Arrows comfortably roll Cannons

Appleby Arrows - 550* vs Chudley Cannons - 10

	Arrows	Cannons
Keeper	Delaney	Trimble (C)
Chasers	Fladbury (C)	Munch
	Comstock	Bell
	Applebee	Oglethorpe
Beaters	Mirfield	Redfern
	Gagwilde	Ramkin
Seeker	Sapworthy	Prang

It speaks volumes about the lovable quirkiness of Quidditch and less lovable eccentricity of mathematics that the Arrows and Cannons entered Round 4 so close on the table, in 9^th and 11^th respectively.

Appleby are clearly far more competitive this year than in 2011, but strength of opposition and weakness of Seeker had seen them go down in two of three clashes so far. Millie Sapworthy returned to where she started, displacing Ava Mustaq after two semi-successful tilts at Seeking. Controversially, Beaters Ragmar Flitley and Gifford Belcher were both inexplicably missing. All manner of convoluted reasons for this were given but to the consternated Cannons it was clear. Flitley and Belcher are arguably the greatest combination in the League, but both getting on in age. To any intelligent observer it was obvious that they had been rested from this match, in order to stay fresh for tougher pastures.

It was a move that smacked of arrogance for a team who lost last fortnight to Puddlemere, who at times were genuinely threatened by the Cannons a week before.

One presumes Chudley are rather flattered by 11^th. But you never know. It was a whopping twenty-two days since their last game and with the confusing differences between the two they had played added into their equation, it was impossible to know just what level of mediocrity they were aiming for this year.

The answer was fast in coming.

A twenty-second brace for Violetta Fladbury opened the ‘contest’ and it only got worse from there. Chudley to their credit avoided the depths of their Portree fiasco. But they were hardly given a chance to possess any ball and subsequently lose it. They just weren’t good enough in any facet to stop the rampaging Appleby.

One Cannon aspect that was disappointingly familiar was their seemingly random musical-chairs selection policy, with Gavin Redfern and Robin Ramkin brought in. It was a double Beater switch, despite the admittedly mistake-prone but overall spirited pairing of Flora Wigglesworth and Hesper Buttermere having not disgraced themselves, at least to usual Cannon levels. Redfern was mediocre while Ramkin was downright embarrassing, doing well not to injure herself of her team-mates beyond reasonable expectations.

The Arrows scoring rate was immense, topping a goal every two minutes. In little more than an hour forty goals had already gone past the gallant but powerless Chudley Captain Charlie Trimble.

There was a moment of Chudley glory however, when a spectacular cross-field dive at the snitch from Mille Sapworthy distracted all present enough for Alannis Bell to sneak a goal past Perecles Delaney. But as Bell celebrated, Appleby triumphed, as Sapworthy pulled up near the Cannon left post with the snitch in her grasp.

Appleby Arrows - 550: Applebee 15, Fladbury 13, Comstock 12, Sapworthy Capture

Chudley Cannons - 10: Bell 1

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: VIOLETTA FLADBURY (ARROWS)