Tigers whip up a Hurricane to stay in playoff hunt

Game Report by Tigers (William Clark)

 

 

Glasgow Tigers 38   @  Dundee Hurricanes 0

The Tigers were on the road to Dundee on Sunday and had their best away win of the season against a resolute Hurricane outfit at Morgan Rugby Club. The game started with the Tigers defence holding the Hurricanes to a three and out , with linebackers Thompson Sunerton and Jamie Boyd being particularly dominant for the Glasgow side.

 

The Tigers then got going on their second possession when  the  eighteenth play of the drive had quarterback Darnell Starks hit a peach of a pass to Scott Vallance for the opening score.  Dundee held firm on the conversion attempt. There was no further scoring in a tense first half with the Dundee defence picking up two interceptions but unable to make them count , due to the stout defence of the Tigers. The last play of the half saw Tigers cornerback James Lindsay intercept a Dundee pass and leave his team up by 6 – 0.

 

The third quarter started well for the Tigers as they drove down the field and Starks connected with Michael Church for another score and

Church then ran in the conversion. The Dundee offence tried to get back into the game but a couple of key injuries hampered their efforts.

 

The fourth quarter saw a flurry of scores as the Tigers added to their lead , with firstly , a short Mo Adams run , and a Starks conversion pass to Paddy  O' Donnell. Next up was a another nice pass into the endzone and this time Stark's found reciever Stuart McNeil. Adams then added the conversion run.

 

The final Tigers touchdown came when Jamie Boyd intercepted a wayward Dundee pass and took it all the way back, out running most of the Dundee defence before reaching the endzone. Stark's then stretched out and added the conversion run himself. The final score of 38 -  0 did not look likely at halftime , however the Tigers stepped up their game in the second half to show just what they are capable of.

 

This win improves the Tigers to 4 – 4 for the season as they now prepare for their next game when they take on the table topping West Coast Trojans.

 

 

 

 

 

Solent win on record 40 yard field goal, Eagles wings clipped

Report by Gordon Dedman

Photos courtesy of Gordon Dedman - https://www.flickr.com/photos/107007642@N02/sets/72157652886386724

 

Knocked out of last year’s Quarter Finals by the Thrashers, the Eagles travelled to the south coast hoping for revenge and looking to improve their chances of playing postseason football this year.

The Thrashers were intent on staying in touch with division leaders the Farnham Knights, who on paper looked to have easier opponents on the day.

 

The Eagles put their trust in their defense by deferring their options to the second half, enabling the Thrashers offense to take to the field first. After some good pass defense, wide receiver Joe Pascoe spectacularly rescued a falling ball before it fell incomplete to allow the Thrashers drive to continue.

Three plays later, Pascoe put six points on the board with his completion in the end zone. Will Elgeti converted the extra point to give the Thrashers a 7-0 lead.

The Eagles offense struggled and went three and out as quarterback Justin LaRoda was put under constant pressure, failing to find his open receivers. After swapping possessions, the Thrashers increased their lead as Kyle Latore caught a short pass and then piled on the yards after the catch as he brushed aside his tacklers for the score.

With the Thrashers on top and the Eagles offense unproductive, it took a penalty that took away a Solent interception to kick the Eagles into life. LaRoda launched a bomb to his receiver who had stolen behind the Thrashers secondary and his run into the end zone was an easy ride. The Eagles missed the extra point, but they now had some encouragement to motivate them.

Both defenses were now dictating the pace of the game as the offenses failed to move the ball until a broken play forced the Eagles quarterback to scramble left outrunning his opponents and putting six points on the scoreboard. For their two points after attempt, LaRoda went straight up the middle and the game was now tied 14-14.

When the Eagles took the second half kickoff, they marched down the field until they stalled trying to enter the red zone. That was the nearest either team looked like scoring until deep into the final quarter when the Thrashers field goal unit took to the field for a 40-yard field goal attempt.

With the teams cancelling each other out, it was going to take a special player to break the stalemate and the consistent kicking of Elgeti did just that. His club record 40-yard field goal gave the Thrashers a 17-14 lead and the victory they needed.

A flag on the play meant the initial celebrations were subdued. After the officials confirmed the penalty was on the Eagles, Solent began to sense the win, but there was still over two minutes to see out.

As for much of the game, both defense held strong so the Thrashers go marching on while the Eagles have to regroup and put some time into improving their offense to match the tenacity of their defense.

Knights outpace the Cheetahs

Report by Farnham Knights

 

Photos courtesy of Mark Sandom

 

The Farnham Knights continued their run at the top of  the Southern Football Conference Division 1 table as they out powered the visitors from Hertfordshire to move to a 6 wins and 1 loss record.

 

The Knights had the ball first but looked unconvincing as their first drive ended in an interception however the visitors struggled themselves and had to punt the ball back to the Knights.

 

The home team turned to their power running game with their big offensive line and full backs Dan Seabourne and Paul Wakeford pounding open holes in the Cheetahs defense for Gareth Davies and Nick Roope to exploit. It was leading points scorer Roope who completed the drive with a weaving 29yd run for the touchdown, John Symons added the extra point kick and the Knights led 7-0

 

The Cheetahs found progress against the Knights Defense hard again on their second possession but edged in to Knights territory completing the drive with an impressive 47yd Field Goal to reduce the lead to 7-3

 

The Knights came back again with the power run  and move quickly and impressively downfield and it was that man Roope again who found the end zone for the touchdown - this time from 34yds out. John Symons added the extra point kick and the Knights led 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.

 

The Cheetahs went to the air and found themselves camped on the Knights 2yd line with four opportunities to score. Corner backs Joe Criddle and Matt Marriott each defended a pass in the end zone and Linebacker Aron Evers made a touchdown saving tackle at the 1yd line. The Cheetahs opted to take something from the drive and easily converted an 18yd Field Goal to make the score 14-6.

 

On a humid day the depth of the Knights squad showed as they were able to rest both Roope and Davies, bringing in Rookie Salim Ben-Romdhane he broke free for a 27yd gain and then completed the scoring drive on the next play with an excellent 32yd scoring run. John Symons added the extra point and the Knights lead 21-6.

 

The teams exchanged possession with each being forced to punt and then the Cheetahs embarked on an impressive drive which saw them set to score from the Knights 5yd line - until Chris "Daggers" James stepped up with and intercepted the touchdown bound pass at the Knights 1yd line.

 

Gareth Davies returned to the backfield and picked up 7yds to give the Knights some breathing space - the next play however sealed his current lead of the rushing yardage statistics as he broke 2 tackles picked up a great block from Wide Receiver Michael Bradley-Banszki and raced 82yds to score. John Symons added the extra point and the Knights lead 28-6 at half-time.

 

With linebacker Jonathan Vince taking the lead the Knights Defense came out and shut out the visitors in the 3rd Quarter. The Knights saw their first drive of the quarter come to an end with a missed 40yd Field Goal attempt which was just wide of the posts.

 

Their second drive  saw the Knights pinned back in their own half and with the Cheetahs going all out to stop the running game - the Knights went to the air as yet another former Knights Junior Bart Bashary hauled in an Oli De Ruyter pass for a 62yd score. John Symons confidently added the extra point and the Knights led 35-6 going into the fourth quarter.

 

Both teams went further into their depth chart bringing in the players who had not started the game. This resulted in a points fest with no fewer that 5 scores in the quarter - 3 for the visitors and 2 for the Knights.

 

The visitors struck first with a passing touchdown that was converted to bring the score to 35-13. The Knights hit straight back mixing the running of Kieron Helps with two key pass receptions by Stealy-J Wills. The drive was finished off by still another Knights Junior team graduate Henry Schoen who scored on a 1yd run on his début for the Senior team. Nick Roope ran in the 2 point conversion and the Knights lead 43-13.

 

The Cheetahs showed great spirit in coming back again to put another score on the board - it took them just 4 plays to find the Knights end zone but their 2pt conversion attempt failed 43-19

 

It only took the Knights 1 play to hit back as Quarterback Oli De Ruyter found leading receiver Stealy-J Wills with a 44yd pass - this time the Knights 2point conversion failed and the score stood at 49-19

 

The Cheetahs were forced to bring their starting quarterback back into the game when their back up went down after pressure from Alexi Makinen and Will Masinja. He went to the air and got a consolation passing touchdown which was coupled with a 2 point conversion to close the score at 49-27.

 

The Knights play East Kent Mavericks at home next Sunday - they beat the Mavericks 23-12 earlier in the season - but proving the competitiveness of this league this week the Mavericks defeated the Birmingham Bulls who are the only team to have beaten the Knights. Kick off  at Farnham Rugby club is at 3-00pm as the Knights Juniors host the London Warriors  prior to the senior league game.

 

 

Knights Head Coach Steve Rains said "This was another very competitive game despite the scoreline - we remain top of the Division but know if we want to have the play off Semi-Final at home in August we have to keep taking it one game at a time and keep on winning.

 

There were a lot of great performances today including the début of young Henry Schoen at Running Back - but the MVP award for this game has to go to our Offensive Line - both the starters and the guys who came in later in the game - they dominated the line of scrimmage and made the big difference for us"

 

 

The Knights will be at Weydon School on Saturday to demonstrate American Football as part of the schools open day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFFENSE:	DEFENSE:
Passing:	J Vince 1S 8A A Evers 4S 4A L Bridcutt 3S 4A M Marriott 4S 2A R George 6A D Francis 2S 2A C James 1S 3A + 1Int A Makinen 1S 2A D Kerr 2S 1A W Masinja 1S 2A S Laws 3A B Monk 3A J Truelove 1S 2A G Tomlinson 2A B Bashary 1S 1A J Criddle 1S 1A M Cornwell 2A P Stubbs 1S 1A J Symons 1A S Wills 1S R Balderson 1A G Lee 1A A King 1A C Goodall 1S
O De Ruyter 5 of 11 for 170yds  2TD 1 Int
Receiving:
S Wills 4 for 108yds 1TD B Bashary 1 for 62yds 1TD
STATS:
G Davies 9 for 148yds 1TD N Roope 9 for 104yds 2TD S Ben-Romdhane 4 for 63yds 1TD P Wakeford 5 for 38yds K Helps 5 for 30yds H Schoen 3 for 11yds 1TD A Reid  1 for  9yds
KICK OFF RETURNS
N Roope 1 for 15yds S Ben-Romdhane 1 for 13yds T Lettman 1 for 0yds
OFFENSE TOTALS:
KNIGHTS:
Rushing 36 for 403yds  5TD Passing 5 of 11 for  170yds 2TD TOTAL 47 for 573yds  7TD

 

Pirates keep their playoff hopes alive with win over Jets

 

Game Report by Bill Campbell

 

 

Coventry Jets 20 - East Kilbride Pirates 35

 

The longest road trip of the league season saw East Kilbride return home with a win in the bag that keeps their play-off hopes alive. A shock defeat for title rivals Tamworth at the hands of Sheffield Predators also means that if the Pirates win their four remaining games, including defeating Tamworth by 6 or more points and Lancashire by 4 or more, they will retain home field advantage in the play-offs as well as their Divisional crown.

On Saturday, the home side kicked off and the Pirates quickly got into their stride. Eight plays saw them move the ball to the Coventry 14-yard line from where QB Neil Baptie passed to Jamie McLaughlin for the opening score. Craig Black’s conversion attempt was wide, but his ensuing restart brought an unexpected bonus. Seemingly still stunned at losing an early TD, Coventry’s players failed to react when the kick off landed at their 25-yard line and Joe MacMillan was only too happy to recover for the Pirates instead. East Kilbride however could not capitalise and the Jets did get hold of the ball when they intercepted a Baptie pass on their own goal line. Both sides then had to punt, but Dean Jardine’s kick as the first quarter expired pinned Coventry at their own 2-yard line.

After losing a yard on the first play, the Jets running back was tackled in the endzone by Tom Lachendro for a safety. It went from bad to worse for Coventry as the resultant restart saw the kick fielded by McLaughlin who returned it 70 yards for his second TD of the game. Black duly converted to stretch the lead to 15-0. Coventry’s next drive was ended by a Rob Worboys interception, but the Pirates had to settle for a 32-yard field goal attempt by Black which drifted wide of the left hand upright. The next score wasn’t long in arriving though. Again Coventry turned the ball over, but this time the interception was returned 55 yards for the TD by Jimmy McIntosh and successfully converted by Black. In the dying moments of the half Baptie once more found a receiver in the endzone. This time it was Andrew Meechan on the end of the 14-yard pass, and although the attempted 2-point conversion failed, East Kilbride led 28-0 at the interval.

 

Coventry introduced rookie QB Will Brown at the beginning of the second half and this brought about a change in fortunes for the home side. A good return of a short kick off gave the Jets a starting point in EK territory. Despite this, they quickly found themselves in a 4^th-and-8 situation. Brown then managed to scramble not only for the First Down, but made it all of the 26 yards to the endzone for an unconverted TD. The Pirates had to punt on their next possession but soon got the ball back when McIntosh recovered a Jets’ fumble. Trying to keep their drive alive, East Kilbride went for it on 4^th down, but the ball went to ground, and although covered up, lost yardage. The Jets couldn’t make sufficient progress though and were forced to punt again, giving their opponents the ball as the game moved into the final quarter.

 

 

That drive concluded with another Baptie-McLaughlin combination, with the big receiver finding himself unmarked to score from 44 yards, and Black’s extra point then made the score 35-6 in the visitors’ favour. Not to be outdone, Brown immediately responded with a TD of his own. An inch-perfect pass over the outstretched fingers of the defensive back found receiver Dominic Olney who then had the pace to run away from the covering defenders to score from 79 yards. The 2-point conversion was unsuccessful and when McLaughlin returned the kick off to the Coventry 29 yard line, a response from EK looked imminent. However, despite a 1^st-and-goal from the 4 yard line, they couldn’t force the ball home. Coventry had to punt on their next possession, but on the first play of the Pirates’ drive, Josh Cooper picked off a Baptie pass and returned it 46 yards to score. Brown ran in the 2-point conversion to conclude the scoring. East Kilbride recovered the attempted onside kick, and with the Jets having used all their time-outs, indicated their intention to kneel out the game and allowed the officials to call a halt to proceedings

 

The Pirates are back on the road this Sunday (5^th) when they travel to Leeds to face the Yorkshire Rams. Kick off at Leeds Corinthians Rugby Club is 14:30.

 

If the BAFA Senior Playoffs were today...and who can't make them

If the BAFA Senior Playoffs were today…

 

PREMIER

TAMWORTH PHOENIX v LONDON BLITZ

LONDON WARRIORS v LANCASHIRE WOLVERINES

NORTH CONFERENCE ONE

MERSEYSIDE NIGHTHAWKS v GATESHEAD SENATORS

EDINBURGH WOLVES v CLYDE VALLEY BLACKHAWKS

SOUTH CONFERENCE ONE

FARNHAM KNIGHTS v OUSE VALLEY EAGLES

SOLENT THRASHERS v COLCHESTER GLADIATORS

NORTH CONFERENCE TWO

MANCHESTER TITANS v ABERDEEN ROUGHNECKS

WEST COAST TROJANS v LEICESTER FALCONS

SANDWELL STEELERS v NEWCASTLE VIKINGS

PETERBOROUGH SAXONS v STAFFORDSHIRE SURGE

SOUTH CONFERENCE TWO

BURY SAINTS v WEMBLEY STALLIONS

SUSSEX THUNDER v CORNISH SHARKS

BRISTOL APACHE v OXFORD SAINTS

KENT EXILES v LONDON HORNETS

 

OUT OF PLAYOFF CONTENTION

YORKSHIRE RAMS

SOUTH WALES WARRIORS

CAMBRIDGESHIRE CATS

HUMBER WARHAWKS

TORBAY TROJANS

IPSWICH CARDINALS

HASTINGS CONQUERORS

DUNDEE HURRICANES

BAFA Senior Conference Two Playoff Chase

Article by Matthew Farnham

 

NFC II NORTH

The division was interesting as it saw the reformation of a couple of teams, Newcastle Vikings, and the new Northumberland Lightning mixing with the West Coast Trojans who were as recently as 2012 a Division 1 winning team.   This was really a mixed bag. 

Current division standings have West Coast Trojans (unsurprisingly) as leaders with a perfect 6-0 conceding only 8 points in their worst defensive performances.  Last weekend’s 52-8 win over 2nd placed Newcastle Vikings showed that the Trojans are a class above the rest of the division and the win all but guaranteed them as Champions. That’s not to take away from Newcastle who haven’t completed as a team in the past few season but have clearly put together a strong unit.  The Vikings who currently have a 6-2 record have controlled and comfortably won all their games apart from when facing the Trojans.  They have built up a solid lead and with just two games left against the bottom two teams should also be guaranteed a playoff spot. 

Aberdeen Roughnecks currently sit at .500 with their 3-3 record which is a great representation of their growth from a 1st year team last year.  Last year they managed just 1 win and 1 tie but you could see their progress as the season moved on.  They will be happy with the progress they have shown this year and finishing with a .500 record in a division with such strong teams above will definitely be something to be proud of and if they can win all their remaining games they could still sneak into the playoffs as one of the best 3rd place teams.  Glasgow Tigers will not be as happy with their season after last year showing that they could compete with West Coast Trojans and Edinburgh Wolves (losing close games against both) they have seemingly taken a step back.  They have lost twice to Aberdeen this season and still have two games against the Trojans where they will need to cause an upset to show they are still capable of competing and to show they are a better team than their results this season have shown.  Glasgow can still get something out of this season but they need to start winning games now and hope other results work in their favour if they still have playoff aspirations.

The basement dwellers of the division are the first year Northumberland Lightning and Dundee Hurricanes with just 1 win each coming in the fixtures against each other.  Dundee seem stuck in the funk that saw them finish bottom of the National 1 division last year and haven’t shown a great deal of progress whereas for Northumberland have made the normal steps needed for a first year team.

 

NFC II WEST

Manchester Titans have this all in their own hands.  It is as simple as that.  They have dominated this division this season having shutout the last 4 teams they faced and when you take off the 33 points scored by 2nd place Staffordshire they have only conceded a field goal.  Manchester has showed why they were the last team to face the Nighthawks and not lose (last season bizarre 43-43 tie).  While 2nd place Staffordshire did manage to score 33 points on the Titans they were unable to stop the Titans offence which scored 58 on the day.  Staffordshire Surge (the hardest name to say in BAFA, don’t believe me? Say it 5 times fast) are having another solid season and have really found their feet in this division.  Apart from the defeat mentioned above they have kept the division close and will look at the Week 17 (02/08/15) game in Manchester as a chance to steal the division title away from Manchester.  Either way this division seems to have already confirmed its playoff teams.

The next two team in the division are currently separated by just one win and 30 miles. The teams have played each other twice with the travelling team taking the win each time.  The Railroaders are a team who seem better suited to the level of competition, at least for now.  The Halton Spartans are another of the new teams and spent the whole of last season training and playing scrimmages where they could in order to prepare and it seems to have paid off so far.  As we have seen from previous new teams a .500 season is a big plus and will only see the team develop over the next few season.  Both the Railroaders and the Spartans have to play the Surge and Titans and I can’t see either team causing an upset.  The Spartans have a double header with Walney which I expect them to win both and Crewe face Carlisle so I see both teams finishing with a 5-5 record but unfortunately not a playoff spot.

Carlisle are back and rebranded but they won’t be happy with this season.  Just 1 win so far will not be enough to keep them happy.  That being said a 1 win season is standard for a new team.  That 1 win came over the only team without a win in the division the Walney Terriers.  The Terriers are a 2nd year team who have not shown much progress from last season 0-10 season.  They have the opportunity to upset Crewe on the last day of the season and maybe jump ahead.

 

NFC II SOUTH

The NFC II South is currently split in 2.  At the top we have the Sandwell Steelers currently perfect at 6-0, closely followed by Peterborough Saxons and just a game back Leicester Falcons.  This looks to be an exciting divisional race with all three teams playing each other over the remainder of the season and a Week 18 battle between the Steelers and Saxons possibly deciding the division championship.  The Steelers comfortably beat the Saxons 41-14 in week 10 and the earlier win away at the Falcons should leave them in the position to win the division and a playoff appearance.  Peterborough will need to win the last game of the season and show like all good teams that they have adjusted to the Steelers.  A win for the Falcons against the Steelers would really through the division into a frenzy and isn’t that unforeseeable after they lost by just 4 points in the previous games. This would see the top three teams separated by 1 game and add some weight and pressure to that final game of the season.  From a fan perspective that’s what I would love to see but I’m sure the coaches in Sandwell will be gearing their team to pick up 4 straight wins anyway they can.

 

The bottom half of the table has Lincolnshire Bombers 2-3, Leeds Bobcats 1-5 and Humber Warhawks 0-7.  Lincolnshire won’t like being grouped with the two new teams and will need a few more wins to distance themselves from the teams below.  Leeds Bobcats have done a good job of scoring points and as the season rolls on they will be looking to tighten the defense and pick up some more wins.  Humber should not be disappointed they are a new team and will improve. A win before the end of t the season would certainly but a shine on their season but they know they will be a different team come next season.

 

SFC II WEST

This is the closest division in all of BAFA and this could be because of the late departure of the Gloucester Centurions but I would like to think it is what we will get across all the divisions if BAFA let the league settle in its current form.  In this division you really cannot predict how things will play out.

Bristol Apache currently hold first place with a 4-1 record which has seen them split games with 2nd placed Oxford Saints.  Both these games were decided by a point and ultimately this could be decided by a 3rd game in the playoffs.  The Saints have also lost to Swindon Storm in a blowout which doesn’t fit with the rest of their season’s results but could ultimately cost them the division and maybe even a playoff spot.  Right behind Oxford is Cornish Sharks who at 3-2 and showing a stronger defense could use the Week 15 battle against Oxford to leap frog them.  For the Sharks to make a real push for the playoffs they would have to beat the Apache next week and that game could really influence the whole division and the season ahead.  Swindon Storm showed in their win against the Saints that they are capable of competing with the top teams in the division but they need to find some consistency and hope results go their way if they hope to sneak into the playoffs.

 Adrift at the bottom of the division is Torbay Trojans who will already be planning on how to make a step forward next season and using the rest of this season to find a formula that works.  Torbay could still have a say in the division as they still play both the Apache and Sharks and sometimes when the pressure is off we see teams find their groove.

 

SFC II EAST

The SFC II East has Bury Saints at the pinnacle with a perfect 6-0 record and a team that has won 5 of those in comfortable fashion.  They look like they have the division in hand.  They do have to travel to play the London Hornets who’s only defeat came against the Saints but even a defeat here (as long as it is less than 36 points) would still see them atop the division and playoff bound come the end of the season.  The Hornets themselves had a great first season last year and finished with a 4-6 record (although one of those defeats was a forfeit due to scheduling issues) and looked like a different team after their first win last year.  They started this season where they left off last year and find themselves well positioned at 5-1 and with a game to play at home against the top team.  This season barring any setbacks should see them playoff bound and that is a great achievement for a 2nd year team.

 

Just below the Hornets are the Wembley Stallions, Essex Spartans and London Blitz B all within 2 games of each other.  The Stallions are currently sitting at .500 and have managed to pick up wins home and away against the Blitz and beat bottom club Ipswich.  They still have to play both the Saints and Hornets but their crunch game comes against Essex Spartans in Week 17 as both teams will need the win to stand any chance of sneaking into the playoffs. The Spartans have had a mixed bag of a season but with games the Cardinals, Hornets and Spartans they can still finish in the playoffs. London Blitz B have had a good season for a “new” team but (no doubt unfairly) for a Blitz team we expected more.  They still have 3 games left and any way you look at it a couple of wins in their first season is a good year a few more makes it great.

At the bottom of the division is Ipswich Cardinals who have seemingly taken a step back from last year where they weren’t spectacular but managed two wins. A few adjustments and they can pick up a win this season but they will have their eyes set on making progress next year and building a team for the next few years. Let’s remember it was only a few years back (2012) the Merseyside Nighthawks were a 1 win team and now they are 20 unbeaten so every team at 0-6 should be ready to work hard and get there.

 

SFC II SOUTH

The SFC II South has an intriguing battle at the top as Kent Exiles and Sussex Thunder both compete for the divisional crown.  Both teams are all but mathematically guaranteed a playoff berth but the division is very much up for grabs.  The Exiles are unbeaten at 6-0 after a convincing 43-17 win earlier in the season over Sussex Thunder.  Sussex of course are a team that didn’t field a team last year after winning the division 1 title the year before.  They have shown that they are still a force and will continue to do so as the season moves on and with a game against Kent Exiles this weekend (28/06/15) the divisions is still up for grabs. 

Bournemouth Bobcats know that with 8 games played the best they can hope for and is a .500 season.  That being said if results go their way they could still sneak into the playoffs.  Portsmouth Dreadnoughts are at half way through their season can still finish above the Bobcats.  The Dreadnoughts will take heart from that and still have a game against winless Hastings Conquerors.  This puts it firmly in the hands of themselves and they could still make the playoffs.  Hastings are another of the new teams and have had a season that can be expected especially in a division with so much experience.  Hastings can build on this and take the experience forward for next season.

UKFD EXCLUSIVE COACHES POLL

A change to the format of the UKFD Coaches Poll this week, a case of you ask and we listen. The Poll before could have been viewed as a little skewed as it put teams from the lower divisions on what appeared to be an even keel with those in the Premier. So with this in mind a Conference split has been created.

 

The teams are very similar to those that had votes cast before but this will hopefully give a clearer indication as to how our panel came to those choices.

 

Again if you feel you can contribute to this, all you need to be is a coach in the BAFA setup, then please get in touch, after all it is the only Poll that exclusively comes from the Coaching community.

 

 

PREMIER

 

1.       LONDON WARRIORS (4-0)

 

2.       LONDON BLITZ (3-1)

 

 

3.       TAMWORTH PHOENIX (6-0)

 

                   CONFERENCE ONE

 

1.       MERSEYSIDE NIGHTHAWKS (6-0)

 

2.       SOLENT THRASHERS (5-1)

 

 

3.       FARNHAM KNIGHTS (5-1)

 

                    CONFERENCE TWO

 

1.       WEST COAST TROJANS (6-0)

 

2.       KENT EXILES (6-0)

 

 

3.       MANCHESTER TITANS (6-0)

 

WILD CARD ENTRY

BURY SAINTS (6-0)

 

This week’s coaching panel – Bury, Berkshire, Aberdeen, East Kent, West Coast and Ouse Valley.

BAFA Senior Conference One Playoff Chase

Article by Matthew Farnham

 

NFC I

 

This division was always going to be a close run thing with the Merseyside Nighthawks and Edinburgh Wolves playing that fantastic Division 1 final game last year.  The Nighthawks won that game and they won the game in Edinburgh earlier this season which sets the table as it is with the Nighthawks 6-0 and Wolves 5-1.  The Nighthawks toughest game left is the home game against Clyde Valley Blackhawks in Week 15 and providing they win here they should see out the season unbeaten.  Edinburgh Wolves bounced back from the defeat at the hands of the Nighthawks with 4 wins on the road and with just one more away game this weekend I know they have a big home coming plan for the July 5th game. They picked up some great wins on the road and providing they can defend their turf against the Blackhawks they should comfortably take 2nd place and a playoff spot.

 

The battle between the next 3 teams is for the two remaining playoff places and Clyde Valley currently hold the toughest of the run-ins.  The Blackhawks start this week (28/06/15) with a battle against Gateshead Senators.  They then have to play Wolves and Nighthawks away and finish at home to Nottingham Caesars.  They will need the wins against the Senators and Caesars to finish in the playoffs but they need to stay focused.  Gateshead Senators have let themselves down with a 2-3 record at home and now finish the season on a 3 game road trip.  They need to take care of the Blackhawks this weekend and then ensure a victory against the Chester Romans, They also travel to Edinburgh Wolves and they will need to show some fight if they want to make the playoffs.  The Caesars also find themselves with a difficult run-in as they host Edinburgh and the Week 18 game against the Blackhawks could be a crucial decider in who makes it and who doesn’t.  This division is set up for a great last weekend.

The bottom 3 are of course in a fight now with the new BAFA set up one of these teams is going to get relegated.  As it stands Shropshire Revolution will be finding a new home next year in NFC II as they have yet to pick up a win.  That being said neither the Chester Romans nor Doncaster Mustangs are safe by any means.   Shropshire has to play both the Mustangs and the last day against the Romans which could make for a very nervy affair. Both the Romans and the Mustangs know that one more win will effectively end any chance of relegation so they need to make sure they have that in the bag before the final day.

 

SFC I

 

The SFC I sees a repeat of last year’s battle from the National League South West as Farnham Knights battle it out with Solent Thrashers.  Both these teams are 5-1 and Farnham have the advantage as they won a close game early on in the season against Solent, the Thrashers only defeat of the season.  Farnham slipped up against the Birmingham Bulls so need a win against the Thrashers in Week 15 (19/07/15) to strengthen their grip on the division.  Solent knows that as long as they keep winning they can take the division and they can look back on last year’s win against Farnham as inspiration.

 

If either of these teams slip up Colchester Gladiators and Ouse Valley Eagles are ready to take their chances.  Both at 4-2 and the difference between them right now is the Eagles win over the Gladiators a few weeks back.  Both teams know they are firmly in the playoff places as long as they split their remaining games the can make the post season.

Birmingham who are at .500 need results to go their way but a win against the Eagles on the 26th of July could propel them into the mix.  They have the potential as they caused the upset against Farnham so shouldn’t be counted out, but in order to be considered they need to find that form again.  Hertfordshire Cheetahs sit at 2-4 and have lost some very close games.  With a little bit more experience as the season goes on those results could start to swing their way, I just feel it’s too late for the playoff spots.

East Kent Mavericks and Cambridgeshire Cats are the two teams with relegation hanging over their heads.  The Mavericks have a win against the Cats and with only the one meeting between the teams the Cats need to pick up a win elsewhere with the Cheetahs seeming the most winnable game.

IF THE PLAYOFFS WERE TODAY…

NORTH CONFERENCE ONE

MERSEYSIDE NIGHTHAWKS v GATESHEAD SENATORS

EDINBURGH WOLVES v CLYDE VALLEY BLACKHAWKS

SOUTH CONFERENCE ONE

FARNHAM KNIGHTS v OUSE VALLEY EAGLES

SOLENT THRASHERS v COLCHESTER GLADIATORS