The Lancashire Wolverines ensured they provided a fitting end to the Academy’s double header on Sunday with their 24-0 triumph over the Staffordshire Surge. The win gives the Wolverines an impressive fourth consecutive victory together with a fourth consecutive shutout. With identical 3-2 records before the game, the fixture presented itself as something of a “must have” game for both teams. As victors the Wolverines ensured they were the ones headed for 4-2 and remain in close pursuit of the division’s pacesetters.

Both teams were unable to open the scoring with their first possession. The deadlock was broken midway through the 1st quarter. A poor Surge punt was caught in the swirling wind and left the Wolverines with possession at the visitor’s 31 yard line. First, quarterback David Mead took off with the ball making his way to the 19. Running back Lee Nelson then collected a handoff on the following play and dashed in for a 19 yards touchdown run. The resultant extra point was blocked leaving the Wolverines with a 6-0 lead.

Looking to respond the Surge strung together some positive plays but despite a 20 yard pass from to their quarterback to his tight end the drive stalled and ended with a punt downed at the Wolverine’s 5 yard line. It was then that the home team survived a scare. A fumble by running back Eden Quigley fortuitously squirmed out of play despite the attempts of several Surge defenders to recover the loose football. Though the Wolverines safely maintained possession the drive didn’t last much longer.

The Surge’s offensive exploits weren’t too much better and an overthrown ball stalled their attempts to convert on 4th down. Turning possession over at the Wolverine’s 37 yard line, the home team jump started into action. A nine yard rush by Lee Nelson got the drive off to a good start. On the following play running back Eden Quigley demonstrated great burst as he darted to the outside to pick up a further 19 yards. Then from the 25 yard line Lee Nelson lowered his shoulder to batter past the first tackler before taking advantage of some good blocking and then avoiding the efforts of the last Surge defender to score an impressive second touchdown. A successful 2 point conversion run made the score 14-0. This was the halftime score as Danny Morton’s 35 yard field goal attempt just before the half narrowly missed despite the tremendous power he generated behind the kick.

The second half got off to a slow start but midway through the third quarter the Surge managed to force their way into Wolverine’s territory. However, the Wolverines defence demonstrated once again the dogged and determined play that has characterized their recent performances and forced a field goal. Gary Murrell blocked the resulting attempt helping towards the team’s fourth consecutive shutout.

The Wolverines further compounded the opponents blight when immediately after they marched down the field and extended their lead. Another speedy rush by Eden Quigley gained 26 yards before Lee Nelson chipped in with four more. David Mead kept the drive alive by avoiding pressure on fourth down and escaped the rush to gain a first down. Eden Quigley finished the drive with a 14 yard scamper towards the left pylon outpacing the Staffordshire defenders. Danny Morton added the extra point as the third quarter ended 21-0. 

In the fourth quarter the Wolverines continued their dominance. As the game ebbed away defensive back Ian Jeffries collected an interception after the ball had been tipped by the Surge receiver. A nice rushing gain from Anatoly Kulikov and then Jack Barton throw completion to Neil Sullivan moved the Wolverines into field goal range. Danny Morton concluded the scoring with his 17 yards field goal.

The Wolverines' next fixture is a home match against the Sheffield Predators in just over a month’s time on Sunday 8th August. The last time the teams met the Wolverines ran out comfortable 47-0 winners.

Article by Chris Ollett

The second game of the Wolverines' current run of four saw the Lancashire side travel to Sheffield to play league newcomers the Sheffield Predators. The Predators stepped into the league at the last minute to take the place of the Redditch Arrows after the Midlands side were unable to participate in the 2010 season and whilst results haven't gone their way, clearly the Predators are supported by a strong backroom staff and deep squad that will see results turn around in the future.

The game started with the Wolverines receiving the ball and it didn't take long for the first score of the day. Quarterback David Mead rolled out to his right, saw room in front of him to run and went for it. Seventy five yards later he was in the endzone. Kicker Danny Morton used his sure right boot to kick the extra point.

With the Wolverines Defence not in the mood to concede yardage, it didn't take long for the Lancashire side to get on the scoresheet again. The second offensive drive saw Mead spray the ball around with receptions for youth graduate Tight End Chris Astley and wide receiver Mike Jay. With the ball at the five yard line, running back Eden Quigley bounced a run to the outside and scampered into the endzone untouched. Morton was again automatic and put the score at 14-0. The first quarter was completed with one more score for the Wolverines, with Tight End Rick Cole executing a spectacular catch to take the Wolverines up 21-0 after another successful PAT.

Yet again the Lancashire Defence held strong during the second quarter. Led by Linebackers Carl Rimmer and Martin Williams, the Wolverines stopped the Predators from reaching the endzone despite flashes in the passing game from Sheffield Quarterback Andrew Hukin aided by reliable receiver John Gilmartin and tight end Jeremy May. The Wolverines scored two more touchdowns before half time, both on passes to tight ends. Mead found Chris Astley first, followed by Chris Plant who converted to tight end this season. The score at the half was 33-0.

In the second half the game calmed down somewhat, with both teams able to drive but scores proving harder to come by. It was late in the third quarter when Wolverines running back Anatoly Kulikov forced his way through the Sheffield defence for his first touchdown of the season. With a successful conversion, the score went to 40-0 at the end of the third.

The Wolverines rang the changes in the fourth quarter, yet still managed to perform at a high level. On the day the dominant defence forced a fumble through Sam Bloomfield which was recovered by Chris Astley and intercepted the Sheffield quarterback five times with picks for Ben Clark, Danny Morton, Lex Dunn, Ian Jeffries and Rick Willoughby. Eden Quigley made his senior Quarterback debut for the fourth quarter and on his first drive took the Wolverines offence down the field before punching the ball in himself on a quarterback sneak. Danny Morton completed the scoring for the day by converting the extra point, leaving the final score at 47-0 to the Lancashire side.

After the game, Head Coach Paul Horsburgh said:

"I'm pleased with our execution in all phases of the game today. We started quickly and didn't allow Sheffield into the game. The defence was excellent as always and the offence put points on the board on the ground and through the air. We now possess a winning record for the first time this season and we have every intention of building on that."

The Wolverines carry on their run of games with two home games in the next two weeks. First up is the Hull Hornets, followed by the Staffordshire Surge on the 4th of July. Visit the Wolverines website for more information:

http://www.wolverineden.com/

After a comfortable victory against the Hull Hornets last time out the Lancashire Wolverines overcame division rivals the Chester Romans in a closely fought battle at Blackburn Rugby Club.  Though they left it late to secure a second successive victory, the low scoring 7-0 win pulls the Wolverines to 2-2 after a 0-2 start. The win also throws them right back into contention for what is shaping up to be a tight division.

The rain soaked conditions ensured from the start that this was not the kind of day conducive to high scoring football. Instead both teams would have to knuckle down and grind out a victory. In the opening exchanges both teams failed to construct any seriously threatening drives. It took until early in the second quarter before a score looked likely. Some persistent rushing from Chester’s running backs propelled the Romans right down to the Wolverines one yard line. In critical need of a stop rookie Sam Bloomfield diagnosed the Romans dive right and the contact of helmet on football jarred the ball loose. The ensuing melee was cleared up by the referees who adjudged the Wolverines to have recovered the football with Adam Purcell tenuously claiming ownership of the recovery.

Chester put together the next dangerous looking drive but the mean Wolverines defence again thwarted their opposition’s efforts. With the Romans' quarterback beginning to roll out of the pocket in search of a receiver Sam Bloomfield closed in and with a strip-sack claimed his second forced fumble of the game. The first half was and continued to be characterized by stuttering offence, solid defence and turnovers.

Just before half time the Wolverines offence offered a glimpse of promise just before half time quarterback David Mead evaded defensive pressure and threw a pass which resulted in a 22 yard completion to Neil Sullivan. The wide receiver finished of his arching route with an expertly caught ball as he slid on his knees. This play was one of few first half plays that went for sizeable yardage. However, little time remained for the Wolverines to build on this play and the half remained scoreless.

The Wolverines opened the second half with a 23 yard kick return giving the offence decent field position for the first series of the 3rd quarter. After a one yard run by rookie running back Eden Quigley, the Colts’ graduate came straight back with an electrifying 33 yard dash off to the right and down the sideline to the Chester 41 yard line. After an incompletion on the ensuing first down, the Wolverines came within inches of opening the score on second down. Neil Sullivan craftily wrong-footed the Chester cornerback before racing down the left sideline and seeing his wide receiver open, quarterback David Mead threw a timely pass but Sullivan marginally failed to secure the slippery football. Upon review a penalty would have nullified any potential score and a series of penalties derailed all the early promise of the drive forcing a Wolverines’ punt.

The following possessions by both teams yielded little and the next drive of note came late in the 3rd quarter when some strong running by the Romans’ running back moved them to the Wolverines’ 25 yard line. However, the Romans failed to progress when Wolverines’ Defensive Co-ordinator Darren Carr dialled up the pressure, the resultant disruption leading to sacks by Lex Dunn and Carl Rimmer on successive plays. This pushed the Romans firmly out of field goal range.

In the fourth quarter both defences remained firm as both offences struggled to find any rhythm. With the game ebbing away and an unwanted tie appearing increasing more likely, the Wolverines sparked into action at the eleventh hour paving the way for an exhilarating finish. With 3rd and 6 around midfield David Mead took off and with his 20 yard scramble set the wheels in motion for a late score. A few plays later Mead again carried the ball rolling out on a bootleg led by Carl Rimmer who powerfully disposed of a would-be Romans’ tackler allowing Mead to sprint to the one yard line. On the next play, with first and goal at the one, the Wolverines did successfully what Chester had failed to in the first half by scoring at the goal line. Mead again kept the ball and the quarterback, always a danger with his legs, dashed to the left hand pylon and into the endzone for a go-ahead touchdown. The ever-reliable Danny Morton added the extra point that sent the score to 7-0 as the Wolverines had the lead they had so desperately searched for. Danny Morton’s booming kickoff then went for a touchback eliminating any chance of a dynamic return and then the Romans’ offence had little time to counter before time expired with the final score a 7-0 victory for the Lancashire Wolverines.

The Lancashire Wolverines will next face the Sheffield Predators in a battle of the roses in an away fixture on the 20th June.

Photo gallery of the game available here.

Article by Chris Ollett

Following two losses on the bounce against division favourites, each by less than a score, the Lancashire Wolverines travelled to Hull this weekend needing to kick-start their season against the Hull Hornets. The game was played at Hull's excellent new facility, Brantingham Park.

The Wolverines won the coin toss and elected to receive the football. After glimpses of promise from the ground game, the drive quickly stalled, and the Wolverines punted the ball to Hull. Hull returned the favour with a quick three and out, kicking the ball to the Wolverines, and in part thanks to a kind bounce, pinned the Wolverines deep in their own territory. The Wolverines quickly made the drive count and in form Quarterback David Mead scrambled away from Hull pressure and hit Wide Receiver Phil Riley in stride deep down the middle of the field. Riley used his pace to streak away from the Hull defence, recording a 76 yard touchdown reception to put the first points of the day on the board, Riley would go on to have his first 100 yard receiving day. Kicker Danny Morton converted the extra point, leaving the score at 7-0.

Following another quick stop by the Wolverines dominant defence, led from the front by captain Dean Fitzpatrick, the Wolverines quickly got back on the board with a touchdown for Wolverine Colts youth graduate Running Back Eden Quigley. The 9 yard touchdown run marked Quigley's first touchdown at the senior level. With the kick blocked, the score was now at 13-0, and this is how it remained for the remainder of the first quarter.

The second quarter went much as the first, with the Lancashire defence stepping up and giving the Hornets no time to complete passes and no room to run. The Offence was capable of driving the ball, but penalties repeatedly brought the ball back. Team Captain Danny Bowles provided one of the most memorable plays of the season with a sensational diving catch deep down the middle of the field, only for the play to be brought back for a penalty. Eventually the Lancashire side made the pressure count however and Mead hit Tight End Rick Cole in the front corner of the endzone from 43 yards for the score. With Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Paul Horsburgh opting to go for two points, he called Mead's number and the speedy Quarterback took the ball straight up the middle of the line to walk into the endzone leaving the score at 21-0 at half time.

The second half continued with the Wolverines applying constant pressure. Defensively the Lancashire side were unstoppable, holding the Hornets offence back at every turn, whilst also creating turnovers including a forced fumble and recovery by Sam Bloomfield and an interception for Danny Morton. The Offence consistently moved the ball, but repeatedly plays were brought back for penalties. It was into the fourth quarter before another score made it as far as the scoreboard, with Mead again running the ball into the endzone, this time from 14 yards out. Morton again kicked the extra point. There was time for only one more score, and fittingly it was provided by the pressure of the defence, with Hull losing the ball through the endzone for a safety, leaving the score at 30-0 at the end of the game.

After the game, Wolverines Head Coach, Paul Horsburgh, said:

"I'm pleased with the effort from all of the players on what turned out to be a very hot and draining day. Offensively we clicked and if it wasn't for sloppy penalties we would have been on the board several more times. Defensively we were absolutely dominant, which I put down to the hard work of all of the players and coaches. We now have a two week break in which we can prepare for the gruelling run of games ahead of us. We will prepare to welcome Chester to Blackburn for our first home game of the season and hopefully this game will prove to have kick-started our season."

The Wolverines host old foes the Chester Romans on 13th June at Blackburn RUFC with kick-off at 2.30pm.