The FLSA Cup Weekly Roundup - Season 24 Week 7 Game of the Week THE REAL GILLS 3-3 FERGIES REVOLUTION This one had it all. the dual Gills rivalry, 6 different goalscorers and a late equaliser to deny a big 'paper' upset. It was the only draw of the week and had Pinderd98's team not chosen to sit back at 3-1 who knows what might have happened. Honourable shout also to the big tie in Group H where the two best teams battled it out - OldWolf's Lancashire Lions edging a close one in Norway 2-1. Thumping of the Week KAOS WARRIORS 1-6 CCFC Forever the bride? Or maybe not this year as Einar20's side runs up the score away at Vinian's Kaos Warriors. CCFC posted some impressive ratings as Warriors CA strategy failed to contain the tournament's 2nd favourites. Shock of the Week LADBROKS 3-0 RADCLIFFE ROVERS Mordeg's Ladbroks side started the tournament as a 40/1 outsider but cunningly beat off a Radcliffe side which only narrowly avoided qualifying from the group stages last year. Rovers were a pre-tournament 16/1 shot. The other shock was defending champion Sturoast's failure to accept a challenge, so conceding a walkover. In a tough group, last years winner may now struggle to take top spot. Manager of the Week MORDEG Mordeg's subtle exploitation of the Radcliffe central defence paid dividends with an impressive 3-0 win. Honourable mentions also to Robnob, who kept Avsters Allstars from running up an expected cricket score and Goooners boss Steve Buck who kept his dignity in a narrow 4-2 loss to Telford's much-fancied Englandspor side. Hero of the Week Clearly only one man here. Hudson Khader of FC Fartcelona bagged 4 goals AND struggled on through an Achilles tendon injury for the final 10 minutes of FCF's 6-1 thrashing of former semi finalists Peterborough United. And all this in 'wretched form' too... Honourable mention to Hat-Trick's Luis Alonso Arza who also netted a treble. Villain of the Week The FLSA Cup is a prestigious event despite the vicious antics seen in certain rivalries over the years (Bob_C?! ChrisRUFC?!...). This week, clearly Ojsem failed to warn his ageing striker Geir Olav Aasen of the good spirit in which the tournament is usually played. Mr Aasen "completely unprovoked, swept the legs out from under an opponent in front of a linesman". Thus earning himself the only red card of the week. Honourable mention to Group H who picked up a combined 7 cautions over their two games. Surprisingly that tally didn't include the usually 'thug-like' Overcoat team who were mid rest week. Drama of the Week Clearly has to be the tenterhooks being suffered by the Lewesia Albion fans in Trondheim away at Hattkaill Helselag. Predicted to be the most one-sided game of the day, Jim Bob's 50/1 side were holding 6/1 second joint favourites Lewesia to a 2-2 draw with only 23 minutes remaining, having actually been in front early doors. Eventually it took two late goals by the Albion to settle the affair with the game sat precariously at 3-2 in the 88th minute. Unlucky for Jim Bob! Honourable mention to Spit-Fire's SMU and Readingrules Reading Gods who prodcuced a glittering second half of action. only meriting one commentary line to note down a booking! Week 8 Game of the Week CCFC 2-1 FC FARTCELONA Two teams facing each other off the back of impressive 6-1 wins last week, with similar tactics and the current tournament top scorer (Hudson Khader) lining up against last season's top scorer (Tor Erdal) - this was always going to be an even affair. On this occasion it was the latter player that had the last laugh en route to a 2-1 win for Einar20's side. Thumping of the Week LANCASHIRE LIONS 6-0 HILLBILLY ROCK We've all heard about 'total football', and Tuesday night OldWolfs's boys showed us exactly how to get the job done. 6 goals bagged and even more impressively a 96% possession rating in the second half for the so-far-perfect Lancashire Lions. More of a training match than a cup tie. Honourable mention also to Fergies Revolution. Beergut's boys absolutely tanked Lombardoli's Palace Towers side, running out 7 goal winners - the best output in any one game so far in the tournament. Shock of the Week LEWESIA ALBION 6-1 THORNHILL UNITED This has to be the consummate ease with which 6/1 shots Lewesia Albion destroyed the also-fancied Thornhill United (8/1 odds) in the Group of Death 'F'. Albion certainly fielded a top side, but even still this was a score few would have expected beforehand. Manager of the Week TOM_POOLE Once again, Tom Poole finds away to beat the odds. His Peterborough side, famed for one of the all-time FLSA Cup giant killings (Season 23, 4-3aet against the then-favourites for the cup, Lewesia) this week disposed of Scaggeh's 7/1 shots One Sock Only by a 2-0 scoreline. Honourable mention also to Josh Milton's Tranmere Rovers side who were dominant in posting their best-ever ratings in a 4-2 win at home to The 'Coats. Hero of the Week This week's hero of the week is Scottie Crocker of Peterborough Utd. Crocker, a humble keeper who rarely receives any plaudits, made two spectacular saves including a top corner tip away and a one-on-one block as his side held on for victory under heavy pressure. Without Crocker's heroics, One Sock Only start the tournament with a point. Villain of the Week In games with rivalry, there is always a need for some level headedness and decorum from the sidelines. Take Mattyreg and Bob_C's 'Shrimpers grudge match' for example. After falling behind, FC Gambero's midfielder Oscar Pratt managed to thump home an equalizer in the 42nd minute putting his side back in with a shout. Sadly, seconds after missing a great chance to give his side the lead he was sent off on the stroke of half time. Southend cruised the rest of the game, coming out 4-1 winners. Clearly Pratt by name and by nature. Also an honourable mention for Tranmere Rovers who, in spite of insisting prior to their grudge match with Bayern that 'two footed tackles don't win football matches', the proceeded to do just that by crippling last season's Cup joint top scorer Stephen Shackleford and leaving him sidelined for 5 weeks. Drama of the Week Occasionally managers make inspired signings. This week, GOONERS Steve Buck signed 17 year old defensive midfielder Erwin Burtsev. Asked to perform a holding role, clearly the excitement of his debut on such a grand stage went to the young lad's head as he raced forward from his withdrawn position and scored just 3 minutes into his GOOONERS career. Sadly his fellow teammates couldn't hold out for the remaining 87 minutes and his debut turned sour on the wrong end of a 4-1 defeat at Iron. Week 9 Game of the Week NORWICH CITY NIL 4-5 THE GOOONERS The drama! The tension! The goals! Facing a 4-1 deficit at half time, Buckie's 2-6-2 formation battled back away at highly fancied NCN to earn a remarkable win - probably the greatest come back in FLSA Cup history! Honourable shout also to Southend United and In The Net, who fought out an amazing 3-3 draw where Devonbee's side clawed back from 0-3 down to earn an improbable point! Thumping of the Week PETERBOROUGH UNITED 9-0 KAOS WARRIORS On the end of 'thumping of the week' in week 7, Kaos reclaim their title off the back of a royal drubbing at Peterborough! Largest ever FLSA Cup win and then some. The win leaves Kaos rooted firmly to the foot of the overall league table after 3 rounds of action. Shock of the Week NORWICH CITY NIL 4-5 THE GOOONERS It's hard to see past this game. Nobody would have expected GOOONERS to run NCN close here. Let alone win. And in some style! Terrific effort which had goals, an upset and a genuine strike hero on the pitch (read on!). Most other games went to the form guide this week. Manager of the Week DENELDRE Some managers strike fear into their opponent's hearts. An aura if you will. DenEldre clearly has a sizeable off the field presence of this type. For a 2nd time in 3 games, his Hattrick side have been awarded a walkover as their opponents 'copped out' of a game at the last second. Rumours of sack beatings being up 300% in Norway are said to be "without foundation". Deneldre, we salute your influence! Honourable mentions also to Robnob, (again!) who so nearly caused a shock in Group F. Buckie obviously gets a mention, but by his own admission "the day you allocate the manager of the week position to someone who cannot even set up his team properly you know your stooping to new depths". Hero of the Week Luis Escudero is our hero of the week. Escudero netted 5 times on the way to an incomprehensible GOOONERS win at Norwich in the game of the week, and now sits atop the FLSA Cup top scorers list. Excellent form indeed! Honourable mention to Marshall's Jesper Josefsson who also netted a treble to add to his already sizeable career tally. Villain of the Week Rui Miguel Frasco is expected to be the brave new hope at the back for Bayern. Forced into an impromptu debut in the cup against Hillbilly, Frasco set about dazzling the home crowd with his passion, flair and sadly, his aggression. The Brazilian defender was ordered off the pitch in the 81st minute, almost causing a comfortable win to be thrown by the way side. Honourable mention to Group F's Gernhard Waldhoff of Jonne Utd who fired his team into an unexpected lead against widely tipped Lewesia Albion, before being crucially dismissed late on, costing his side a point. Drama of the Week As exciting at the GOOONERS vs NCN thriller turned out, the FLSA Cup was shrouded in controversy this week. On the verge of a sensational result against a much stronger Lewesia side, Robnob's Jonne Utd were cruelly denied a deserved draw in the last few minutes of their contest. "In the 88:th minute the home side were awarded a penalty. The visitors protested wildly but the referee was adamant. Ross Grant easily put the 2 - 1 goal away for Lewesia." Tough luck indeed! Week 10 ?????????? Week 11 Game of the Week THE GOOONERS 4-3 AFC DARLO Once again those un-fancied GOOONERS pull out an amazing result at home to Cozz's pre-tournament 8/1 shots AFC Darlo. If it hadn't been for some heroics elsewhere within the group, Buckie's Babes would have pulled off the most Cinderella-esque story the FLSA Cup has ever seen. Thumping of the Week BEST BEHAVIOUR 9-1 MONKEYHEADS XI Let's be honest, nobody saw this one coming. Billed as a close matchup between On_parole and Stilocox, Best Behaviour romped to victory and a spot in the FLSA Cup final eight. A vengeful Monkeyheads will surely provide stern opposition in the quarters of the consolation cup though. Shock of the Week BAYERN OVERCOAT 3-2 LANCASHIRE LIONS Very little looked to be in the way of Lions steamrolling this group after their first week defeat of Chesterfield. In spite of having nothing to play for, Overcoat's youngsters produced a surprise comeback from 2-0 down, courtesy of an unlikely midfield hattrick from 17 year old Svatopluk Thomas Manager of the Week SCAGGEH In what turned out to be the tightest group of all (Group G), the pressure was really on One Sock Only going into their home game against a very strong CCFC side. Defeat would have signaled a departure from the competition and a chance for Fartcelona or Peterborough to slip by. Scaggeh made sure his side delivered the goods with a come back from 2-0 down and a late winner to edge it 3-2 and advance to the Consolation cup. Special mention for Mordeg whose Ladbroks side notched an impressive point against SWFC. Hero of the Week Growing up, Dexter Clarke contemplated playing for Scotland owing to his grandfather's Edinburgh roots. After sticking with his native England, Clarke vowed to combine the best of both nations in his goalkeeping style. His English pleasantness, balanced nature and honesty was always at the forefront of his game but his Scottish longings found a way in too. No better example can be found than Clarke's 9 trips to the back of the twine to fetch the ball against Best Bahaviour. Apparently Walter Smith is "hugely interested". Villain of the Week Enrique Omar Balaguer is clearly a player with the world at his feet. Currently being trained by deposed tournament favourites Sheffield Wednesday, big things are clearly expected. According to SWFC officials, his mandate doesn't include being red carded but the youngster - eager to prove his worth - obliged after just 23 minutes of his side's 0-0 draw at Ladbroks. Drama of the Week Group C - the bunch of teams more widely recognised as being as entertaining as a UK Gold 'Vicar of Dibley' weekend, gave us a wild and exciting end to the group stages. A heroic Buckie performance gave GOOONERS a great chance. NCN were in no mood to be charitable though and dished out a goal fest at Iron to grab second place en route to the Consolation Cup.! All Information © The FLSA Federation