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Revolution’s season starts with a bang
Shropshire Revolution got their 2009
campaign off to a dream start with an emphatic 95-0 demolition of Lincolnshire
Bombers on Sunday, 19 April.
Revolution travelled to Lincolnshire with
mixed expectations after subdued pre-season outings against Chester and
Manchester.
However, a huge hit by Head
Coach and middle linebacker Andy McAdam which forced a fumble in the early
exchanges set the tone for the day. Shropshire’s offense responded to the
marker set by their defensive teammates and hit the ground running.
They rattled up 36 unanswered points in the
first quarter alone thanks to rushing touchdowns from rookie running back Russ
Lingwood (twice) and Glenn Mann and catches from receivers Andy Plant and Rich
Mantle. The scoring flood slowed in the second quarter with only one further
touchdown, a bulldozing run from Matt Woodcock.
Plant converted five of the touchdowns and with a two-point conversion
added to one of the scores, Revolution led 43-0 at the break.
In the second half the points deluge
continued, but this time with Shropshire’s defense weighing in to move the
scoreboard on. Block-busting defensive end Andy Barnett returned two fumbles
for touchdowns, linebacker Dave Ralphs added another from a blocked punt and
two safeties were forced by the dominating defensive unit.
Offensively, Shropshire were more muted in
the second half, limiting their scoring to just three touchdowns, runs from
rookie Dan Burkett and Russ Lingwood and a 50-yd catch from receiver Chris
Howe.
Finally, Lingwood weighed in with
his fourth touchdown of the day, a 60 yard punt return.
Kicker Andy Plant kicked all but one of the
extra points to complete the scoring.
Commenting on the game, and Revolution’s
dream start to the season, McAdam said:
“It was a great performance; we simply clicked both sides of the ball
and four months of hard preparation paid off in a well executed display of
football. Some of our newer players had stand-out games, especially defensive back
Andy Flint and Russ Lingwood. Also, Andy Plant’s kicking game was impeccable
scoring 11 points from his boot and six from a touchdown catch.”
McAdam has warned his players not to let
the scale of the victory go their heads: “We’re not going to get complacent –
we have a tough fixture coming up and all of our attention is now focused on
our next game.”
Shropshire now turn their attention to
their opening home match of the season against Staffordshire Surge on Sunday,
10 May.
For the first time in their
short history, the team are staging the game away from their Telford Rugby Club
home at Harper Adams College, Newport.
For
more details on Shropshire Revolution visit www.shropshirerevolution.co.uk