Catapult fairytale lives on another week

Caerphilly Catapults - 710* vs Falmouth Falcons - 530

	Catapults	Falcons
Keeper	Carrington	Frobisher
Chasers	Gwenhwyfar	Grinderford (C)
	Lympsham	Meadows
	Lafarge	Goodfellow
Beaters	Lofthouse (C)	Bundy
	Aderonis	Cronk
Seeker	Bryson	Mostafa

The first time the Caerphilly Catapults and Falmouth Falcons met, back in Round 9, the Falcons just got out of jail with a twenty point win despite a snitch catch from Brynmor Bryson.

After Bryson’s heroics against the Magpies last week, contrasted with the Falcons’ lack of top form against the Harpies, there was no reason to suggest Caerphilly’s surprise season couldn’t continue for yet another week.

There was also reason to suggest that a modicum of panic had penetrated the Falmouth camp. Beater Gordon Wagtail was dropped, leaving Basil Cronk to make his first start of the season at finals time, hardly optimum. Falcons manager Mungo Poyntz also looked nervy when addressing the wizarding press before the contest.

It was clear quickly that Poyntz was far from unfounded in his angst.  The nimble girl trio of the Catapults took immediate charge of the Chaser contest. Falcons captain Marina Grinderford was unstoppable when in the clear, but was marked almost exclusively by her opposing skipper Asgeir Lofthouse. It was Fairfax Meadows and Caliban Goodfellow who struggled to a surprising degree.

Crisiant Lafarge almost never went five minutes without potting another goal as the Catapults continued to ride the crest of their stunning season’s wave. By the end of the second hour Caerphilly were beginning to creep towards the snitch margin, but were never quite able to cross it.

As the more physically intimidating team, time was always going to favour the Falcons and so they slowly fought their way back into the contest. Grinderford was below her best, but Grinderford at 75% is still better than most and she was able to almost single-handedly score the goals necessary to make the Caerphilly camp exceedingly nervous.

As the third hour came and went, so did the Catapults decisive advantage. But with Lofthouse in command, the Catapults controlled the Bludgers and effectively dulled the Falcon offensive enough to stay ever so slightly clear.

There was controversy aplenty to, when Cyprian Bundy downed Catapult Keeper Caddock Carrington, seemingly illegally with Carrington out of play.

But the referee deemed his movement towards Bundy to have constituted a deliberate draw and so allowed the Bludge, freeing up the goals for Meadows to score unchallenged. By the time Carrington was recovered, three more goals had been added and the Catapult lead was down to just twenty points.

But it was always going to come down to the snitch. Neither Oakden Mostafa nor Brynmor Bryson had set the world alight so far this year. But Bryson’s international experience has held him in good stead and for the second week in a row, the Welsh National Seeker rose to the occasion, taking the snitch and winning the match for Caerphilly.

It was yet another year of heartbreak for the long suffering Falcons fans, but particularly hard to take for their captain Marina Grinderford who must wonder, after her stellar season, just what more she can do to get Falmouth near a Grand Final.

But the Catapults are now well and truly the fairy story of 2012. One more upset and they’ll win themselves one of the more unlikely Grand Final berths in recent years.

Caerphilly Catapults - 710: Lafarge 35, Lympsham 13, Gwenhwyfar 8, Bryson Capture
Falmouth Falcons – 530: Grinderford 31, Goodfellow 15, Meadows 7

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: CRISIANT LAFARGE (CATAPULTS)