Falcons Devour Wasps in Falmouth
Kestrels Put Down Portree
Harpies Secure Number One
The day had finally come, witches, wizards, and wixen! The final day of matches in what has easily been the most exciting season the British and Irish League has seen in some time! And what a day it was. I won’t waste time, let’s get right into it!
The day started in Ballycastle watching two of our league giants facing off. The Ballycastle Bats have climbed their way to the top since snatching star beater Caryxander Sterling back from the Osaka team where he was on loan. The crowd was buzzing with excitement as we waited for the quaffle to be thrown and the match which came after did not disappoint. The Arrows certainly showed up to do their best and their best left Ballycastle in the dust for points. In fact, between Townsend, Fox, and Piper, the Bats only managed to score five measly goals before, in the surprise of the season, Avery Whittle managed to secure the snitch. Fans have been calling for Whittle’s removal from the team all season and one has to wonder if this was a last ditch effort to prove his worth. At any rate, it paid off, ending the game in the Bats’ favour. Ballycastle 200 – 190 Appleby
On to the next match, we arrived in Wales to witness the Caerphilly Catapults take on the Banchory Bangers. This match was a furious back and forth with both Königsmann of Caerphilly and Harvey of the Bangers fighting to keep the other team from scoring. Chasers on all sides put their all in, keeping the match close for over an hour. It was when the Bangers had taken the lead with a score of 260 to Caerphilly’s 220, that things really began to heat up. That telltale glint of gold had been spotted here and there and both seekers were giving the chase of their lives. It was Tracy of the Catapults who captured it however, granting the victory to her team. Caerphilly 370 – 260 Banchory
We moved on to Chudley next where the fans were in high spirits, hoping to see another surprising victory for their team. While the legend of Dan Power certainly carried Chudley to victory before, the same could not be said for this match. It was brutal, with the Cannons’ chasers putting up a fight, Król leading the charge. They managed to get a solid 19 goals past Puddlemere keeper Marsha Lyon, to Puddlemere’s 18 goals past Chudley’s Riley. So this back and forth continued whilst Chudley held out hope for their world famous seeker. Unfortunately, A well timed bludger sent her way was keeping Sato busy. At that time, Callum McClarken saw his opportunity and with some impressive flying and a surprising capture, ended the game in Puddlemere’ favour. Chudley 190 – 330 Puddlemere
From there, the day took us to Wimbourne, home of the Wasps, where they were due to play against the Falmouth Falcons. Fans expecting an exciting match were disappointed however as the Falcons decimated the Wasps in what could hardly be called a game. Wasp chasers struggled to get past Captain Clifford, only managing to score a single goal in the hour they were on the pitch. Truly, this match was an execution with the Falmouth chasers scoring thirty four goals to Wimbourne’s one, before seeker Dot Townsend captured the snitch, ending the match. You would be hard pressed to find a more dejected crowd of Quidditch fans than those who sat on the Wimbourne side today! Wimbourne 10 – 490 Falmouth
Next up to Portree to watch the Pride face off against the Kenmare Kestrels. The Kestrels have unfortunately had a rough time of the season as fans know, and it was clear by the energy in the stadium that people expected Pride to take the victory. Well, it seems that time with Beater Lindiwe Ungaro in the slammer had a bigger effect on Pride than expected. During the whole of the match, Pride managed a single goal past Reese “The Bartender” Barret, keeper for the Kenmare Kestrels. The Kestrels in the meantime scored an impressive 49 goals, putting the quaffle through the hoops time and time again. It was only the work of Pride seeker, Marfa Parma that the team was not utterly embarrassed, though I would say that’s a matter of opinion, really. The game ended in the Kestrel’s favour and we were off to the next match. Portree 160 – 490 Kenmare
Our next match took place in Montrose where the Magpies were waiting to take down the Tutshill Tornadoes. It was a close match with goals scored left and right on either team. Adam Fletcher of the Magpies put on an impressive show, knocking the wind out of the Tornadoes with frequency, though it wasn’t enough to keep them out of the air for good! The Magpies were 140 points behind with the Tornadoes threatening to close the margin at any moment, leaving a snitch catch useless but the birds weren’t giving up just yet. Every breath was held as fans watched Evie Proudfoot catch the snitch and end the game, securing victory for the Montrose Magpies. Montrose 650 – 640 Tutshill
For the last game of the day, we traveled to Holyhead to see what the Harpies would do against the Wigtown Wanderers. After her brutal brawl at their last game, all eyes were on the Silver Wolf, to see if fists would fly but the young rookie performed with what seemed a singular focus. Taking the lead of the Harpies chasers, she and the other girls managed a twenty nine goals to Wigtown’s zero. Was this to be another shutout with the Harpies taking the victory and leaving their opponents with not a point to their name? No! Wigtown managed to avoid total embarrassment only by their captain’s hard work. Ainsworth captured the snitch at the very last minute, ending the game but not securing victory for her team. Holyhead 290 – 150 Wigtown
There you have it folks, a brilliant ending to the best season we’ve seen in years! Though fans can guess that it will be Holyhead taking the British and Irish League Cup this season, we recommend you attend the awards ceremony to be held tomorrow at Hogsmeade Village. Until next time, ta ra!
The Department of Magical Games and Sports Host the Presentation of the British and Irish League Cup
Also:
The Dangerous Dai Commemorative Medal
The Quaffle Control Masters Trophy
The Josef Wronski Award For Excellent Pitch Skills
April 25th
Hogsmeade
Street Party To Follow