York Match Report
Published: March 10, 2010
A clash of the white rose saw York Centurions bring their rookie team into town to face the Hallam Warriors at Graham Solley sports ground. Following a week when the reports of pairs of animals wandering around looking for a big boat had been the main news on Sky, the day started off in cool but bright conditions and with a pitch that was near perfect for football. York came to Sheffield having fallen the previous week to cross town rivals Sheffield Sabres. They are a young team that is in their first full competitive season and the fixture Gods had given them a right good kicking pitching them against a powerful Hallam side and a Sheffield side on back to back weeks when many new teams get a set of carpet slippers, smoking pipe and a clotted cream dinner for their inaugural fixtures.
Sentiment is not a vein running through the Hallam Warriors and the pre game instructions from the coaching staff was very much focused on being respectful to the opposition by playing at 100% every play from start to finish. It was a day when the coaches prepared to blood their rookies as early as possible and see where their development was taking them.
Having won the coin toss the York Centurions elected to receive the kick off. Three plays and four yards later they were punting the ball to start the Hallam response. On the first play Hallam running back #11 Mike Whitson took the ball 23 yards to score the opening touch down. #38Lou Akindoyin ran in the two point conversion for an early 8-0 lead.
The first play of the York response saw #92 Will Flinton get into the backfield for the tackle and a 5 yard loss. Flinton would have a career day from the defensive end spot and would finish the day with 7 solo tackles. A further big hit on 3rd down by #55 Sat Singh ended another drive in 3.
York punted deep into Hallam territory and #9 David Saul started the Hallam drive on their own 42 yard line. The one two combination of Whitson and #15 Darren Gayle started to power their way into York territory until a freak injury saw Whitson hobble off the field with a leg injury, he would not return. The responsibility of leading the running attack then fell onto rookie Gayle’s shoulders, it was one he was to stand up to. 54 yards and 9 plays later rookie running back #21 Richard Griffith ran in his first ever score from 7 yards. Hallam missed the conversion and held a 14-0 lead.
Following the kickoff York went another 3 and out on the back of a Sat Singh defensive master class. Despite running the ball 40 yards on their next drive the Hallam offence stalled on the back of a couple of questionable penalty calls. Possession was exchanged between York and Hallam to bring the 1st quarter to an end.
The second quarter saw Hallam with the ball on their own 49 yard line. It was now time for rookie Darren Gayle to introduce himself and he tore off a 51 yard run to stun the York defence. #83 Andrew Cheeseman kicking the extra point.
York again went 3 and out on the back of solid tackling by #52 Chris Webber forcing a good punt and Hallam began their next drive on their 20 yard line. Hallam then put together an 8 play, 80 yard drive on the back of some hard running from #89 Mike Wood. The series capped off by a 43 yard run from #42 Tham Mafu. The extra point failed.
Following the touch back kick off York began their next possession on their 20 yard line. Three plays later their Quarterback completed his first pass. Straight into the hands of Sat Singh. The interception giving Hallam the ball with under a minute left. They needed only 50 seconds to score as #47 Danny Williamson capped off a 3 play, 29 yard drive with an 18 yard run. Cheeseman made the extra point and the half drew to a close with Hallam leading 34-0. Following the second half kickoff and the addition of a penalty, Hallam started the second half on their 16 yard line. A nine play 84 yard drive off the back of Darren Gayle and Mike Wood runs saw David Saul connect on a 15 yard pass to Andrew Cheeseman.
Hallam, now blooding its defensive rookies alongside some experienced players stuttered at the start of the next York drive and allowed York their first none penalty first down. That would be the spark to kick the defence up their backsides and the next three plays saw York punt again. Hallam getting the ball on the York 48 yard line. They would move the ball the full 48 yards in a ten play drive that was capped by another Darren Gayle TD, this time from 15 yards. On the following kick off Hallam switched off and allowed York to return the kick off all the way to the Hallam 10 yard line. This woke the Hallam D who on the next three plays drove the York offence back 15 yards forcing a field goal which Hallam blocked.
The two teams traded possession into the fourth quarter with Hallam leading 47-0. Hallam then went on a 15 play, 85 yard drive on the back of further good runs from rookies Gayle and Griffith capped off with a 2 yard run from David Saul. The extra point was no good.
Another touchback kickoff saw York begin their next drive from their 20 yard line. Things went from bad to worse for them when two plays later when #54 Mathew Marsden hit the running back forcing the ball to come loose and Will Flinton diving on it. David Saul connected on the first play with a 12 yard pass to #87 Craig Driver. #71 Simon Byrne ran in the 2 point conversion.
York began their next drive on the 20 yard line as the 2 minute warning was sounded. The first play saw Sat Singh come up with the ball when the York quarterback fumbled it deep into his end zone. With the ball on the 5 yard line Hallam declared they were taking knees and allowed time to expire with the final score 61-0.
The notable performances for the day were; Darren Gayle 13 runs for 149 yards and 2 touch downs. Satnam Singh 7 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, fumble recovered and an interception. Hallam had over 530 yards of offence, gave up once first down and held York to (minus) -17 yards of offence.
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Tagged with: Game, Match Report, Season
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