Tornados trounce hapless Puddlemere

Tutshill Tornados - 620* vs Puddlemere United - 90

	Tornados	United
Keeper	Stainwright (C)	Wood (C)
Chasers	Hastings	Ramley
	Birch	Lochrin
	Culberry	Blijk
Beaters	Jenkins	Burrows
	Fitzpatrick	Ellesmere
Seeker	Muntz	Kiddell

Both the Tutshill Tornados and Puddlemere United were coming off (mathematically) comfortable victories, so to see neither side altered was not much of a surprise. But Tornados manager Jolyon Ancrum has the luxury of knowing his team have what it takes to win the League Cup. Puddlemere are a younger and decidedly less proven unit so the status quo is never necessarily right, especially given how unconvincing they were against the Bats. Standing still is going backwards in this game.

The contrasting experience and togetherness of the units showed from the outset. Positionally the contest was right, with Alcmene Blijk every bit as decisive with the Quaffle as Blodwen Birch and United Beater Gunther Ellesmere dominating the Beater contest. Obviously Oliver Wood can always be expected to live up to any opposition Keeper, even one as credentialed as Lucian Stainwright.

But it was a different story with the younger brigade. Cepheus Fitzpatrick continued his solid form in his first full season as a preferred started, while for a second consecutive week the largely unknown Odette Hastings showed she genuinely has what it takes, supporting Birch well and rather outperforming Colwyn Culberry even. But on the other side, Alexei Ramley is clearly not ready for the rigours of professional Quidditch. He has the game and the athleticism, but was positionally flummoxed all night long, as well as giving up cheap penalties when his obvious frustration boiled over. The presence of Bastian Burrows over Dougal Blenkinsop was also head-scratching, as he was not only anonymous, but to an extent neutralized the largely impressive Ellesmere with his lack of interplay.

It was all Tornados from the start. United were nowhere to be seen, working hard for every goal. Were it not for Alcmene Blijk’s enterprising skill and dexterity, who knows if they’d have even scored any goals. The anonymity of a Chaser as experienced as Nephele Lochrin was particularly concerning.

Tutshill are an efficient team, all about experience, professionalism and earning the two points as opposed to flashiness and floggings. So for the supposed prodigal children of Puddlemere, it was a thumping punch in the gut to be so roundly shell-lacked. By the time Aurora Muntz somewhat inevitably beat the increasingly haggard and injury-prone Donaghan Kiddell (who’s trailing flow of nose blood could not have been aerodynamically helpful) to the snitch, the Tornados were nearly four hundred clear.

This was the not the kind of contest one expects from Friday night blockbusters.

Tutshill Tornados - 620: Birch 27, Hastings 14, Culberry 6, Muntz Capture

Puddlemere United - 90: Blijk 7, Lochrin 2

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: BLODWEN BIRCH (TORNADOS)