“Game Six, Season 16

A good game from the Duskriders securing their first win against a Dwarf team.
In the first half we secured an early casualty followed with some KO's early on. With a numerical superiority we elected to continue blocking rather than running in an early TD to avoid giving KFC enough time to score an equaliser and go for a 1 TD second half for the win. It seemed to be working until around turn five which saw Duskwind alone in the backfield under pressure after some deft dwarf dodging (sic!). A desperation throw failed leaving the ball next to the sideline just in the KFC half. Protected by a screen, the dorfs couldn't get to the ball but under pressure from their tacklezones we couldn't resecure it either and it bounced into the crowed. The Riders fans won the fight to get the ball and in an amazing stroke of good fortune threw the ball into the KFC endzone!
Guarded by two dorfs including the skilled tackler Derek Figor, it looked like the ball and a TD was out of reach. But in an incredible display of pace we managed to get enough players in position for assists, knocked Figor down and crowd surfed the remaining marker at the same time, giving Deepfrown Blemish a straightforward pickup in the endzone without any smelly dorfs to spoil the party.

In the second half we had our second stroke of good fortune when, with a dwarf cage beginning to form we had an outside chance to blitz the ball carrier Twinkletoes on the fringe of the ruck. Against the odds we knocked him down and Ranklow managed to scoot in to pick up the ball, dodge away and throw to an empty downfield in an attempt to outrun the dorfs to the ball. Ranklow promptly eluded his two markers shortly afterward to score the TD and the win!

In a match decided by two moments of extra-ordinary luck, the Riders nevertheless weren't dominated in the blocking game of KFC either - we were never outnumbered thanks to (for the first time ever!) a reasonably full reserves bench. Although we didn't get the casualties to back it up, the Riders gave as good as we got in knocking the short guys over and the dorfs were resorting to fouling in an effort to clear the pitch but didn't have much joy with that either.

Twhanlows

3 Votes. Tony Twinkletoes. An elf in disguise! Safe hands to secure the ball, he was the dangerman when we were in possession as we were never able to just put a man marker on him with the knowledge he couldn't escape. Because he did !
2 Votes. Derek Figor. DT on an dwarf isn't what we expect and we were caught a couple of times with his expert tackling. We became very aware of his presence as the game wore on.
1 Vote. Slayer Stephen. While Big Bad Bill is stronger, Stephen with his tackle was more annoying.

Bad luck OB, robbed by two unlikely sets of circumstances!


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