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Football often gets publicity for all the wrong reasons, as a small minority of so called fans have tarnished the reputation of the great majority who only wants to have a good time and support their team. But football can also unite, and it was a heartwarmning sight when the travelling Mirkwood fans started to arrive at Lake Mithrim. Here were Woodmen, Elves, Orcs and even a few monstrous spiders singing and drinking together, all cheering for their interracial team. During the night before the match, Legolas fan-girls could be seen walking hand in hand with well-behaved Orc captains, and spiders were playing football in the parks, using all their legs trying to dribble off laughing Elves and men. If there only were more scenes like this in Middle Earth.

Most of the talk prior to the game had been centred around Turin though, as it always is whenever this man is involved. Perhaps the greatest mortal striker ever to have played the game, Turin can put the fear into any defence, and his fantastic goals against the mighty Angband, while playing for little leaguers Amon Rhud and Brethil, will always be remembered in the footballing community. Yet, the well travelled star has never won any titles, and despite all the bright promises his arrival to a new team often brings, his employers usually regret signing “The Black Boots” before the end of his stint. “Son of ill fate” he’s been called, and few are surprised these days if the striker suddenly miskicks a clearence for a spectacular own goal when it matters the most, strikes down a teammate or gets himself sent off when he would have been needed the most. Now, playing for Hithlum, Turin says that he is content and that his fans have nothing to worry about this time: “All that stuff is in the past, it matters not. I look ahead. Here at home in Hithlum, playing with my father, I’ve found harmony. Some say I’m cursed, but Hurin has told me that’s not true, and he’s heard it straight from the horses’ mouth, he says.” When asked if he would have liked to play with Morwen and Nienor too, the temperamental forward left the room with a fierce spark in his eyes and refused to answer any further questions.

Ahead of the match Hithlum was heavily favoured by the bookies and as play got under way it became clear that the Mirkwood defence were in for a hard day’s work against the all star line-up of the home team. Only a few minutes into the game Turin rattled the crossbar with a thunderous shot on the turn. Hithlum continued to come forward in wave after wave and in the 12th minute Hurin released Fingolfin with a clever through ball. The high king showed great composure in front of goal, chipping the ball over the legs of the onruhing Oropher and into the net.

Mirkwood did not give up so easily though. Urged on by their small but vocal supportergroup, they slowly began to work themselves into the game. Up front, Legolas, Thranduil and Scatha are a threat to any team, and now they started to see more of the ball. Legolas tried his luck with a few long-distance shots, and Scatha, the heavy centretank, was a real nuisance for the Hithlum defenders. In the 27th minute Mirkwood rolled up a great move. The ball moved from player to player as if tied to a string, and when Grishnakh was released by Legolas, Gundor came late for the challenge and tripped the long-limbed Orc inside the box. The referee had no hesitation as he showed Gundor a yellow card and pointed to the spot. It was a penalty kick! Scatha, having scored from 12 yards earlier in the Cup, seemed eager to take it but team captain Thranduil took the ball away from him and placed it on the spot himself. He took a deep breath and fired a low drive towards the left hand post, but Huor guessed correcly and palmed it away at full stretch. Scatha looked very upset while Thranduil buried his head in his hands. But in the meantime play was underway and Hithlum started a quick counterattack. Fingon got the ball on the right and advanced with it towards the box and the defenders who were backing down. He then played a great diagonal ball to the left for the unrushing Turin who with his first touch took the ball into the box, cut inside Galion with his second, and fired an unstoppable right-footed shot high into the far corner of the net with his third. With a fist raised in the air Turin quietly celebrated the goal, before being mobbed by his teamates.

Now there was little drama left in the game. Mirkwood continued to try, but their collective backbone seemed to have been broken by the second Hithlum goal, and their attacks were now mostly consisting of individual efforts. Scatha in particular semed unwilling to pass the ball to any of his teammates, repeatedly trying to dribble his way past the Hithlum defence without much success. Hilthum always looked more likely to score more goals than Mirkwood to reduce their lead, and in the 44th minute they did. Once again Turin was the inspiration as he left the Mirkwood defence for dead before delivering a pinpoint cross that his father easily headed home.

The second half was slow-paced but still gave the crowd two more goals to cheer about. The first one came from Mirkwood and brought some hope back for their supporters, now getting along less harmonically in the stands. Scatha was the scorer and it was perhaps the best goal of the game. Mirkwood were awarded a freekick 30 yards out. Grishnakh rolled the ball a few yards to the right for Scatha who hit a ferocious, rising thunderbolt that hit the crossbar and went in behind a surprised and startled Huor in the Hithlum goal. There was no sign of joy in Scatha’s face however as he pushed the defenders away and gathered the ball to place in in the midcircle again.

But if the Mirkwood players and fans had hopes for a comeback, they finally faultered in the 72nd minute when Fingon scored his second goal of the tournament with a curling shot from the edge of the area. The match ended 4-1 and it had been a very impressive performance from Hithlum. Their defence looked solid and up front, few, if any teams, can match the brilliance of the black boots of Turin supported by Fingolfin the Brave, Fingon the Valiant and Hurin the Steadfast.

But now the dreaded Angband awaits. Hurin and Fingolfin will once again stand face to face with Morgoth, mightiest among footballers, while Fingon will clash with his nemesis Gothmog again. Turin will also be desperate for pay-back against Melkor, who’s taken so much away from him. Will they get their revenge, or will the Dark Lord prevail as he ever has in the past? Whatever the outcome, this clash of the titans is not to be missed.

Hithlum 4-1 Mirkwood
shots 21-11
on target 10-5
GOALS:
*Hithlum, 12 (Fingolfin- Hurin)
*Hithlum, 29 (Turin- Fingon)
*Hithlum, 44 (Hurin- Turin)
*Mirkwood, 59 (Scatha- Grishnakh)
*Hithlum, 72 (Fingon- Angrod)
YELLOW CARDS:
*Hithlum- Gundor
*Mirkwood- Nazgul #8, Muzgash, Grimbeorn, Galion