UKFD Coaches Poll

The first ever UKFD Coaches Poll is finally here!

It is of no real surprise that the dominating London Warriors are Number One in our poll, followed by their across town rival the Blitz. It’s after that the rankings open up a little.

The Poll is across the whole of the league so we will see a fair reflection of votes cast from our panel as teams not competing in the Premier also get a look in.

As you will see it does give a fair reflection to the season so far with maybe the one surprise being that of the 1-4 Aztecs hanging on to the last spot. This is more due to their Premier status than their play so far, but things can change quickly so with the games coming thick and fast make sure you check back each Saturday to see if things change.

 

1 - LONDON WARRIORS

2 - LONDON BLITZ

3 - TAMWORTH PHOENIX

4 - EAST KILBRIDE PIRATES

5 - MERSEYSIDE NIGHTHAWKS

6 - LANCASHIRE WOLVERINES

7 - LONDON OLYMPIANS

8 - SOLENT THRASHERS

9 - WEST COAST TROJANS

10 - BRISTOL AZTECS

Coaching Panel from West Coast Trojans, Ouse Valley Eagles, Hastings Conquerors, Humber Warhawks, East Kent Mavericks and Bury Saints.

 

 

 

 

 



Hastings fall just short as Bobcats survive last second drama

Report by Ree Dawes

 

WOW! What. A. Game!

After two unfortunate score lines to start the season, the Conquerors were determined to prove those scores did not define them as a team. There was a different atmosphere and attitude surrounding the team, confidence and determination; it was uplifting to be around.

Unfortunately, whilst Mother Nature was on my side in the Kent game, I wasn’t so lucky this week, I might have jinxed it by putting sun cream on pre-game. It was dark and gloomy and grey, which isn’t ideal for photo taking.

 

The game started with Hastings’ offence taking the field first, but Bournemouth’s defence held them off despite some good runs from the Conquerors. After the Conquerors' defence held strong, with an interception from Jon Cole, the offence were back on, but a bad injury on a Bournemouth player early in the second quarter meant an hour delay in the game for an ambulance to arrive. (The Bournemouth player is now out of hospital and on the mend following a very serious ankle injury.)

After the delay, the game got underway with the Hastings defence keeping Bournemouth from scoring, giving the Conquerors’ offence the opportunity to move downfield. It wasn’t long before Sam Vernon made his way into the end zone for six points. The PAT failed but the Conquerors were leading for the first time.

 

After a quick half-time, both defences were playing well once more, forcing the opposition to punt the ball away, not allowing for many yards. Late in the third quarter, the Bobcats found a hole in the Conquerors defence and put seven points on the board after a successful point after, putting them up by one point.

Things got exciting in the fourth quarter after a touchdown from Conquerors’ Aaron Woods had Hastings in front again, but Bournemouth weren’t giving up and after a long pass and run also found themselves in the end zone. Their PAT was also unsuccessful, meaning the score was 13-12 to Bournemouth.

After a huge pass downfield from Jake Beale to Carl Alsop on third down, the Conquerors had a great field position and went for a field goal for the win with mere seconds to go. With the clock on zero, the ball was kicked and went just wide of the posts, leaving the score 13-12.

 

Video of our amazing Hail Mary pass here: 

 

 

The Macron Store Hastings MVPs for the game were: Joel Westguard for his solid performance on special teams, Ryan Gunningham for his strong runs on offence, Jon Cole for helping lead the defence and quarterback Jake Beale as overall MVP.

So that was our exciting game! The players can go into this week’s home game v Portsmouth Dreadnoughts with the heads held high, knowing they left it all on the field, giving it their best shot and I cannot wait to see what they will do to impress us this Sunday!

 

 

Photos can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/footballree/sets/72157653489426462

 

Saints Go Marching On With Win Over Blitz

Article by Bury Saints

 

The Bury Saints, playing their first ever game in Stowmarket, held off a fierce second half fight back by the London Blitz to continue their winning streak on Sunday.

Bury scored on their first possession as a 33yd run by RB Derek White set up RB Ramsey Orr to dive in for the opening score from 3yds out. The Blitz responded immediately with a 39 yard pass to take a 7-6 lead. Things got worse for the Saints, who were already missing a number of key players, when QB Derek Harrington was injured on their next drive and had to sit out for the rest of the game.

With former Lancashire Wolverines Colt Cameron Stewart, playing in his first game for the Saints, now at QB the Green and Gold took control of the second quarter. Bury regained the lead when Rookie OLB Matt Trede, who only joined the team two weeks ago, kicked a 34yd FG to make the score 9-7.

The defence, led by LB Jesse Carlos and Safety Michael Galindo, pinned the Blitz down at their own 6yd line on the next drive and a 21yd punt return by DB Troy Cockerill gave the offence the ball inside London’s half. Nine plays later, including an 18yd run by RB Chris May, RB Jake Swisher ploughed into the end zone for his fifth TD of the season. Trede’s extra point attempt sailed through the posts to give the Saints a 16-7 lead.

A sack by DE Spencer Renfro and great coverage by CB Rob Giles prevented London from scoring for the rest of the half and a fumble recovery by Cockerill set up the home sides next score. A 12yd hook up between QB Stewart and RB Derek White followed by a 12yd run by RB Ramsey moved the ball to the Blitz 15yd line from where RB May swept in for an excellent TD. The extra point kick was missed but the Saints went into the break leading 22-7.

London’s fight back started on their second drive of the 3rd Quarter when they ended an excellent fifteen play drive with a 6yd run. The extra point was missed and the score stood at 22-13. Bury soon returned their lead to 15 points when RB Michael Sternberg, another playing in his first game for the Saints, sprinted 55yds for the score. Mixing the run with the pass London embarked on another long drive only to see it stopped by a crucial 4^th down tackle by DE Ryan Waters at the Bury 9yd line as the quarter ended.

Strong running by RB’s Orr, Swisher and May soon moved the ball into the London half early in the 4^th Quarter. But silly mistakes and good defence ended the drive and an excellent punt by Trede saw the Blitz start their next drive at their own 9yd line. Despite the bad field position, the London offence was now at full speed and it wasn’t long before they were back on the score board with a 34yd pass. The two extra points attempt was successful and Bury now had a narrow 28-22 lead.

A penalty on 3rd down ended the Saints next drive after only four plays. But another superb punt by Trede pinned London at their 10yd line to set up an exciting climax to the game.

Once again, London’s mix of run and pass plays had the Saints defence on the back foot and an excellent 29yd scramble by the Blitz QB moved the ball into the Bury half as the game entered its last two minutes. A short London gain was followed by a crucial tackle by DE Renfro who dropped the Blitz RB for a loss of 4yds. London went to the air on 3^rd down but the pass fell incomplete. On 4^th down DE Fabian Mitchell hauled down the Blitz ball carrier short of the 1^st down Marker. The Saints Offence took the field and ran out what little time was left on the clock to secure the win.

 

Saints Head Coach, Chris Wallis, reflected, “We came away with the win but it didn’t feel like it immediately afterwards. But upon reflection, considering the players we were missing, and the injuries we picked up during the game, it’s a good result for us.

I’m really pleased with those players who stepped in for this game. We had three players in their first game for the Saints who all made major contributions. A special mention needs to go to Matt Trede. He only joined us a few weeks ago and to kick like that under that kind of pressure was very impressive.

 Obviously it’s nice to remain unbeaten. But we have to be honest with ourselves and understand that we need to improve and stop making things so difficult for ourselves.

 That shouldn’t take anything away from the London Blitz. As you’d expect from the Blitz organization, they came up and gave us a real battle and must feel disappointed not to get more from the game.”

 The Saints next game is this Sunday the 31^st May when they host their close Suffolk rivals the Ipswich Cardinals.

 Wallis continued, “Last year’s Suffolk Derby was another close encounter. The form book goes out of the window for rivalry games and we know that the Cardinals will come ready to play tough football.”

  Full details of the game will appear on the Saints website at BURY SAINTS and their social media sites.

Following a 43-24 victory over the Cornish Sharks, the Saints travelled to Torbay to take on the Trojans.

 

Report compiled by Oxford Saints

 

 

Despite a 3 hour coach journey the team arrived feeling fresh and ready to compete, coming away with a huge 72-30 victory. The Saints were also honoured by a large number of supporters who travelled to see the team in action.

Oxford broke another one of its own records by scoring the most points in a game since a 74-0 beating of the Andover Thrashers in June 2005. Earlier in this season, Oxford broke its record for ‘largest comeback from behind for a win’ when the Saints narrowly beat the Bristol Apache on 26th April, after being down 22 points at half-time.

At the beginning of 2015, the Torbay Trojans visited Oxford for the season opener. Despite a bumpy and slightly unimpressive performance, the Saints claimed an 18-6 victory over the visitors.

1st Quarter

The Trojans won the coin toss and received the ball to start the game. Quarterback Aaron Butler led his offense onto the field and picked up a first down on the opening drive. Butler proved to be a threat in the air and on the ground in the last contest, with quick feet and being able to run the ball competently himself.

The Saints defense put him to the test early on but the Trojans only needed an extra 2 yards to pick up another 1st down. Strong defensive play by linebacker Calvin Holmes stopped their momentum with excellent back to back tackles on two rushing attempts by Torbay, taking the ball carrier back 4 yards on their 4th down attempt.

Oxford quarterback Ben Denton took over and led a quick scoring drive. Handing the ball to running back Kev Brooks, he picked up 54 yards on 5 carries and rushed the ball in for the first score of the game. Spencer Duffy’s extra point kick was good and the Saints took the lead, 7-0.

Looking to answer back, Aaron Butler was quickly shut down on his next drive when Saints cornerback Mike Turner intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards up the sideline for another score. Turner has now returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season already, with his first coming in the spectacular comeback victory over Bristol. Duffy added another extra point. 14-0 Oxford.

Watch Mike Turner's interception return:

On their following drive, Butler and the Trojans found themselves in great field position after an explosive run by James Lunt, who raced up the field for 32 yards before being brought down by defender Michael Bearman.

With the Trojans knocking on the door, the Saints found themselves pushed back in their own end zone. Butler attempted to find his first score in the air but tight coverage by rookie Tom Hemming and the rest of the Saints defense gave the Trojans nothing. Just a few yards away from the end zone, veteran linebacker Dean Bryan intercepted Butler and put an end to the threatening Trojan drive.

With the Saints back in possession taking over from the 9 yard line, the offense put together an impressive drive marching down the field. On the first play, Kev Brooks broke through the defenders and picked up 39 yards. Strong running from Brooks and James Walter got the Saints in scoring distance but unable to pick up a first down. Ben Denton attempted a pass from 17 yards out and targeted receiver Leroy Holmes but it was incomplete and the ball was given back to the Trojans.

With the Oxford defense giving nothing away on the next drive, the visitors were forced to punt, setting up a quick scoring drive for the Saints.

2nd Quarter

On just the 2nd play of the drive, James Walter was on form as always. Before the ball was snapped, Denton read the defense and spotted that Walter was uncovered. He threw a quick pass to Walter who then charged 30 yards into the end zone. The extra point kick by Duffy was blocked, 20-0 Oxford.

The Trojans returned to their ground attack and their running backs started to move the ball well against the tough Saints defense. After moving across the field, Butler handed the ball to Simon Race who ran in from 6 yards for the score. The Trojans went for the 2 point conversion and Aaron Burke successfully crossed the line. 20-8 Oxford.

The Saints answered back promptly in the form of veteran running back Mike Oluwole. With his powerful running, Oluwole was handed the ball and charged through the Trojan defenders picking up 44 yards on 4 carries. Oluwole quickly smashed his way into the end zone for a 13 yard score and a successful kick by Duffy extended the lead, 27-8 Oxford.

Still in the 2nd quarter, a pass by Butler was intercepted by veteran defender Ali Galbraith who raced the ball back into the end zone from 43 yards to add on another Saints score, claiming his first defensive touchdown of his career. Butler attempted to force the returner out of bounds but Galbraith sidestepped him and avoided the would-be tacklers as he crossed into the end zone.

Duffy’s kick was good, 34-8 Oxford.

Watch Ali Galbraith's interception return:

On their next drive the Trojans continued to move the ball well on the ground. Defenders Galbraith and Matt Wheeldon took down Torbay running backs that were picking up good gains on the outside. Butler showcased his dangerous mobility and made a good run up the sideline, before being dump tackled by Wheeldon.

After leading his team to the 19 yard line, Butler and the Trojans were in good position to add another score. Butler dropped back to pass and then looked to wheel out to the left. Strong tactical play by defensive end Adam Baker sealed off the outside and discouraged Butler from taking off, forcing him back into the pocket.

With pressure closing in, Butler attempted to throw the ball just as the towering rookie defensive end Conor Whitehouse hit him in the back. This sent the ball uncontrollably into the air and it was defensive tackle Toby Durant who made a stunning one handed grab to reel it in, whilst fighting off a Trojan lineman with his other hand at the same time.

Watch Toby Durant's interception:

 Denton and the offense took over and the ball was handed off to veteran running back Harry Carr, in his first appearance with the team after signing back on for the 2015 season. Carr picked up 20 yards on the ground before a pass from Denton intended for receiver Jake Geerthsen was intercepted by the Trojans to bring an end to the 1st half.

34-8 Oxford but due to the score margin, league rules for 2015 require a “running clock” whenever a team is 35 points in the lead.

3rd Quarter

The Saints received the ball to begin the 2nd half.

On the first play of the drive, Denton handed the ball to Grant Phillips-Tebb who bolted all the way up the sideline for a 64 yard score on his first carry of the day, marking his first touchdown with the Saints. Duffy remained solid kicking the extra point, 41-8 Oxford.

Back on offense, the Trojans continued to look for gains on the ground. Duffy came on the field at the linebacker position and tackled the ball carrier twice.

Quarterback Aaron Butler ran the ball himself towards the sideline and picked up a first down before being tackled out of bounds by defender James Dunstan. Another run play was tackled out of bounds by Dunstan followed by a big sack on Butler by Toby Durant charging through the middle.

The ball came loose and defensive end George Wright dived on the fumbled ball to recover it for Oxford. This led to another quick scoring drive, with strong running by Rob Johnson picking up 20 yards, setting up a 1 yard touchdown for Walter as he crossed the line. Duffy adds the extra point, 48-8 Oxford.

With a big lead, Oxford were able to cycle in a range of players on both sides of the ball but the Trojans quickly answered back when Butler rolled out and threw a 29 yard touchdown pass to receiver Tim Rogers, who was open in the corner of the end zone. Aaron Burke ran in for the 2 point conversion, softening the blow to 48-16.

The Saints kept the foot on the gas however and it was Devon Powell who was to cross the line next for Oxford. Taking a handoff from Denton, the sprinting Powell raced up the sideline on a reverse play untouched into the end zone for a 39 yard score. Duffy lined up to attempt the extra point kick but it ended up being Ali Galbraith who picked up the ball and ran into the end zone, scoring 2 points instead.

Watch Devon Powell's 39 yard touchdown run:

4th Quarter

Early in the 4th quarter, Aaron Butler took off and ran the ball in himself for a 59 yard score. Butler then passed to Aaron Burke who scored the 2 point conversion. 56-24 Oxford.

Soon after the Trojans benefited from another touchdown pass from Butler, this time for a 29 yard score to Tim Rogers, who claimed his 2nd touchdown of the day. Butler went for the 2 points and looked to pass but it was incomplete. 56-30 Oxford.

With Saints 2nd string quarterback David McCormack at the helm, the offense marched up the field once again and picked up 5 first downs. Walter picked up 48 yards during the drive and running back Troy Bryan was back on the field for the first time after suffering an injury in pre-season and was performing well.

With the offense entering Trojan territory, a handoff to Walter was fumbled and hit the floor. Walter reacted quickly and scooped it up and scrambled his way through defenders and up the sideline for an impressive 28 yard gain, setting up a 1 yard touchdown run from Harry Carr. This was Carr’s first touchdown with the Saints in 2015, and David McCormack’s first touchdown drive at quarterback. McCormack then passed the ball to Walter who added the 2 points, 64-30 Oxford.

Watch James Walter's fumble recovery:

With time in the 4th running down, the Trojans looked to add another score to the board but a fumbled ball on the first play of their drive was recovered by Conor Whitehouse. This brought McCormack and the offense back out onto the field for one more time, which saw Walter continuing to wreak havoc.

Walter gained 25 yards on the ground before running into the end zone for a 16 yard score, his 3rd of the day. To cap off the offensive scoring, Phillips-Tebb took the handoff from McCormack and ran in the 2 point conversion, 72-30 Oxford.

In the final moments of the game it was looking like a trick play by the Trojans may result with them going out on a scoring play but it wasn't to be. Aaron Butler handed off the ball and then rolled out up the sideline catching a pass from his own teammate. As he entered space, it was rookie defender Joseph Limerick who closed him down and landed a perfect open-field tackle on the fleeting quarterback.

Final score 72-30 Oxford.

Summary

With a record breaking win, the Saints now sit at the top of the division with a 4-1 record. They have three weeks of training to prepare for their next contest which is a road game to the Bristol Apache on 21st June.

On offense, James Walter led the day with 121 rushing yards on 8 carries with 2 touchdowns. He also caught 2 passes for 35 yards and a 3rd touchdown.

On defense, Michael Bearman and Dean Bryan contributed the most tackles with 5 each. Interceptions came from Mike Turner and Ali Galbraith, who both returned them for scores. Dean Bryan and Toby Durant also added interceptions.

The Saints picked up 490 yards on the ground and 35 yards in the air. The Trojans gained 320 yards on the ground and 112 in the air. Unable to capitalise on the gains prevented the hosts from increasing their score, with only 2 rushing touchdowns and 2 touchdown passes. Meanwhile the Saints scored 7 touchdowns on the ground and added a further touchdown in the air.

The Saints managed to build momentum early and then added pressure to the Trojans with strong defensive play, recovering 2 fumbles and snatching 4 interceptions.

Comments from players

Following the game, quarterback Ben Denton said:

“Offensively, I thought we played a great game of football. James Walter had a phenomenal game once again, but a lot praise needs to go to the offensive line too, they executed every play to perfection and the amount of yards that we gained on the ground is proof of that."

"We now have a good 3 weeks of training before a huge game against Bristol, so we need to get our focus back so we can come away with a win and take one more step towards the playoffs.”

Running back Kev Brooks said:

"I was very pleased with the result. Thought we had some great plays both sides of the ball this week and great to see rookies really getting into the mix. Personally I feel the offense stepped up early in the game."

"The coaches had asked us to come out firing and we've really done that the last two games putting up big scores and winning is exactly what we wanted. I was happy was to get off to a quick start myself also. Some great work on the line and it's always great to read the blocks from big mike. Really helped me get some decent yardage."

"Looking forwards we need to get our heads down and study what we did badly against Bristol earlier this season and look to stretch this run! Sunday's result won't mean anything if it's followed by a bad performance."

Linebacker Dean Bryan added:

"Obviously when you can go out and put up as much points as we did on offense and then get turnovers and scores on defense, you're happy. I just think we are still way off where we want to be and where we can be. We haven't put in a complete performance yet. We need to execute better than we are. The best teams will punish us if we don't start playing complete football."

"3 Weeks of practice is perfect for us. It gives us a chance to correct the fundamental issues we are struggling with but also to heal up a few injuries that players are carrying."

Solent tame the Cats in Week 7 rout

Report by Gordon Dedman

Having deferred their options, Cambridgeshire relinquished first dibs to Solent and the Thrashers never looked back. Scoring on their first five possessions while their opponents were failing to make a first down, the Thrashers completely dominated the first quarter.

Playing almost perfect football, the one part of their machine that found it difficult to function was the special team on point after attempts. High snaps and mishandling meant four failed kicks. Even when they resorted to a two points after attempt, it was stopped short.

At the beginning of the second quarter, the Cats started a series on the 50. Putting together effective runs and some short passes, they began to believe in themselves and achieved four first downs to reach their opponents one-yard line.

Despite going backwards on two downs, they finally burst outside right behind some good blocking to put six points on the board. On their two points after attempt, their quarterback threw a desperation pass under pressure to see it pulled in successfully with just inches to spare.

 

The Thrashers appeared to hit back immediately. They returned the kickoff for a touchdown, but a penalty pulled that back and then the Cats gave themselves some hope with an interception. The turnover only postponed the Thrashers advance as they went further in front with a 6-yd touchdown pass to Joe Pascoe. Finally a successful extra point kick gave the Thrashers a 38-8 lead after two quarters.

When the Cats took the second half kickoff, they marched down field with their successful formulae of gaining a few yards at a time, both in the air and on the ground. The drive came abruptly to an end in the red zone when Solent recovered a forced fumble. From their own 6-yard line, the Thrashers went 94 yards completed by a superb touchdown pass over the middle to Alex Crowe.

One more touchdown by Solent in the final period finalised the scoring for a Thrasher 51-8 victory as they progress towards a playoffs berth. For Cambridgeshire, they showed real spirit when falling behind so early and must take the positives from the game and not the misfortunes if they are to develop in a tough division.

Thrashers’ coach Russ Hewitt said of the game, “Scoring 31 first quarter points, certainly helped change the team’s whole approach on the day. From watching the film back, everything just clicked early for us last weekend.

I must add how tough the Cats played us. The score will never reflect how tough the game was. The stats show a much closer game, where Cambridgeshire had more offensive plays, more time of possession and even more first downs than us.”

Hastings make history again - but find Exiles too strong

Report by Ree Dawes

History = made… again.

Last Sunday was another exciting one for the Hastings Conquerors as we hosted our first home game against the 2-0 Kent Exiles. The sun was shining, the field looked great and there was a brilliant atmosphere around the whole club.

So, here’s my little diary of that day. I got to the field at 11am to see if I could help out at all, but our Gameday Manager and Chairman had it all sorted. The players were fencing the pitch, and making sure everything was where it needed to be. So, for the time being, I helped out with the U19 and U17 teams, ‘reffing’ a quick flag game. Side note- I love coaching the youth teams, their enthusiasm for the sport is contagious and I love helping the ‘grass roots’.

So, after some warm-ups and run-throughs, it was kick-off time. We had a lot more players for this game, 20 or so more than the squad we took to Sussex which was excellent to see. A lot of players had friends and family at the game, some watching for the first time, which added some extra excitement, and maybe some extra nerves.

 

I’ll give you the game report in a bit but here’s what I did on the day as coach/photographer. I taped up some players’ hands, wrists etc., I got the special teams up on boards so players could see which ones they were on, pumped up the game balls as they were brand new and a bit squidgy (see, Brady, it’s not that hard), chatted to some spectators, and then got in position to photo.

I spend most of the game down our sideline, usually by the line of scrimmage or downfield a little bit to get an angle on the action and I tend to follow the ball, sometimes grabbing an individual shot or two of players who have asked. For this game, as the sun was so bright, I got to use a really fast shutter speed which meant better action shots. Kent’s white shirts definitely helped too and I got some great shots of their QB + RBs.

After the game I go home and have a cuppa and some food and get editing the photos straight away, usually managing to do half before my eyelids start drooping (the sunburn didn’t help this week). I take anywhere between 500-1500 photos on gameday, and a fair few hundred make the cut. I usually crop some down, edit the lighting a bit, sometimes giving some a little extra that I think need it (i.e HDR, low saturation). Once edited, I upload, usually to Flickr, but I’ve started adding them to Facebook recently as I don’t have the time to send copies to players anymore, this way they can tag or save as they wish.

So, here’s the game report:

With the gales blowing, the game kicked off, with Hastings to start on offence. Veteran quarterback Jake Beale was back for this game, but after a rogue snap went over his head, followed by a couple of fumbles, the Conquerors were forced to punt. The Exiles were quick off the line and punter Josh Perry was forced to run the ball out of bounds at the 25 yard line.

This gave Kent great field position to start their offensive drive and they managed to capitalise on it, running the ball into the end zone on second down, their PAT succeeded and they were up 7-0.

 

The Conquerors failed to hold off the Exiles’ offensive drives, with their strong running game and quick passes that got them down field and into the end zone on numerous occasions, with the Conquerors missing vital tackles.

The Conquerors offence had more momentum behind them in this game, spurred on by the home crowd. Running backs Aaron Woods and rookie Marc Selby gained some vital yards for the home team, but the Exiles defence shut them down, forcing the Conquerors to punt. A long pass from Beale to Jack Stainthorp had things looking up for the Conquerors but a fumble on the next play gave possession back to the Exiles.

In the second half, things were looking up for the Conquerors, despite being 47-0 down and forcing a running clock. A few good special team’s plays gave the offence good field position and a punt from Selby locked the Exiles within their own half. The Conquerors defence then shut the Exiles down, giving Hastings the ball within 15 yards of the end zone.
Quarterback Steven Calver capitalised on this and sent a quick pass to Tyrell Berry in the end zone and the Conquerors had their first touchdown as part of the National League. The PAT from Selby was good.

However, the Exiles had another couple of scores on the board and the time was running out rapidly.

The game finished 60-7 to the Exiles but the Conquerors could hold their heads high with their first score and knowing they managed to improve on a lot since the Sussex game.

The game MVPs were; Marc Selby for his performance on special teams, Tyrell Berry for playing his part in Conquerors history with the first touchdown, Samuel Eldridge for a solid performance on defence, and Sam Cross for stepping up and playing on both offence and defence and giving the guys a good motivational speech at half-time.

The Conquerors face the Bournemouth Bobcats on the 24th and the Portsmouth Dreadnoughts on the 31st at home before a well-deserved week off.

Photos can be found here: https://goo.gl/TSvmDC

Oxford Saints see off old rivals the Cornish Sharks with a 43-24 victory!

Following a defeat to Swindon earlier in the month, the Saints struck back with a big win at home against the tough Cornish Sharks.

Guest of honour at the game was 10 year old Billy Taylor. The team were thrilled by Billy’s passion for the sport when he sent a letter to us about how much he wants to play the game. He was invited to go onto the field with the team captains before kickoff and perform the coin toss. Saying he wants to be play wide receiver when he is older, the team presented him with an Oxford Saints t-shirt with the number 81, for veteran Saints receiver Sam Armstrong.

Game begins

In front of a large Oxford home crowd, the Sharks received the kickoff and had a difficult start. The Saints defense were a dominant force from the beginning of the game and featured 5 rookies with starting spots on the unit. These new players fitted in well and immediately pressured the Sharks offense. Rookie Connor Day started at the challenging middle linebacker position and had a big game, racking up 5 tackles.

After struggling to move the ball, Cornwall had no choice but to punt it away on 4th down. A bad snap meant the ball flew over the punters head and rolled into the end zone. As the Sharks punter ran to try and recover the loose ball, he was quickly chased down by Saints defenders and tackled in his own end zone, resulting in a 2 point safety score for Oxford.

First year quarterback Ben Denton led the Saints offense onto the field and went to work. On only the 2nd play of the drive, Denton looked to throw the ball deep downfield and spotted veteran wide receiver Sam Armstrong near the end zone. The ball was on target as it sailed through the air until Sharks defender Alex Bonner leapt up to attempt the interception. Bonner got the ball in his hands but Armstrong was in the air right behind him and managed to wrestle control out of Bonner’s hands before they both hit the ground. A stunning play by Denton and Armstrong resulted in a Saints touchdown. Spencer Duffy attempted the extra point kick but it went wide to the right, 8-0 Oxford.

The Sharks offense came back onto the field looking but still faced tough opposition from the Oxford defense. A 5 play drive gained them 21 yards but they were forced to punt the ball away again on 4th down.

The Saints were driving well up the field on their next possession with hard running from Kev Brooks and Mike Oluwole. Oxford picked up 43 yards in 4 plays and was close to the Sharks end zone. A fumbled ball on the 27 yard line was recovered by the Sharks defense who took possession.

Cornwall used the momentum swing to assemble their first strong drive of the game. The Sharks began moving the ball well with their running backs finding space to pick up first downs. On the 6th play of the drive, the visiting quarterback Perran Andrews found receiver Joseph Wolfenden-Brown and completed the pass. The receiver charged 50 yards down the field and into the end zone for a Sharks touchdown. The extra point kick was good, 8-7 Oxford.

The Saints offense took over and continued to pick up big gains and move down the field. Reinforced by returning veteran Ian Harry at fullback, the offense was firing on all cylinders. Running back James Walter was consistent as always and remained a problem that the Sharks were struggling to contain. After moving into Sharks territory, Ben Denton fired another deep pass towards Sam Armstrong and although tightly covered by a defender, Armstrong managed to reel in another spectacular catch for his 2nd touchdown of the day. Duffy successfully kicked the extra point, 15-7 Oxford.

2nd quarter

In the 2nd quarter, Cornwall’s offense was making progress and a long 10 play drive took them 50 yards down the field. With strong defense by Oxford, the Sharks struggled to get another first down and decided to kick a field goal which was good. The extra 3 points narrowed the score line to 15-10 Oxford.

A Sharks punt put the Saints deep in their own half and the offense began on just the 12 yard line. A tough display by the Cornish defense prevented the Saints from gaining much needed comfort space and the offense turned over the ball after failing to achieve a first down. With a short field, this set up the opportunity for the guests to take the lead. After 5 plays, Sharks running back Shaun Griffin charged into the end zone for the score. The extra point kick by David Kriehn was good and the lead changed over, 17-15 Cornwall.

3rd quarter

Being down at half time is starting to become a trend for Oxford, who is developing a habit of staging much improved 2nd half performances. This game was no different, with a 2nd half which was mostly non-stop Saints.

A long drive by Oxford was plagued by numerous penalty flags against both teams, but hard running from Kev Brooks, Mike Oluwole and Ryan Kingshott contributed to a 88 yard drive across the field. Ryan Kingshott smashed into the end zone for the score. After initial celebrations, the sideline fell silent when it appeared that Kingshott had suffered a significant injury in the process and was unable to move from the floor. After being attended to by the Saints medical staff, Kingshott was able to stand up and leave the field, to applause by both teams and spectators.

Oxford attempted the 2 point conversion and Ben Denton dropped back as he looked to pass the ball. Good protection from his offensive line allowed Denton time to hit tight-end Rich Bloomer for a leaping grab. The 2 point conversion was good and the home team had taken the lead once again, 23-17 Oxford.

On the following kickoff, Spencer Duffy sent the ball deep to the Sharks who pulled off an impressive return. Their kick-returner Richard Howlett found room up the sidelines and travelled the length of the field into the end zone for the score. David Kriehn kicked the extra point and the Sharks inched forward, 24-23 Cornwall.

Ben Denton and the Saints offense went to work and quickly restored the lead for the team. James Walter continued to haunt the Sharks defense with his powerful running and picked up several first downs on a long drive for Oxford. Completed passes to Rich Bloomer and an 18 yard reception by Sam Armstrong brought the Saints within range of the Sharks end zone. Denton handed the ball off to Walter who charged up the middle for the score. The Saints went for the two point conversion again and Walter ran the ball in himself to add another 2 points. 31-24 Oxford.

4th quarter

Beginning the 4th quarter, the Saints defense led by captain and veteran linebacker Dean Bryan continued to express their authority on the game. Throughout the contest, Bryan himself had one of his best games and tallied up 14 tackles. As the Sharks looked to claw back the lead, on the 2nd play of their drive quarterback Perran Andrews was sacked by defensive end George Wright, losing the Sharks 6 yards.

On Oxford’s next possession, James Walter remained on form and broke out a huge 74 yard touchdown run, scoring for the 2nd time of the day. The 2 point conversion attempt was no good, 37-24 Oxford.

The Sharks continued running the ball and a 9 play drive saw them picking up only 23 yards, struggling against the tough Saints defense. Linebacker Bryan continued to marshal the defense well and fellow linebacker Calvin Holmes landed a big sack on Perran Andrews, for a 12 yard loss. The Sharks attempted to convert on 4th down but were unable to gain the yards they needed and possession of the ball reverted back to Oxford.

With good running by Kev Brooks and a stunning 30 yard reception by 2nd year receiver Leroy Holmes, the Saints were knocking on the door once again and poised to score. A sack on quarterback Ben Denton set the offense back 10 yards and two incomplete passes resulted in a turnover on downs.

On the 14 yard line with their own end zone right behind them, the Sharks desperately needed to move the ball down field and give themselves breathing room. On the first play of their drive, a fumbled ball hit the ground and Oxford linebacker Luke Fry dived on it to reclaim possession.

This gave the Saints excellent field position and Denton handed the ball to Kev Brooks who looked certain to score. Being tackled just short of the end zone, the ball was shook loose and rolled into the end zone. As a live ball, it could be recovered by either team but it was Saints lineman Stuart Cribbes, a veteran of 20 years, who charged over and dived on the ball to score the first touchdown of his career. The 2 point conversion attempt failed, 43-24 Oxford.

With victory all but certain, the Saints continued to place pressure on the Sharks. The visitors had struggled to make any significant gains throughout the 4th quarter and with time running out; rookie linebacker Graham Henley landed another sack on Perran Andrews who had suffered his 3rd sack of the day, this time for an 11 yard loss.

Summary

At the end of the contest the Saints claimed a 43-24 victory and move to 3-1 on the 2015 season. When reviewing the statistics for the game it is clear that it was Oxford’s continued ability to run the ball hard and fast which contributed to the win, combined with a determined and experienced defensive unit.

On offense, the Saints claimed 434 yards in total whereas the Sharks notched up only 170.

James Walter had 15 carries for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kev Brooks had 14 carries for 112 yards. Sam Armstrong led the receivers with 3 receptions for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns.

In the air, quarterback Ben Denton attempting 11 passes and completed 7 for 130 yards, 2 touchdowns and one 1 interception.

On defense, Dean Bryan led proceedings with 14 tackles (8 solo and 6 assists), followed by Martin Fitzpatrick with 5 tackles (2 solo and 3 assists) and Connor Day with 5 tackles also (2 solo and 2 assists).

Sacks came from George Wright, Calvin Holmes and Graham Henley.

MVP

Offensive MVP was Sam Armstrong
Defensive MVP was Dean Bryan
Special Teams MVP was Spencer Duffy
Team MVP – the whole team for a dominating 2nd half performance

Quotes from players:

Quarterback Ben Denton: "It feels great to get back on track after the defeat to Swindon. The whole team put in a great shift, but the Wide Receivers really stepped it up a notch this week. Sam's first grab turned a certain interception into a touchdown, so I'm very grateful!"

Wide receiver Sam Armstrong: “'Following on from the Swindon game I felt the team needed to step up and show what we can do, which I felt we did in abundance. Getting a few TDs under your belt is always a confidence booster, and I'm hoping myself and the team can carry this momentum through to the next game.'

This Sunday the Oxford Saints travel to Torbay to take on the Trojans. You can learn more about the Saints at www.oxfordsaints.com.