Sapworthy snatch seals Arrow triumph

Appleby Arrows - 680* vs Tutshill Tornados - 390

	Tornados	Arrows
Keeper	Stainwright (C)	Delaney
Chasers	Hastings	Fladbury (C)
	Birch	Cauldwell
	Culberry	Applebee
Beaters	Jenkins	Flitley
	Fitzpatrick	Belcher
Seeker	Muntz	Sapworthy

From an entertainment and intrigue standpoint, this was a perfect time for the Tornados and Arrows to face off. Appleby have well and truly put 2011 behind them and their triumph over the Wasps showed them to be a genuine title chance, but they must get past their inconsistency. Victory over the reigning champions would drive this threat home.

The Tornados have been a little imperfect, but have done enough to be third and have a knack of turning up when it matters. It’s starting to matter now, with an important clash and the end of the season approaching. A big win here would go a long way to ensuring a vital Top Four position for the reigning champions.

But it was the Arrows who sat down in sixth and in particularly desperate need of a win and in the early stages they certainly looked to be the team who had the most to play for. Captain Violetta Fladbury was at her very best, for the first time this season really. For the second week in a row, Katherine Cauldwell too was immense in her workload and kept the Arrow goal count ticking over.

The Tornados’ have their own surprise new star though, with Odette Hastings again making her presence felt, in spirited support of the hyper-efficient Blodwen Birch. It was a girls’ night out, with each team’s male Chaser very much taking third-fiddle. But there were two men who certainly had rather more impact on the early momentum; Ragmar Flitley and Gifford Belcher.

The Tornados’ Chasers impressed as ever, showing a slightly greater flair and creativity than their Arrow counterparts. But with the margin so close between the six, Flitley and Belcher’s dominance over Alaricus Jenkins and Cepheus Fitzpatrick made the decisive difference.

Just seconds before the match entered its fifth tense hour, Cauldwell scored the goal that took Appleby 160 points clear while an antsy Aurora Muntz circled lower and lower. When the snitch made its convenient appearance there and then, Blodwen Birch took control, scoring a goal then brilliantly intercepting Perecles Delaney’s restart pass and duly adding a second to keep the match alive.

But Millie Sapworthy saw fit to choose this night for her coming of age, bumping shoulders with Muntz then twisting dexterously to the left to catch the snitch as it changed direction. It was a thrilling finish befitting such a tight match and a second decisive statement from the ever-improving Appleby Arrows.

Appleby Arrows - 680: Cauldwell 23, Fladbury 15, Applebee 15, Sapworthy Capture

Tutshill Tornados - 390: Birch 22, Hastings 12, Culberry 5

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: RAGMAR FLITLEY (ARROWS)