Harpies upset grounded Magpies

Holyhead Harpies - 880* vs Montrose Magpies - 830

	Magpies	Harpies
Keeper	Wintringham	Weatherwax
Chasers	Keitch (C)	Birchgrove
	MacLean	Gladstone (C)
	McTavish	Barnacle
Beaters	Moriattis	Tolipan
	Ollerton	Gibberd
Seeker	Abberley	Bloch

Last week the Wimbourne Wasps showed the world that the mighty Montrose Magpies were in fact beatable. Magpies manager Amedeus Pegley showed faith though, sticking with his proven seven. Now was not the time for experimentation, for a big enough win tonight could still salvage the prestige of being minor premiers.

The Holyhead Harpies have the quality necessary to be able to exploit the tiny chinks in the Magpie armour. Unfortunately they came into this round with their problems, having been disappointingly beaten by the lowly Wanderers last week. However Maeve Halcyeone’s hope was that the return of Filemina Weatherwax, Gweneth Birchgrove and Zelda Bloch would prevent a repeat of such lethargy.

There was still bad news for the Harpies though, who remained without captain Gwenevak Glossop who was struggling with general injury and fatigue. Glossop’s absence afforded a second opportunity for Generys Gladstone to prove her captaincy credentials, having looked ill at ease with the role against Wigtown.

From the very first minute, it was the Harpies who took the match by the scruff of the neck and by surprise. Montrose looked unsettled and tentative, as if their first loss of the season had reinforced to everyone the fragility of Quidditch supremacy and how easy it was to lose a match.

The Harpies on the other hand were re-energised, with Weatherwax and Birchgrove particularly dominant on the back of their extra rest. Gwendoline Barnacle, retained thanks to Glossop’s absence, raised to another level aswell, using her considerable size and strength to combat the powerful Magpie men.

Holyhead led decisively early on, but the Bludging efforts of Mulciber Moriattis and Zachariah Ollerton prevented an undue blowout, and prevented panic amongst the ranks.

Moriattis took out Gladstone late in the second hour and although she was contributing minimal goals, her captaincy had been a revelation. The blow rendered the Harpies somewhat the headless chooks. Barnacle and Birchgrove were still deadly and Weatherwax was still remarkably dexterous in goal, but no-one can stop the Magpies when they’re on song.

Farquhar MacLean took the Chaser lead, creeping Montrose back towards the lead slowly but surely over the third and fourth hours.

The Harpies’ Beaters were critically ineffective, allowing the Magpies to take back control of the context and, eventually, the lead on the scoreboard.

It was captivating Quidditch. Few who were present could have believed that the vital six hour juncture was approaching, such had been the quality. The Magpies were ahead and slaving desperately, creeping ever so slowly clear, goal by goal.

But the match remained alive and the snitch well and truly in sight at many a juncture. It was only the understanding that her team was on top and would only draw further clear, as necessary in percentage terms to ensure the minor premiership, which prevented Alison Abberley from pouncing.

But when your opposite number is a Seeker as devastating as Zelda Bloch, one cannot play around too much. So when the snitch flitted decisively between the pair of them, Abberley set off in pursuit. But it was Bloch who flew the tighter lines, outstripping Abberley and diving brilliantly to pull off a sensational win for the Harpies.

It was a cruel irony for the Magpies. Ten straight wins in 2012, only to end the regular season with consecutive losses. The result left the Wasps needing only to avoid sizable defeat against the decidedly mid-range Kenmare Kestrels to finalize top spot.


Holyhead Harpies - 880: Birchgrove 39, Barnacle 20, Gladstone 14, Bloch Capture
Montrose Magpies - 830: MacLean 34, MacTavish 28, Keitch 21


PLAYER OF THE MATCH: MULCIBER MORIATTIS (MAGPIES)