Wood For You hosted Spartak Newport in the quarter-final of the FUC Cup on 1st November. With a team difference of 280k, the woodies were hot favourites and started the match on fire! A good kick into centre field and a blitz saw a stunned Spartak side starting the game with a plague of wood elves around the ball's landing place within a single move of their own end zone!
Dispossessing woody catcher Voronwe with a bit of help with the chainsaw, the ball landed favourably for the home side. Outblocking the Beastmen, the wood elves smuggled it to Aegnor who lobbed it over to Beleg to open the scoring by turn 3.
And then it was all repeated again! A second blitz followed some very dubious tampering with the sprinkler system (-1 to pass, catch and pick up) and the cheatin' woodies once again swarmed the ball's landing area. A more favourable drop left 3 wood elves between 3 beastmen and the ball. A rogue wizard launched a fireball to even the odds and Spartak thrower Duke of Puke managed a pass to midfield which was fumbled. Half time came but in a piece of uplifting news, Vercingoaterix blitzed Wood For You's star Wardancer into the away fans who promptly broke him! Three other woody injuries thinned their ranks.
Second half, woodies possession and the half-time Spartak team talk yielded violent dividends. With 10 against 9, the Beasties pummelled the flopsy Wood Elves who cautiously caged up and sent out a couple of runners who were promptly beaten to a pulp. Numbers told and Norman the Ninja brilliantly passed to Creepy Kevin to score.
10 faced 6 in extra-time and it was no contest. Two more woodies were busted up but even with 4 players, the reigning WANC champions were a threat. But Norman the Ninja, inspired by this game, combined with Harold Sheepman to hold off attempts to sack the ball carriers and the Spartak number 9 ran in the winner!
2-1 in extra time, 9-2 in casualties, and Spartak face Liquid Green Stuff in the FUC Cup semis. In the WANC play-offs, Spartak have drawn Ass Whoopers Conference runners-up, the dangerous Troll County Council.
Captain of Spartak Newport, Vercingoaterix, accounted for three of the dodgy woodies during the game, two of them into the crowd.
