Summary of the action from Week 18 in the LIGA 11-a-side competitions

Going into the Easter break Week 18 of the LIGA promised much and definitely didn't disappoint...

The big game of the day was played on the 3G Pitch on Clifton Campus. With both sides playing their final league fixture of the season LIGA A leaders ACS FC faced second placed Kings Of Leon Osman, with the latter sitting just one behind an ACS side desperate to improve on their second place finish last season. The game proved to be the high standard affair expected and half time the score was still 0-0. ACS only needed to draw to take the league title, but defending isn't in their nature and they continued pushing on for the win. They got their breakthrough with twenty-five minutes remaining as winger Brandon Boanti, who has suffered an injury hit campaign in 2013-14, swept home at the end of a flowing passing move. They then doubled thier lead through an unlikely source as Daniel Francis secured the title for them with his first goal for the club. Despite two late red card reducing ACS to nine men for the last ten minutes, they hung one to take their first league title.

BSOC All Stars took a huge step toward securing third place in LIGA A as they took a hard fought 2-1 win against History Society, with their cause being helped by Bassetts All Sorts being held to a 1-1 draw by FC Futsal.

In LIGA B Pub Sports moved themselves up the table with a 4-1 win over Teenage Mutant Ninja Skrtels that, despite TMNS being understrength, was all the more impressive as Pub Sports played the first period with just nine men. Goldsmiths finished their own league campaign with their second upset victory in two weeks as they beat promotion hopefuls Bayer Lexerkusen 3-2, though Lex wasted chances galore, including a penalty and missing a shot from under the crossbar. The final LIGA B game became the first LIGA match to be played under floodlights, as Cypriot Society played Puyol Pants Down in a 4pm kick off on the Clifton Campus 3G pitch. Following the other results in LIGA B a win for either would have left them in pole position for promotion to LIGA A next season. The game produced a 1-1 draw that saw Puyol move up to second, but guaranteed to finsh in third spot at the end of the season due to the implications of the remaining LIGA B game.

Only one of the days two LIGA C games took place as Chamakh My Pitch Up suffered deadline fever as coursework pressures reduced their squad heavily. In the game that took place Red Stripe Belgrade met FC Banterlona. Red Stripe knew a win in what was their final league game would move them to the top of the LIGA C table, but would leave them at the mercy of the results of other games still to be played. Meanwhile Banterlona, who feature in each of the two games still to be played, knew a win would leave the title firmly in their hands. Back in Week 3 Banterlona had beaten Red Stripe easily, taking a 5-0 win, but the game was much closer this time round, with Banterlona edging it 4-2 to move above their opponents on goal difference and just a point behind leaders Blenheim FC.

The LIGA Cup knockout rounds got underway with the days final game. BSOC Bulldogz came into the game as the higher ranked team but out of form as they played LIGA B champions Chaps Society. Chaps are the last team with a 100% record across all of the Intra-Mural football leagues and maintained this as they strode out 5-0 winners, with a thirty-five yard strike by Robbie Wilcock just before half time the stand out moment of the game.

Despite each of the eight games having big implications to the league tables and cup competition, the Week 18 Team Of The Week Award rightly goes to ACS FC as they beat rivals Kings Of Leon Osman 2-0 to take the LIGA A title and their first piece of silverware in their three year history.

The LIGA now takes a two week break over Easter but returns with six potentially vital fixtures in Week 19. In LIGA A FC Futsal will want to finish with the win that so far eluded them all season as they play BSOC Bulldogz, who will be after the win that could secure them fourth in the league. Their final position is dependent on the outcome of the other LIGA A match, where Bassetts All Sorts and BSOC All Stars play for the right to finish third. With the All Stars leading by three points at the moment a draw will be enough to hand them the place, but a win by any scoreline for Bassetts will move them above their opponents.

In what has been a ridiculously close season in LIGA B the sole remaining game has turned into a promotion play off. A win or draw for Bayer Lexerkusen will see them bounce back into LIGA A having being relegated last season, whilst a Cypriot Society win will see them achieve top flight status at their first attempt, whilst a loss or draw will see them relegated to LIGA C.

LIGA C itself could also be decided in Week 19. A win for either Blenheim FC or FC Banterlona will hand each the LIGA C title. However a draw, as took place in their other meeting earlier this season, will see Banterlona need to take a point from their last game of the season against Chamakh My Pitch Up in order to secure the title.

The final two games of the day are the two reminaing LIGA Cup Quarter Finals. Kings Of Leon Osman will look to bounce back from their disappointment in the league against lower league opposition as they face Puyol Pants Down. In the other Quarter Final ACS FC play old foes History Society. ACS shaded their league match 2-1 earlier in the season, but will surely be looking to make up for their Cup Final defeat by History last season.

Viva La LIGA!