Kid Kestrels exposed by polished premiers

Tutshill Tornados - 700* vs Kenmare Kestrels - 160

	Tornados	Kestrels
Keeper	Stainwright (C)	O’Hare (C)
Chasers	MacFarlan	McNally
	Birch	O’Flanagan
	Culberry	Watkins
Beaters	Jenkins	Tuckett
	White	Crumb
Seeker	Muntz	O’Flaherty

The Kenmare Kestrels were given little chance of success pre-season, and after two rounds sat second to last without a win to their name. But in both matches they had surprised. In fact in both matches Kenmare were the better team and led, before losing the snitch. As encouraged as their fans can feel though, the fact remains that neither the Bats nor Harpies look Top Four material. Realistically, for the finals to feel like an achievable goal, the Kestrels needed to win one of the two.

Their path got no easier with a clash against the reigning champions. But with the eye of the tornado punctured by an ego-shattering loss to the Magpies in last week’s Grand Final rematch, Tutshill were there for the taking.

Kestrels manager Seamus O’Mahoney decided that two crucial snitches was two too many and relieved Florentia Denshaw of her starting position in favour of the less athletic but more experienced Hilaria O’Flaherty. There was change on the Tornados side too, with Denison Dunwich punishing Calliope Entwistle and Cepheus Fitzpatrick for below-par efforts against Montrose, replacing them with Colwyn Culberry and Andros White respectively.

Spurred by their strong previous performances and the Magpie-discovered holes in Tutshill’s now fragile looking defence, Kenmare started like a Burrow on fire. The Tornados too clearly such a happening was unacceptably non-canon though and immediately sought to rectify the error.  After ten minutes the Kestrels led 10-0, with Culberry and White in particular showing signs of extreme rust. But from there it was all Tutshill.

The Kestrels, put under genuine pressure for the first time, chose this week to show their inexperience and indiscipline. In the first two hours Tutshill steadily build a solid lead, but in the following two it was a massacre. Led by the slow-starting Culberry, the Tornados scored nineteen consecutive goals in a thirty minute period as the game drifted away from an increasingly ragged Kenmare.

Keen to make up for last week, Aurora Muntz made no mistake when the snitch passed close to her vicinity late in the fourth hour, sealing a dominant victory. For the Tornados, this match represents two points on the table to steady the ship after the Magpie misfortune, but there were no major traces of brilliance. There didn’t need to be against a fickle Kenmare side who will know that repeat performances are unacceptable and will fast-track them on a path to ladder anonymity this season. 

Tutshill Tornados - 700: Birch 23, Culberry 21, MacFarlan 11, Muntz Capture

Kenmare Kestrels - 160: McNally 8, Watkins 8

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: COLWYN CULBERRY (TORNADOS)