“
FANS BRING OUT THE BEST IN LANE

The Unicorns were in town and there was a carnival atmosphere at the Saint Giles Stadium before kick-off. The losing streak had been halted against the Thunderbolts and BJ Hill was returning to the squad.

The same fans who had been placated with the tight 2-2 draw last game week wanted more of the same and they got it early in the first half. Thomas Leboucher, BJ Hill, and Juan Thornhill all delivered blocks that shook the back teeth of the Ültras and put Armas Alclick, Pat Patriot, and one mercenary on their backsides. Ottmar Wirt got the ball into the hands of Richard Lane and the Unicorns were on their way. Thornhill managed to get another heavy blow in on Chris Slayton before the caged up Lane got within striking distance of the guests goalline. Dieter Kwiatkoski pulled off a last ditch sack to dislodge the ball but, with so much support nearby, Lane evaded a follow up and Wirt snatched up the squigskin and jinked around the midfield to snap a crisp throw straight into Lane's hands.

The stands erupted, with beer and snacks launched into the air!

As the Unicorns kick was in mid-air, a handful of players broke the defensive line and went for the Pats without mercy. Bruno Giza tried to avenge Kwiatkoski's efforts to prevent a home score with a thundering elbow to the face. Amidst the chaos, JuJu Smith-Schuster weaved through the Unicorns defence. However, he tripped over a beer flagon that had been tossed onto the pitch and Coach Gridironman thought he might have broken his neck. However, upon inspection by the team medic, it was revealed to just been a dislocated vertebrae and JuJu should be back after a short period of recovery.

Taylor Rapp gathered the loose ball in a blitz against Isaiah Blaide but the ball was spilled in the fracas. Minkah Fitzpatrick took up responsibility for scoring and equalised. The two teams were at boiling point as the intensity and anxiety overspilled. A mid-game duel between BJ Hill and Marcell Ateman, who was making his debut, ended when the ref pulled Hill away from Ateman's bloodied corpse.

Few could have imagined how the floodgates would open 1ike they did in the second half, which may be remembered by those present for some time henceforth.

Clayton Thorson might have regretted passing the ball to Minkah Fitzpatrick, as it only made him a target, like Kwiatkoski. The Patriots Blitzer crossed the line to give his side a surprise lead and to quiet the noisy away fans. Predictably, Fitzpatrick was targeted by Leboucher who put him out for the half (and the next two halves). Chasing the game, the Unicorns scored in two drives, with Wirt combining artfully with Lane again.

This was followed by a flurry of serious injuries which might have suggested a burgeoning rivalry between the two sides; Phillips knocked out Hill. Rapp badly hurt Torrosa. Leboucher blitzed Thorson, who had been penned in by Giza and Thornhill - however, the quarterback had wisely handed the ball off to Rapp. Leboucher injured his ninth player of the season; Donovan Wilson. Tyler Higbee, a talented new recruit, grabbed the ball and crossed the line.

The visiting spectators were on the verge of tearing apart the stands with frustration at the ineffective Unicorns defence but, as seems to be the case, the result was salvaged by some flamboyant offensive play, led by captain Wirt.

He received the ball and passed it to Giza. The rest of the team cleared a path - even Wirt managed to end Randall McDaniel's otherwise forgettable match - before Giza could hot-step over the line in the final moments to end the game level.

Six touchdowns, one death, three injuries, and even a late red card for Logan Woodside, who stuck the boot into the prostrate Alclick, meant the fans might not be delighted but could certainly have a great deal to talk about over the post-game Eisbog Export.”