, and while their hosts have struggled since the midway point of the season, there’s no doubt that this was not the easy fixture that Mark Stevenson’s side would have hoped for. When the game kicked off at the Gardiner-Stewart Stadium, Stonehouse immediately went on the attack, clearly looking to keep their title challenge on track. The best chance of the first half came through Marc-Andre Faucher-Leonsis: the Quebecois striker found himself with time on the ball outside the box, but his shot went just over Frank Johnson’s crossbar. While Celtic seemed to be playing below their best in the first half, they came out much stronger in the second, as the midfield began to overpower Stonehouse’s. It was, unsurprisingly, Eliza Tyler who played the biggest role in the game’s opening goal as Celtic took the lead. The Poafmersian midfielder controlled play well in the early stages of the second half, and slipped a pass through to Leighton McCabe, whose shot rattled off the post and in, putting Celtic on course for their first win in four games. Stonehouse were quick to respond though, knowing that they needed three points to have any chance at all of winning the title. The equaliser was scored by Silke van der Linden, who charged through the Celtic defence and beat Frank Johnson. Both sides had opportunities to score late on, with Stonehouse throwing on Harriet Irvine as a fourth striker to try and get the win, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop St Thomas winning their third straight Licentian title.
In the end, St Thomas didn’t need to do much this week to confirm their title win: a single point against Shieldhill would have done the job, no matter what Stonehouse did in Abingdon. They got that single point at Arranbank in a 1-1 draw, Lara Auðunsdòttir giving the Saints the lead in the first half before Giel Wildiek levelled things up late on for the Bucklers. Saints fans were celebrating like it was a win though, as this squad can now truly be called one of the best in Licentian history. Glenmount Town pulled themselves level on points with Celtic in the race for an IFCF berth with their 4-2 victory over Colesham Athletic, as Oscar Umbridge got a hat trick for the Mountaineers. Colesham had led in the early stages through an Elizabeth Cochrane goal, but the Sylestonean forward almost single-handedly dragged his side back into the game, with a volley from a Gastaldo cross being the pick of the goals. At the bottom end of the table, a draw with Montfort University means that Garton Bay need a result next week to avoid being relegated. They had led against the Scholars thanks to a Holly Howell goal, but the Pirates would be cursing themselves after Becky Reilly turned a Jack Graham cross into her own net, giving University a point that leaves Garton Bay 4 points behind them going into the final two weeks of the season.
AFC Farnworth aren’t in quite as bad a position as the Pirates, but the Reds would have definitely hoped for more than the 1-1 draw against SC that leaves them three points from safety. Newton Arran handed Montfort Wanderers their third loss under Meriadoc Griffiths as the young Riversiders wingers, Kerr and Doyle, took charge at New McAllister Park. Will Wood scored the only goal at Abbey Road against St Bart’s Dutch, as that win for Blackheath pushes them up to third in the league with only two weeks to go. A 1-1 draw between Waterfleet and Gaelic Club keeps the two sides just out of reach of the relegation battle, but neither can truly consider themselves safe yet.
Matchday 29:
Blackheath 2–0 SC Montfort
Colesham Athletic 0–0 St Bart's Dutch
Gaelic Club 1–1 Shieldhill
Garton Bay Pirates 4–4 Abingdon Celtic
Montfort University 0–1 AFC Farnworth
Montfort Wanderers 3–1 Waterfleet
St Thomas 2–2 Glenmount Town
Stonehouse Athletic 3–0 Newton Arran
There was always going to be drama at the Anchor in the penultimate week of the season. With Garton Bay on the brink of being relegated for the first time in decades, the Pirates were set to face off against Abingdon Celtic: by no means an easy fixture, but one that they desperately needed to win. That was proven quickly, as Abingdon took a two goal lead in the first 20 minutes. Eliza Tyler, more often the supplier than the scorer this season, hit a beautiful striker from 24 yards out to give the Green-and-White the lead, before Chromatik winger Li Romaine cut in from her wing to score a second for the visitors. After that, there was a real reaction from Emily Robertson’s side. They scored twice before half time, first through Tumbran forward Holly Howell, before she turned supplier and set up Caelan McIntyre to score the equaliser. After half time, the Pirates would take the lead to the delight of the home supporters. Bors Warwick headed into the crossbar from a corner, but McIntyre was in the right place at the right time to convert. Celtic would equalise just ten minutes later to once again pile the pressure on the Pirates: this time, it was Romaine again, getting on the end of a Fearghas Blair through ball and beating Andy Young. The Pirates, desperate for three points, would throw on Calum Hamilton and go for three strikers, which immediately paid dividends as Hamilton headed home a Jack Scott cross. In the end though, there would be injury time heartbreak for Pirates fans. Eliza Tyler, always the dynamo for Celtic, curled a free kick just beneath the crossbar and out of reach of Young, ensuring that the game would be a draw, and that the Pirates would not be playing Premier League football next season.
The battle to avoid finishing in the final relegation spot will go down to the final day, with results in Montfort and Stonehouse ensuring there will be some nailbiters on the final day. While AFC Farnworth have struggled for a lot of this season, they managed to drag themselves out of the relegation zone with a win over fellow strugglers Montfort University. The Reds have Calvin McPherson to thank, the young striker heading in an Iona Aitken cross three minutes from time to give his side a good shot at surviving on the final day. Newton Arran are one of three teams, along with Farnworth and University, who sit on 32 points going into the final day of the season, with the Riversiders being defeated handily by Stonehouse Athletic at Burnside. Newton didn’t have an answer for the Latics attack, with van der Linden getting two and Johnston scoring the third as Athletic guaranteed second place in the league for the second season on the trot. Waterfleet may have gone ahead in the early stages at the LTI Stadium, but a comprehensive comeback from Wanderers ensured that Fleet sit only one point above the pack ahead of the final day. A double from Rimaël Postel gave the Whites the lead before a Jonah Grant own goal made it three, putting de Blauw-Zwarte at risk of going down on the final day.
A draw for Gaelic Club against Shieldhill means that Dolvin Antal’s side will likely survive, but there are no guarantees as they have only a three point advantage over the teams on 32 points. Glenmount’s draw with the champions, St Thomas, means that the Mountaineers have a shot at the Challengers Cup on the final day, with the goal difference gap between them and Celtic suggesting that they will need the Green-and-White not to win for them to have their best chance. In the mid-table, SC’s loss to Blackheath ensured that they will not be fighting for the IFCF berths on the final day, but their performances this year have been an improvement, and there’s plenty of promise going into next season. Amidst all the excitement for neutrals elsewhere, there was very little attention paid to a mid-table clash between Colesham and St Bart’s: perhaps it’s for the best, as the two sides played out a goalless draw.
Matchday 30:
AFC Farnworth 3–1 Blackheath
Abingdon Celtic 1–0 Montfort University
Glenmount Town 2–2 Gaelic Club
Newton Arran 3–1 Garton Bay Pirates
SC Montfort 2–0 Colesham Athletic
Shieldhill 1–0 Montfort Wanderers
St Bart's Dutch 3–2 St Thomas
Waterfleet 0–2 Stonehouse Athletic
Newton Arran came into this season having won the Senior Parish Championship, and arguably being the stronger team of the two that had earned promotion coming into this year. Nonetheless, given the history of Colesham Athletic, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the Riversiders have struggled by comparison to the Imps. On the final day, Newton would host already-relegated Garton Bay, with their own survival on the line, but in their own hands. A win would essentially guarantee their own survival given their superior goal difference compared to Montfort University. They would be worried though when Garton Bay, perhaps looking to go down with a bang, took the lead after eleven minutes, with Holly Howell thumping home a shot from 12 yards out. It seemed that that just clarified the importance of a win in the mind of the Newton players, as they took control of the game after that. Their first goal came from a Madadh Kerr cross, curled in and perfectly placed for Lewis Hannah to head past Andy Young. Another cross gave them their second goal just five minutes from half time. This time, Lucas Doyle curled in a cross to the back post, with captain Bonnie MacGowan climbing above the Pirates defenders to score. In the second half, things settled, but the Riversiders would get one more goal to ensure their survival for another year. It came from another set piece, with Lincoln McKenna curling a free kick into the top corner. They might have worried for much of the season, but the Riversiders would spend at least one more year in the Premier League.
The match at Gardiner-Stewart Stadium between Celtic and Montfort University had massive implications at both ends of the table, with the Scholars set to go down if they lost and their hosts wanting to confirm international football. In the end, Celtic only needed one goal to get the win, Li Romaine scoring from just outside the box to push Celtic up to third, and to send the Scholars down despite their frankly astonishing start to the season. AFC Farnworth conclusively earned their survival with a thrashing of Blackheath, Calvin McPherson scoring two goals as the Reds looked more confident than they have all season. Despite that loss, the Stags still earned their place in the IFCF off the back of their fantastic performances in the latter half of the season, and the goalscoring prowess of young Will Wood. Glenmount, despite their massive improvements compared to recent seasons, fell just short of qualifying for the Challengers Cup, as Gaelic Club held them to a draw at Market Street, with a late goal from Ruaridh Grant earning a point for the Gaels. That draw keeps the Gaels in 11th, but they will be hoping for a much improved performance next season, while Glenmount will hope to kick once more under Chen Huikang.
Seven dropped points in the final three weeks means that St Thomas’ third title does not look as impressive a victory as it did three weeks ago when they had an 11 point lead: they lost to St Bart’s Dutch on the final day. A win for Stonehouse keeps the Latics fans happy as they finish their season in the top two once again, while ensuring that Waterfleet finish just one place above the relegation zone, which will perhaps concern Fleet fans going into next season. SC Montfort finished off their season strong with a win over Colesham Athletic, and a 6th placed finish will quieten Vulav-Wanar Tla’s doubters, while Colesham can’t complain about finishing 10th on their return to the Premier League after a long absence. Montfort Wanderers’ first ten games under Meriadoc Griffiths fizzled out somewhat with their final day loss to Shieldhill, but a seventh placed finish will certainly satisfy the Bucklers along with their FALI Cup win.
Final Table:
RenewTec Licentian Premier League Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 St Thomas 30 18 5 7 65 53 +12 59 Champions, CL, CEdC
2 Stonehouse Athletic 30 17 4 9 71 53 +18 55 CC, CEdC
3 Abingdon Celtic 30 14 6 10 61 49 +12 48 CC
4 Blackheath 30 15 3 12 42 37 +5 48 CC
5 Glenmount Town 30 12 10 8 49 43 +6 46
6 SC Montfort 30 12 8 10 27 25 +2 44
7 Shieldhill 30 11 9 10 32 28 +4 42 CWC
8 St Bart's Dutch 30 11 6 13 40 41 −1 39
9 Montfort Wanderers 30 11 6 13 35 43 −8 39
10 Colesham Athletic 30 9 11 10 27 33 −6 38
11 Gaelic Club 30 8 12 10 51 57 −6 36
12 AFC Farnworth 30 8 11 11 45 46 −1 35
13 Newton Arran 30 10 5 15 45 47 −2 35
14 Waterfleet 30 7 12 11 30 40 −10 33
15 Montfort University 30 9 5 16 35 47 −12 32 Relegated
16 Garton Bay Pirates 30 6 11 13 40 53 −13 29 Relegated
, Abingdon Celtic
, St Thomas
, Glenmount Town
, Abingdon Celtic
, Glenmount Town
for L£790k
on a free transfer, Bors Warwick 
for L£420k
for L£450k
for L£1.1m, Regan McMillan to Vreton City FC 
for L£1.1m
for L£680k
to Galatica 
to Fiskadaha FC 
for L£170k, Helena Watson 
for L£560k, Lana Sabasah 
for L£680k, Clay van der Hout to Ridgewell Rovers 
for an undisclosed fee, Dean Wilhelmina 
for L£850k
for L£225k, Millie McGowan to Colwynian Vale