The Leicester Falcons defeated the Colchester Gladiators by a single point to take the BAFL Division Two title in one of the most exciting games witnessed in a national final.

Both teams entered the Keepmoat Stadium to a rapturous welcome from the crowd that was clearly hoping for a good match and they were not disappointed.

The Falcons received the kick off and Rich Davis returned the ball thirty five yards to set up good field position on the forty nine yard line and running back Timi Dada had three straight carries to begin the game, running for a first down to the forty two yard line. Falcons quarterback Arturo Sanchez opened the passing game, finding receiver Glenn Herring, before Dada carried the ball deep into the Gladiators’ half. Sanchez completed the drive from the eighteen yard line, running in to score the first touchdown of the game, but the point after touchdown failed, leaving the score at 6-0 to the Falcons.

From the kick off, the Gladiators returned the ball to the forty two yard line and soon drew level when, on third down with eight yards to go, Rich Thomas swept left, avoided the Falcons’ defence, and sprinted down the sideline for a 56 yard touchdown run to tie the scores.  The point after touchdown was good taking the score to 7-6 to the Gladiators.

From the kick off, Leicester utilized their diverse offence with Sanchez completing passes to Ben Williams and Dada running the ball. The Falcons continued to move the chains and looked good on offence until Dada coughed up the ball for the Gladiators to recover around the midfield area and set up another drive.

The Gladiators were stopped in the Falcons’ half and punted to the Leicester twenty one yard line. Dada scorched through the coverage to run the seventy nine yards into the endzone to edge the Falcons into the lead. The extra point was good to give the Falcons a 13-7 advantage at the end of the quarter.

At the start of the second quarter, the Gladiators were in good field position with the Falcons holding firm on fourth and goal. Rich Thomas burst into the endzone however to tie the score 13-13.  The point after touchdown was good and the score line now swung in the Gladiators' favour, 14-13.

Davis returned the following kick off to the forty one yard line but the Falcons were unable to move the ball and the ensuing punt by Williams was shanked,   gaining only fifteen yards. Beckford ran the ball for a first down inside the ten yard line and Thomas ran in from the eight to leave the scoreboard reading 20-13. The point after touchdown was missed and the Gladiators went in at half time ahead by seven.

Early in the second half, Dada puts Falcons back on the scoreboard with another long run and Ben Longlands adding the extra point bringing the score very quickly to 20-20 with everything still to play for and an exciting second half ahead.

Gladiators quickly got the ball back and went back into the lead 26-20 after a Dan Singer pass was tipped in the end zone where the alert Tommy Clarke snatched the ball for a score. Crucially, another extra point went begging to keep the Gladiators’ lead down to six.

From the kick off, Davis returned the ball to midfield and Timi Dada skipped wide and left through the covering defence for a first down. Ben Williams took a short pass inside the five to keep the chains moving, and Dada, with the ball in his hands, forced his way into the endzone to once again tie the score at 26-26. The point after touchdown was good to make the score 27-26 Falcons.

With twelve minutes and one second left in the fourth quarter, Gladiators did what they do best; sweep, sweep and then sweep some more and move the chains. But a fumbled snap saw the Falcons recover the ball in great field position.

Sanchez, on third and long, carried the ball to bring up first down before Davis, a third down specialist, took a pitch and gained nine yards for the first down.  Davis, now seeing more of the ball, moved the chains again before breaking into the endzone to give the Falcons a 33-26 lead. A poor snap on the extra point kept the Gladiators within seven and two flags on the touchdown play for unsportsmanlike conduct were assessed on the kick off meaning the Falcons took a restart from their own seven and a half yard line to give the Gladiators good field position.

Gladiators took the field on the thirty nine yard line searching for the score to tie the game but were unable to move the ball on the first three downs. On fourth down with eight yards to go, Beckford fought for the first down with one minute on the clock and with the Falcons desperately defending, the Gladiators looked to score. On second down and ten yards to go on the fifteen yard line Beckford got into the endzone to make the score an amazing 33-32 and lined up for the point after touchdown attempt; one for the tie, two for the win. The Gladiators and the crowd held their breath as the ball slammed into the right upright and back into play to preserve the Falcons slenderest of leads.

The Gladiators had no choice but to try an onside kick and for a split second it looked like they had achieved the miracle until a Falcon pounced on the ball to deny the Gladiators one final chance. The Falcons took a knee to claim a fantastic win from a fantastic game, played by two great teams, superbly refereed and watched by an awesome crowd who lifted the whole event with their cheering, banter and good humour.