Скачать или смотреть EK Pirates 2010 Season - Game 9 vs Gateshead Senators

On a very warm Sunday afternoon, the Pirates made their intentions clear right from the start when Defensive Lineman Jamie Charles sacked Senators' quarterback Lee Fraser on the first play from scrimmage. Two plays later and things got even worse for Fraser as his pass was intercepted by East Kilbride's Ross Templeton. The Pirates took over at midfield and needed just seven plays to score, with Running Back Iain Dick carrying home from 24 yards. Steven Kane converted to give the home side an early 7-0 advantage. Both sides traded punts and then also traded fumbles as then game headed into the second period.

Still no-one seemed to want to control the game as the Pirates again turned the ball over on an interception, only to get it back the same way when Lee Collins hauled in an errant Fraser pass. East Kilbride finally stretched their lead when home Quarterback Darren Brownlie connected with Wide Receiver Jamie McLaughlin for another 26-yard touchdown which was successfully converted by Kane. A good kick-off return saw the visitors start their next drive in Pirates' territory and they got as far as the 8-yard line before it started going pear-shaped. A run for a loss followed by a Delay Of Game penalty and an incomplete pass saw them with a third-and-goal situation from the Pirates' 15-yard line. A bizarre play ensued, where Fraser appeared to flick a pass up from behind his back, only to see it land in the hands of East Kilbride Defensive Lineman Karl McCran. After recovering from his initial surprise, McCran ran the ball back fully 70 yards to score. Kane tagged on the kick to make it a 21-0 lead. That was increased to 28-0 when Running Back Blake Kyle got in on the act with a 6-yard score, complete with extra point from Kane's reliable boot. That same boot also got the final score of the half with a 19-yard field goal.

East Kilbride received the kick off in the third period, but fumbled the ball away on the return. This signalled another sequence of turnovers as Gateshead also fumbled before Brownlie threw another interception. The Senators did hold on to the ball on their next drive and moved all the way to the Pirates' 1-yard line. The home defence stood strong though and pushed the opposition back to the point that they were in fourth-and-goal from the 23-yard line. An incomplete pass saw the ball turned over to the Pirates on Downs. East Kilbride failed to make any real progress though and punted the ball back to Gateshead. As the third quarter came to a close, Ross Templeton intercepted another stray pass from Fraser, and this time returned it to the house from 38 yards. Kane's conversion made it 38-0 as the final period started.

Gateshead again gave possession away as Templeton made his third pick of the day, but the Pirates were in an equally generous mood and the visitors recovered a Brownlie fumble. Once more the Senators made it deep into Pirates' territory but couldn't score despite four attempts from the 5-yard line. East Kilbride similarly couldn't make much progress, and were forced to punt. The comedy of errors that followed saw the Pirates' "clean sheet" disappear. They only had ten men on the field, and the ball was snapped as the eleventh was still making his way into position. The Referees' flags flew for the infringement, and Kane's punt travelled a very short distance. The Pirates' players all stopped, but Senators' Ben Forster was alert enough to pick up the ball and return it for a 25-yard touchdown. Unsurprisingly, Gateshead declined the procedural penalty and took the points. They tried to add a 2-point conversion, but Fraser's pass failed to find its target. Time then expired on the Pirates' next possession, leaving the final score as 38-6 in their favour.

The win sees the Pirates secure the Division 1 (North) title for 2010. To secure home field advantage in the play-offs, they must now also defeat the Yorkshire Rams in Leeds this Sunday (22nd).

Game report by Bill Campbell