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.

Following last season’s two losses to local rivals, the Manchester Titans, this weekend saw the Lancashire Wolverines travel to Broughton Park to try and erase the memory of the 2009 losses, but once again the Wolverines came up short. However, the Wolverines can be encouraged with this performance, as the game could have gone either way and they had the game in their hands but were unable to finish off a resolute Manchester team who managed to stop the Lancashire side from scoring on five trips deep in Titans territory.

The game started with the Wolverines Kicker, Danny Morton, kicking deep into the Manchester half. The Titans were in the mood to start fast however, and returned the ball just over half way to start the day with excellent field position. Led by the ever capable Alan Mead, the Titans proceeded to march down the field, and on the 6^th play of the drive managed to power the ball home to take the lead. The extra point was good, and in a blink of an eye the score was 7-0 to the home side.

Following the ensuing kick-off, the Wolverines made a strong statement of intent for the day, with a three play drive the length of the field. Wolverine Colts youth graduate Eden Quigley set the tone with back to back runs of 15 and 13 yards, before Wolverines Quarterback David Mead calmly evaded the Titans pass rush to find veteran Wide Receiver Neil Sullivan all alone in the end zone. With a successful conversion, the score was tied at 7-7.

The Titans responded once again with another long drive, capped with a 1 yard touchdown catch by Tight End, Chris Heap. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 13-7. From this point a period of Wolverines pressure began. The Wolverines went on to cause four turnovers before half time, and also fumbled away one of their own. Interceptions from Gary Murrell, rookie Chris Anderson and Danny Morton were accompanied by a fumble forced and recovered by Carl Rimmer. However, on each ensuing offensive drive, the Wolverines were unable to punch the ball into the end zone. The last Wolverines drive of the half took the ball to the Titans 11 yard line, however a resilient Titans stand forced a turnover on downs on 4^th and 1. The Titans took over with 2 minutes remaining in the half, and Alan Mead engineered a 79 yard drive, finished with a 31 yard touchdown pass. This was capped with an extra point, and the Wolverines went into the half down 20-7, despite the excellent defensive effort from the Lancashire side.

The Wolverines came out in a fighting mood in the second half, and an excellent drive was capped off with David Mead scampering in from 15 yards out. The extra point was missed, and the game was back to 7 points with the score standing at 20-13.

The see-saw battle was to continue however, and the Titans quickly drove inside the Wolverines ten yard line. A heroic goal line stand looked to be on, with the Wolverines managing to repel the Titans running attack, but a fortuitous pass interference call extended the opportunity for the Manchester side, and they made certain by putting the ball into the end zone. With an unsuccessful PAT, the score was 26-13.

Possession was traded for the next couple of drives, despite both teams moving the ball well. The Wolverines stopped a long Titans drive with an interception by another Colts graduate, Sam Bloomfield, who returned the ball 27 yards to the Wolverines 32 yard line. The Wolverines came out with a new confidence and a composed David Mead led the team down the field, aided by strong running from Eden Quigley, and key receptions by the veteran receiving duo of Neil Sullivan and Danny Bowles. It was to Bowles, the Wolverines Team Captain, that Mead looked to complete the drive with a 4 yard touchdown pass. A successful conversion from Morton left the game at 26-20.

This was the end of the scoring, but not the drama. The Wolverines managed to hold up the Titans offence on the next drive, and drove down the field looking for the score that if converted would win the game. Again the Wolverines made it deep into Titans territory, but once again the Titans held firm, and with a turnover on downs, the Manchester side were able to run out the clock and hold on for a win to open their season.

After the game Wolverines Head Coach Paul Horsburgh said:

“I am immensely disappointed with the result today as we really played well enough to win it, but we need to finish off our drives offensively if we’re going to win such tight games. There was a lot to be positive about today. Offensively we moved the ball very well both on the ground and through the air and the defence created five turnovers, and although we have things to work on, we’ll go to Hull in two weeks feeling good about this team.”

The Wolverines have two weeks to recover before taking on the Hull Hornets in Hull.

This weekend saw the Lancashire Wolverines travel to Telford to face the Shropshire Revolution in the first ever game to be played in the British American Football Association Community League. On a day of firsts, the Wolverines were also the first visitors to the impressive new home ground of the Revolution, at Oakengates Athletics Stadium.

The Wolverines are coming off a season where they missed the playoffs despite finishing with a winning record. With a lot of rookie players from 2009 returning for their second season, hopes within the squad were high of a run to the playoffs. The last meeting between the teams was in 2007, with the Wolverines coming out on top in a closely fought battle.

In this game, the Wolverines won the toss and elected to receive the ball, hoping to make a statement for the season to come. David Mead took the kick-off back to the Wolverines 34 in the first action of the season. Youth graduate Eden Quigley took the first offensive play for the Wolverines in his first game at the senior level, and evaded the Revolution defence with a mazy 33 yard run to set the tempo for the Wolverines. Under the experienced guidance of Quarterback Adam Purcell, the Wolverines drove to the Shropshire 6 yard line, before pressure from the Revolution caused a hand-off to Running Back Lee Nelson to hit the ground. The ball was recovered by Shropshire to end a promising drive for Lancashire.

The two teams traded possessions twice before a Purcell pass was intercepted by Shropshire at the Wolverines 20 yard line. With a short field, it took the Revolution just five plays to get into the end zone for the first touchdown in BAFACL history. With the point after no good, the score at the end of the first quarter was 6-0 to the Revolution.

The second quarter saw both teams managing to control the ball better, although neither team managed to make their way to the end zone. The Revolution drove to the Wolverines 15 yard line but were forced to kick a field goal. With the half drawing to a close, the Wolverines progressed to the Shropshire 33 yard line, and kicker Danny Morton successfully put the first points of the season on the board for the Wolverines with a 47 yard field goal, leaving the score at 9-3 to the Revolution at half-time.

With Head Coach Paul Horsburgh providing a stirring half time motivational speech, the Wolverines came out in the third quarter looking much more dangerous. With the Revolution receiving the ball to start the half, the Wolverines, led by Linebackers Carl Rimmer and Martin Williams, managed to hold them within their own half, forcing a punt. A change at quarterback meant David Mead was now in control of the Lancashire offence, and with a mixture of runs by Mead, Quigley and Nelson mixed with passes to Tight End Rick Cole and Wide Receiver Neil Sullivan, the Wolverines drove 66 yards to the Revolution 8 yard line. Again progress halted here however, with a Mead pass being picked off in the Shropshire end zone.

Another strong defensive stand forced the Revolution to punt the ball back to the Wolverines without gaining a single yard. With the Wolverines offence back on the field, Mead engineered another drive deep into Shropshire territory, aided by 3 penalties on the Shropshire defence. Taking the ball from the Shropshire 2 yard line, Mead looked to take the ball up the middle of the defence, but found the middle closed. Showing excellent composure, Mead made a quick change of direction, and walked into the end zone around the horde of players stacked up in the middle of the field. With a Morton kick successful, this gave the Wolverines a lead, 10-9, for the first time in 2010.

The fourth quarter was an edgy affair, with both teams playing some exceptional defence, but the Shropshire side gradually managed to pin the Wolverines deep in their own half. With under a minute to go, a lengthy drive was capped off with Shropshire managing to force the ball into the Wolverines end zone, to take a 15-10 lead. The extra point was no good, and the game was over one play later, with Shropshire again intercepting Mead to seal the game.

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

“Today was an excellent, hard fought game that either team could have won. I’m disappointed to come out on the wrong side of the score line, but we can leave today with our heads held high, and know that we’ve done a lot of good things. I’m really pleased with the way the team responded to going behind, and defensively we were excellent. We’ve now got two weeks to prepare for our visit to Manchester, and we need to use those to make adjustments and to mentally prepare for what we know will be a tough game with our local rivals.”

The Wolverines visit Broughton Park on May 9th, and will be looking to avenge two losses to the conference champions from 2009.