Fantastic Falcons out-muscle Arrows in duel of the delinquents

Falmouth Falcons - 850* vs Appleby Arrows - 560

Line-Ups

	Falcons	Arrows
Keeper	Frobisher	Delaney
Chasers	Grinderford (C)	Fladbury (C)
	Goodfellow	Comstock
	Meadows	Applebee
Beaters	Bundy	Flitley
	Wagtail	Belcher
Seeker	Mostafa	Sapworthy

The anxiety was palpable before this match, with the League’s traditional dirtiest team the Falcons taking on the famously clandestine and manipulative Arrows. It was a surprise early on, with Falmouth dominating the opening exchanges. Appleby’s Chasers were unusually flat and lethargic. By the time Rosalind Comstock put the Arrows on the board, the Falcons already had 70 on the board and Captain Marina Grinderford alone had scored five.

As is their forte, the Arrows fought back from adversity with some subtle cleverness and questionable discipline. Taking advantage of Falmouth’s penchant for obvious outright violence, the Arrows players, particularly Beaters Ragmar Flitley and Gifford Belcher, snuck in under the radar with some naughtiness of their own. Such is the referee’s mandate to watch and penalise the notorious Falcons, Appleby were able to get away with their indiscretions and even up the match.

After four enchanting but ill-tempered hours, the teams found themselves all tied up at 310-310. But at no time did the Arrows look quite as athletically on the ball as Falmouth. In truth, the Falcons Chasers dominated their counterparts and it was only the Beater excellence of Flitley and Belcher that kept the Arrows in range. As they tired however, the Falcons began to draw clear again.

The quality of Quidditch faltered, but any feeling of anti-climax was avoided thanks to a supercharged ending of drama and tension. The Falcons led by 140 when Arrow Seeker Millie Sapworthy charged towards the ground. Oakden Mostafa, no doubt caught up in the tension of the key moment, made the schoolyard mistake of falling for the textbook Wronski Feint. Somehow though, Mostafa was able to pull up and suddenly shot towards the sky. The tiny and ultra-quick Sapworthy caught Mostafa and as they barged each other along the outskirts of the stadium, Arrows Keeper Perecles Delaney was staving off shot after the shot to keep their deficit at the key 140 point margin.

The margin would turn out irrelevant though, as Mostafa used his strength advantage to muscle Sapworthy off course and snap up both the snitch and victory for the Falcons.

Falmouth Falcons - 850: Grinderford 41, Goodfellow 18, Meadows 11, Mostafa Capture

Appleby Arrows - 560: Fladbury 21, Applebee 21, Comstock 14

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: RAGMAR FLITLEY (Arrows)