WAFFL Weeks 15 and 16 & Cup Round 4
And all of a sudden, things went from bad to worse! A combination of bad weather and FA Cup commitments mean that we still have a large number of results outstanding in both weeks 15 and 16 – as well as all four first-leg fixtures in the Cup 4th Round. Meanwhile a couple of earlier fixtures have now been completed – but it’s all getting very messy! Grrrr!!!!!
In Division One, North Seabreezers have taken over at the top following their 7-0 demolition of reigning champions Dimi’s Crusaders, but Sabiya Wanderers are second with a game in hand. After back-to-back chamionship wins it looks like Crusaders will be settling for mid-table mediocrity this time round. At the bottom, Mesolithic Albion also registered a 7-0 win to draw level with Riyadh Surfer on points. Weddell’s Wanderers and Scruffy’s BarBarians are also in deep trouble in this division and it’s starting to look like “perm three from four” for relegation.
It’s “as you were” at the top of Division Two with all three leading teams having won their only completed fixture since the last update. The International Team Salwa have also forced their way into the reckoning with two consecutive victories while The Firm F.C. also remain well in the hunt for promotion. There also seems to be a five-horse race at the other end of the table with The Greasy Chip Buttie, Ibrox Reserves and Jone Salat Bangkok currently in the relegation zone.
Big news in Division Three is that Varn’s Vagges have taken over top spot, one point ahead of Kuwait Hearts and Bruce Almighty. Almighty are one of only two teams in the entire league who have actually completed all 16 league fixtures so far! DC United remain bottom of the table but still have The Chairmen and Philbert & Wanderus well in their sights!
If the league has become a bit messy, the cup has turned into a nightmare! The two oustanding results from Round 3 will finally be completed on February 17th (weather permitting) – but the results in those fixtures already seem fairly safe (now watch Bolton go and score 4 or more at Wigan!). Of more concern (to me) is the fourth round where all four first-leg fixtures are still in progress. Here’s the latest state of play:
Ibrox Reserves v 8th of May
8th of May currently lead by 4 goals in the first leg but Ibrox Reserves are still waiting for the results of Wolves (Keeper) away to West Ham and Burnley (Attack) at home to Stoke. However, the 8th of May also won the second leg 4-0 so I think it’s safe to assume that they will be in the semi-finals.
Manilla Magic v Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty currently lead by 1 goal in the first leg but both sides are wating on the results for their Keeper and Defence. For Magic this means Stoke (away to Burnley) and West Ham (home to Wolves) while for Almighty it’s Aston Villa (at Wigan) and Burnley (home to Stoke). With the second leg ending in a 2-2 draw this one is too close to call – and won’t be decided until Wigan v Villa on March 16th at earliest!
The A-Team v DC United
Another one which looks to be just about over – The A-Team lead by 2 goals in the first leg and won the second leg 4-0. Still, many a slip and all that – TAT still have Stoke (Defence) to play at Burnley while DCU will be hoping Sunderland (Midfield) score a pile at home to Bolton. These two matches take place on March 9th.
The International Team Salwa v Bneid Al-Seaside
And another cliff-hanger to round it off! Bneid lead by 1 goal in the first leg but still have Bolton (Defence) to play away to Sunderland while TITS are waiting on Wigan (Defence) at home to Villa. The second leg in this one ended 1-1 so it could go down to the wire with the Wigan v Villa match on March 16th
All of this rather mucks up the WAFFL Cup Semi-Final schedule which is 20th February for the First Leg and March 13th for the Second Leg. The draw for this is below and I will have to calculate the scores manually when the actual fixtures are known.
WAFFL Cup Semi-Final Draw
Manilla Magic or Bruce Almighty v Ibrox Reserves or 8th of May
The A-Team or DC United v The International Team Salwa or Bneid Al-Seaside
