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Cornish Sharks 9 Peterborough Saxons 6
The Cornish Sharks scored a 9-6 victory over Peterborough
Saxons in Peterborough yesterday securing their place in the quarter finals
next Sunday.
The Saxons scored an early
touchdown in the first quarter and the Sharks, the definite “underdogs” on the
day, clawed back to score an equalizing touchdown by wide receiver David Kriern
in the second quarter bringing the score to 6-6 at half time.
The game was a hard physical battle by both
teams trying to make ground and struggling to make consistent offensive
drives.
But it was a defensive
masterpiece by both teams and the half time score draw was a fair result
reflecting the hard battle of two strong defensive teams.
Both teams made adjustments in the second half and
Peterborough came out with a power running game and tried to wear the Sharks
defense down.
But the young Sharks
defense held firm and made some outstanding plays in the third quarter.
Both teams tried to manipulate each other’s
defense without any success and in the fourth quarter the Saxons sustained a
drive down to the Sharks 4 yard line but the Killer Sharks defense held tight
and two power sweeps to the right were held for zero yardage.
Then a missed direction dive was stopped
dead in its tracks by linebacker Anthony White with a fantastic solo tackle on
the running back.
It was fourth down
and four yards and Peterborough went for it, but once again the Sharks defense
stopped them in the backfield for a loss in one of the most exciting defensive
plays of the game.
The Saxons lost
possession of the football to the Sharks who had four minutes left in the game
to march the ball 96 yards down the field to the Saxon’s end zone.
Coach Smallworth called a time out and spoke to his troops
and told them to do whatever it takes to keep the drive alive.
So the Sharks started to move the ball
downfield with consistent hard running and short passes and then with the clock
running out and the tension building the two minute warning was called and the
Sharks still had 68 yards to go.
Having
just achieved another first down, two quick plays saw the Peterborough defense
reduce their front and stick 8 men in the box to try and stop the Sharks
running game, so Coach Smallworth called a play action pass which was caught by
Durben Matthews for 20 yards to bring Sharks to the 42 yard line and with his
last two timeouts he stopped the clock with 4 seconds to go.
Having been told by the referees that the
teams would have to play overtime to get a winner Coach Smallworth took the
decision to kick a field goal that Kiell Purell stepped up to take.
Everyone in the ground on both sides were
holding their breath, many players couldn’t even look and when the ball was
snapped and the ball was kicked, a huge roar came from the crowd as they saw
the ball fly over between the posts for 3 points - a great win to the Sharks.
Coach Smallworth described the feelings of his team,
“Having lost the first round play off game last year in our first season, to
achieve the play offs in our second year and improve by progressing to the
quarter finals is a dream come true and a superb achievement by everyone in the
Cornish Sharks.
I have never seen so
many tears of joy in all the games in which I have been involved.
It was a fantastic journey home and I am
proud of every one of them.
It doesn’t
stop here though, we have now got to prepare for the game in London.”