Group G at Nargothrond
Notice to the Public:
On Lótessë the 31st, Year 2012 of the Seventh Age, Boromir the 88th of TTN said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Boromir88
To only go 7/16, and even do worse then TENT!
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Almost half the seats in the High Faroth Arena were occupied by Orcs and Trolls cheering for Ungoliant and the Balrogs of Anfauglith. The outnumbered Doriath supporters tried their best to make themselves heard, but the war drums and the chanting was too much for them to overcome. A few thousand Nargothrond supporters also came to watch the match. Although they wanted to cheer for Doriath, they also hoped for draw, since it would make Nargothrond’s path to advancement much easier.
If that was what they wanted, then the first half was exactly what the doctor ordered. The two squads started conservatively. Melian of Doriath played central defender, marking Thuringwethil personally. With their queen not helping in the midfield, Daeron, Nellas and Galadhon found themselves pressed by Anfauglith’s midfield five. They found no space to work the ball forward, and so for most of the half the ball was contested in the middle portion of the pitch. Lúthien and Beleg tried to play on the flanks, but the Balrogs were more than up to the challenge of containing them. Their few crosses, hurriedly sent, were smothered by Ungoliant or cleared by Borlach before Mablung could even get to them. They two teams remained scoreless when the half-time whistle was blown.
In the second half Doriath found a renewed energy for attack, catalysed by Melian’s shift from centre to left back, which gave her space to move the ball towards the Anfauglith side of the pitch. Her interplay with Lúthien gave Doriath their best chance of the game; five minutes into the half, Tinúviel cut inside, luring Balrog #3 to follow her, before passing the ball to a touchline-hugging Melian. The Maia found space to send a pinpoint cross, but Mablung’s finishing left much to be desired, striking the crossbar with the net at his mercy.
Doriath would rue this wasted chance when, in the sixty-second minute, Galdor, exploiting the space left behind by Melian, received a pass from Thuringwethil and powered the ball into an empty net.
After conceding Doriath became more desperate for a goal, which only fuelled Anfauglith’s counterattacking strategy. Only the efforts of Melian, who blamed herself for the goal, kept Thuringwethil from adding to their lead. However, without their captain’s help in the attack, Doriath were unable to breach Ungoliant’s goal, and Anfauglith soon walked away victorious, one step closer to advancing.
Anfauglith 1-0 Doriath
GOALS:
62, 1-0 Galdor (Thuringwethil)
Total Shots
13-8
Shots On Target
5-3
YELLOW CARDS:
2-1
Anfauglith: Borlach, Gorgol
Doriath: Galadhon