Mighty Magpies bagel powerless Puddlemere

Montrose Magpies - 330* vs Puddlemere United - 0

	Magpies	United
Keeper	Wintringham	Wood (C)
Chasers	Keitch (C)	Dingle
	MacLean	Santini
	MacTavish	Blijk
Beaters	Moriattis	Blenkinsop
	Ollerton	Ellesmere
Seeker	Abberley	Kiddell

Based on the form of recent weeks, this usually captivating encounter promised rather less of a contest in 2012. Puddlemere’s season has gone downhill after an acceptably lukewarm start, reaching its lowest point with an awful display against the previously winless Wanderers last week. It was the Chasers last week who were the biggest culprits in the horrendous loss. Druella Dingle was rusty on her return to starting and so manager Ralph Bobbin, often criticized for not swinging the axe decisively enough, and allowed her another chance. But he certainly could not be criticized for sentimentality when it came to iconic veteran Chaser Nephele Lochrin. For the first time in over a decade, Lochrin found herself on the sidelines purely on form. Journeywoman Nym Santini took her place, earning her first start for Puddlemere after two years with the club.

But once the game started it was immediately apparent that no amount of changes or reinventions could help Puddlemere on this day. The Magpies were at their very best, with captain Royden Keith in particular showing ominously vintage form in support of the always superlative Farquhar MacLean and Fingal McTavish.

No team in the League could be reasonably expected to have won this match against such a powerhouse, but few would have capitulated quite as easily as the hapless United. With their confidence already shot, the Magpies’ flying start was all it took to sink Puddlemere deep into the mire.

As the first hour neared its conclusion, still Puddlemere had yet to trouble the scorers. When Alison Abberley then swept from above to stunningly snatch the snitch from absolutely nowhere, United were left with the ignominy of being the first team to be kept scoreless in 2012.

One could criticize Abberley for not extending what was obviously a leisurely work out for her team, but the Magpies’ confidence is such that they don’t expect to lose a game all season, rendering percentages irrelevant.

Montrose Magpies - 330: MacTavish 8, Keitch 5, MacLean 5, Abberley Capture

Puddlemere United - 0

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: ALISON ABBERLEY (MAGPIES)