| Details for Buzz Off! Falcons Flop Forward, Wasps Stingless |
| Summary: | Overview of the Falmouth-Wimborne Quidditch Match. |
| Date: | May 11, 1939 |
| Location: | N/A |
| Related: | — |
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The Falmouth Falcons' victory over the Wimbourne Wasps this week showed the rest of the league what they're capable of, but also exposed some critical weaknesses in the team's approach; relying heavily on star talent over coordination, the Falcons took forever to work together, constantly making small errors of coordination for the first half of the game. For a while, the Wasps seemed like they had it all, needling the Falcons constantly with a slowly surmounting lead.
Things changed when Kelvin Lovegood seemed to finally wake up out of a somnambulistic, groggy performance and remembered what game he was playing; the newly awakened chaser made good tactical calls once he started thinking a step ahead. His execution of the Whomping Willow closing formation was key to trapping Wimbourne Seeker Francis Dean between two bludgers, ending his performance in the game. Losing a Seeker can be heartbreaking, and the poorly-named Lovegood conjured acid into the wounds, executing two more traps that unseated two more of the Wasps' players. The last ninety minutes were a scoring free-for-all for the Falcons, such that Falmouth capturing the Snitch must have felt like a merciful escape for the Wimbourne fans at the end, who chanted "Emancipare" and pointed their wands up at the air.
Kelvin Lovegood's second-half performance was critical in the eventual win; at times it appeared he willed his team to victory. Modestly, he declined an interview after the match, and was seen entering the team's gym room with a diffident blush on his face. The Wimbourne Wasps clearly need to make some changes if they want to remain competitive; we've all seen a team crumble under pressure, but getting caught three times in a single game by the same fake-out is inexcusable. They really need to work on keeping cool under fire.