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London Cobras 48-6 Peterborough Saxons
The hottest day of the year saw the Cobras travel to Peterborough to face off against the Saxons. The game kicked off in beautiful British summer conditions as running back Devar Gayle set to work against the Saxons' defense. Gayle wasted no time in proving himself when he found a cutback lane after the hole closed ahead of him and raced into the end zone for a 39 yard score. The two point after attempt was good with quarterback Jerome Allen completing to tight end Matt Russell putting the Cobras up 8-0.
On the next series Peterborough were forced to punt which allowed newly acquired defensive tackle Al Jenkins to get a paw up and block his second in as many games. The ball was picked up by the Saxons but a hit by defensive back Jeff Brown forced a fumble which was recovered by Kieran Anderson and set the Cobras offense up with first and 10 going in from the 40.
Gayle with a 23 yard run moved the offense inside the ten. He then finished the drive off with a 2 yard scamper leaving kicker David Dooner to add the extra point and leaving the scoreboard showing 15-0.
As the Saxons' offense took over, they were met with the force that is Jenkins. Fired up from his punt block and now on the war path he ripped the ball from the running back’s grasp and stormed 17 yards in to the end zone for 6 points. He finished the day with 9 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and the aforementioned punt block and touchdown.
Midway through the seconnd quarter the Saxons attempted a fake punt on fourth and 1 which failed leaving the Cobras inside their half. On third and 4, Allen dropped back looking for one of his prolific receivers, and he wasn’t disappointed when he hit wide receiver Mark McGowan in space for a 28 yard touchdown completion. Dooner added the extra point and the Cobras were up 28-0.
London were cruising, however the Saxons were not going down without a fight. Peterborough’s quarterback dropped back and spotted a blown coverage and took advantage for a 76 yard strike. Defensive back Chris Hines last yard effort stopped the touchdown, but the Saxons went on to convert from the 6 yard line to make the score 28-6 going in to the half.
The second half was a lot quieter than the first, however it did include great runs from Gayle, who finished with 14 carries for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns, and a further touchdown from new running back Dwain Jackson who ran in for a score from 8 yards out.
The fourth quarter saw some spectacular catches from Manny Mukoro and Russell, as well as a fantastic 36 yard touchdown reception by McGowan from quarterback Dale Greenfield. McGowan ended with 5 catches for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dooner added the extra point and the Cobras closed the game with a 48-6 win.
Offensive Coordinator Tony Allen said after the game, "It’s always good to travel this far and come away with a win. We need to make sure we stay sharp and on top of our game as we have another four games before we get a week off. We have some tough fixtures coming up where both our offense and defense will be challenged".
The Cobras have their first home game of the season next Sunday when they welcome the Cambridgeshire Cats to Boston Manor