“The final ICS match is against the Malice. The result will not matter anything, though, as the Albion Conference were ahead With 9-4 when this match started, so even thoug we playedfor an extra point, Bretonnia simply couldn't scrape together enough points to even out. We have played the Malice once before, and barely managed to scrape out a win, even though they were less experienced then. Thus, the match won't be an easy win, as elves can score with much fewer players on the field. Thus, we plan to force them to start receiving and then give them a quick score, and then we will see if we can do the good ole' 2-1 win. We need to hit them hard, though. Their three tacklers will be Our prime targets, to protect Our skinks as best we can.

The Malice have a card and a wizard, but we have the fan advantage and win the coin toss, and leave the ball to the dark elves. The elves pick up the ball and sends Clawfletcher into a scoring position on their left flank (and he can also hit our skinks from there), while the main attack comes on their reight flank, where Chaostear hits and stuns Idler. We hit Clawfletcher, and tries to herd them into making an easy score. Firedragon passes to Silentmage, who runs almost to the goalline, guarded by Banecutter and journeyman Darkorc. We continue to herd them towards the score, and puts pressure on them by placing four skinks and two saurii in a position to hit. Idler gets some satisfaction out of blitzing Chaostear as a revenge for the early stun, and breaks three of his ribs when grabbing him in a bear hug. The Malice decides that it is too early to send in the apo, and will have to make the rest of this match and the next one without their strong runner. One tackler gone already! Malice decides that they can risk loosing the ball by stalling, so they decides to score. 1-0 Malice, but there is lots of time to equalise, just as planned.

With Chaostear out, the Malice can only muster 10 players, and we immediately cut it down to 9 as Booster takes off from just behind the line of scrimmage to blitz emerging star lineman Unholymagus and sends him off with a broken neck. This time, the apo is needed, and he can confirm that the neck wasn't broken after all, only very bruised. Unholymagus will return to the field, but not in this season. The kick is high and short, to our left side and close to the midfield, and is caught by rookie skink Mobster. The dark elves pull back with most of their players, while experienced blitzer Vineba attempts to get at our skinks by circling around our right flank. WE try to get fancy, and shifts to the midfield, keeping Mobster behind a double screen of saurii and skinks. Unfortunately, the hird wizard knock both guarding saurii over, and stuns Mobster. The ball is loose, and possible to get at, although not easily. Brave dark elves makes the attempt, though. First, they gang up on Claws and bowls him over. This opens the way for Clawfletcher to blitz the remaining guarding skink Breaker, and Moonfalcon, their experienced witch elf can Dodge away from Fraternizer to pick up the ball and pass it back to Icemolder, who takes away towards the Scavenger goalline. Vineba, who seemed to have been blindsided is suddenly onth right side to protect Icemolder. Scavengers do what little they can, and Diver and Wiggler manage to surround Icemolder, and by going for it, Peeler can push Icemolder up aginst the sideline, but does not manage to bowl him over. Thus, With help from Vineba to hold the scavengers down, Icemolder blitzes Wiggler and with contemptuous ease brushes him aside, dodges his divetackle and goes for it to score Malice's second TD of the day! The dark elf fans celebrates wildly on the lecterns!

There is still time for a score, however, and the Scavengers are now 11 vs 9. All hope is not out. Exhilerated dark elves reads the offense well and manages to shift around just before the whistles blow, in order to try to take advantage of their short kick to our left. Our misplaced offensive line tries to make the bset out of a bad situation and Peeler pushes Vineba aside on Our right flank to make a corridor for Breaker, while a whitehot Idler gives veteran lineman Firedragon the fatal blow. Another Malice player that won't be back in this match. Or ever again... Diver fails to pick up the ball however, and the dark elves get a chance to grab the ball, but Diver makes up for his mistake by blocking the onrushing Clawfletcher and stunning him (double skulls, and then armour break...). Daring Divers brave stand Works, and he follows up by picking up the ball and running down to Breaker for the handover. Breaker speeds towards the Malice goalline, protected by two divetackling skinks and Blue Brewer. Witch Elf Silentmage makes a desparte attempt to stop the TD by blitzing Wiggler, but falls on her shapely butt failing a going for it. Breaker can run in the first Scavenger TD of the day unhindered. 2-1 Malice!

At half time, the Coach takes stock of the situation. Down 1-2, yes, but all Our guys are fresh, while the dark elf numbers are dwindling. They are down to 8 now, and the three missing players were their three most experienced ones as well. We should be able to stay With the ball this half and maim even more dark elf players, and then win overtime, no matter who starts with the ball. Their ace in the hole is the dirty trick they have on hand.

Second half starts With a deep and high kick by Magusslayer. Wiggler is in position to catch it, and runs it up our left flank. Malice pulls back, and again a tackling blitzer, Banecutter this time, is sent around on our right flank to put pressure on the ballcarrier. This time, we pushes hard up the flank before we reverse to the middle. This means the Malice is more committed to the flank, and takes more time to return to the middle. Return they do, and we thus feel it necessary to reverse again to the left flank. The breakthrough comes when Fraternizer succeeds in sending witch elf Moonfalcon off badly hurt. We can put all Our skinks and saurii in a big bunch close to the Malice goalline, and the coach pulls forth his dirty trick, a custard pie in the fce of Purple Protector! THis allows Clawfletcher to slip through the Scavenger screen and blitz ballcarrier Wiggler and stun him. However, the ball bounces the wrong way for the Malice (or perhaps it is better to say one of a number of wrong ways). Immediately, the Scavengers revenges themselves on the dark elves who have had to enter thei scavenger striking zones in order to try to get to the ball. In a whiff, almost all remaining dark elves are either stunned or just prone, and Protector has the ball. Well protected, Protector can stall the game and score just before the whistle blows. Outnumbered and out of reach of the ballcarrier, frustrated Malice players can only nibble at the outer screen. Still , they manage to send off Breaker badly hurt.

Another round of fighting along the LOS leads to nothing, and with the game 2-2, overtime is needed. 11 vs 7, the scavengers starts With receiving, and almost believe that the game is over. But with the Malice on the field, nothing could be further from the truth. Plucky dark elves blitz their more numerous opponent, and KO's Wiggler ancd Places two blitzers, Clawfletcher and Banecutter, to catch the short kick. The ball lands just short of Clawfletcher, and is free! Somewhat desperate scavengers dare not pick up the ball in a tacklezone, and surrounds the ball instead, while Peeler sends journeyman Darkorc of with a broken jaw. Magusslayer manages to blitz Diver and KO, him and that opens for Banecutter to do a heroic effort. He gets up from a prone position, makes several Dodges and GIF's and picks up the ball in two tacklezones. His pass (in the same two tacklezones) is short however, and never reaches Silentmage. From here on, there is only the scavengers. They stun Silentmage and secures the ball, and advances slowly and methodically, KO-ing Magusslayer and Vineba on the way before Warrior can score the final TD of the game.

A good game where pluck dark elves simply ran out of players. Even so, they had a couple of chances to regain the ball in overtime, and could have won with a little more luck. Peeler got the MVP, and Albion managed to crush the Bretonnians in the cup, and even won the play'offs as Expats won the final. A good season for the Scavengers, and Warrior is now only 1 TD away from being the most scoring OWCC player of all times.

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