-British League Match - Surrey Steelers
vs. Pembrokeshire Pythons*-

---

After
quite a long run of exciting and interesting games in the British Quidditch
League, it was no surprise that we finally were faced with a game that bored
the crowd to no end. Very few goals were scored and play overall was sloppy; it
was a game which saw a number of fans leave the stadium within the first hour.

Things
just never really took off for either side - it was a full half an hour before
the first goal was scored - by Pembrokeshire Chaser Olivia Morgan - but it had
nothing to do with the good defensive skills, instead simply the poor play by
everyone on the pitch. Surrey Chaser Rick Fleming soon scored an equalizer
which sailed right past Pembrokeshire keeper Cameron Erstan's fingertips,
leaving the Pembrokeshire fans groaning at what could have been an easy save.
Surrey Keeper Flo Grayson wasn't much better, and spent most of the game
looking very distracted. In total, both teams scored the same number of goals,
with Pembrokeshire Chaser Imogen Valentine claiming the title of top goal
scorer for the match - she scored three of her team's five goals, and the other
Chasers Olivia Morgan and Alex Winston scoring one goal each. For the Surrey
side, Rick Fleming and Harley Causon scored two each and Lola Swan managed to
get one in right at the end.

Both
teams' Beaters started off playing a shocking game, allowing Bludgers to fly
everywhere and often missing the Bludgers when they swung their bats. However,
over the course of the game all four of them started to strengthen up, and by
the end they were playing a half decent game, and managed to get in one or two
good hits, especially the new recruits for the Surrey side; best friends Jess
Taegen and Ollie Bishop.

The
match lasted two and a half hours in total, with Pembrokeshire Seeker Rae
Aldridge catching the snitch in the 153rd minute as it flew right past her
face, winning the game for Pembrokeshire 200-50. Both teams seemed pretty
downhearted as they came off the pitch, and the crowd were distinctly
unimpressed. A fan of the Surrey side told us:

"That was one of the most boring games
I have watched in a long time. Both teams played badly, and people around me
started to get up and leave pretty early on. Quite frankly, that was a waste of
time and a waste of money."

We
also spoke to Pembrokeshire Captain and Beater Liam Davies after the match, and
he told us:

"That was a disappointing match, and
I'm really upset with how we played. I know we won, but it was purely down to
luck instead of skill. I will work with my team to improve our attitude towards
the games and make sure we enter every pitch with our heads in the game,
wanting to win, because that makes all the difference."

-Grace Waterson

*Surrey is a relatively small but heavily populated
county in the South-East of England, relatively close to London. Pembrokeshire
is a county in the south west of Eales; a popular location for filming and a
major trade port. For those who also do not know what Steelers are, Steelers
are creatures whose venom is one of the only things that can kill the strongly
resistant