BUAFL NORTHERN CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Stallions Edge Out Raiders In Hard Fought Contest

The Staffordshire Stallions advance to the BUAFL National Championship Game to face the Southern Conference Champions the Southampton Stags.

Edem Goka got the Stallions off the mark with a touchdown on the opening drive of the game and the back added to his score with his second rushing score with 4.54 remaining in the first quarter. Full back Graham Roberts gave the Stallions a 20-point lead before Newcastle started eating away at the Stallions lead with touchdowns either side of the half. Goka scored his third touchdown of the game in the third quarter, before Newcastle took the lead with eight minutes left on the clock after a two point conversion, but within six plays, the Stallions drove down the field and Goka got his fourth touchdown of the game to put one foot in the final. Paul Briscoe, playing at cornerback, virtually ensured the Stallions of an 11-0 record with a crucial fourth down stop with less than two minutes remaining in the game, giving Ben Rowan and the Offence the opportunity to run down the final moments.

The victory means that the Stallions will be making the trip to the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster this Saturday representing the North for the first time since 2004.

With the Stallions commanding the game 20-0 with five minutes left in the first half, complacency crept in and mistakes started to show. James Walker dropped a pass from quarterback Rowan with nothing but turf and the end zone standing in the way. Cornerback Gary Richardson dropped a pass from the Raiders quarterback with less than two minutes remaining in the half, which Newcastle capitalised from putting points on the board before the half.

18 seconds reminded in the half when Newcastle got some much needed points on the board. Charlie Dryden caught the ball, squeeze in between two defenders before being brought down by Andrew Brannigan, what appeared to be, short of the goal line. To the shock of the Stallions defence and delight of the Newcastle sideline, the referees awarded Dryden a touchdown, giving the number one seeds hope at getting back in the game as they had the ball first in the second half.

Newcastle reduced the lead to six as the strong rushing offence Raider eventually got in for its first rushing touchdown of the game just managing to cross the plain of the goal line in the corner of the end zone.

The Stallions responded to put the pressure on the Raiders offence once more as Goka went in for his third rushing touchdown of the game.

No matter what the Stallions threw at the Raiders, controlling the Double T Wing offence was proving to be a difficult job in the second and third quarter as momentum was on the side of the Raiders offence and the lead was soon reduced 7 points once more as Newcastle got their second rushing touchdown of the game from 30 yards out.

It was not long before the Stallions had lost the lead as Newcastle, from the one, pounded the ball in and converting the two point conversion.

The Stallions had eight minutes to march down the field and retake the lead. Behind the line of Pickerill, Fellows, Simcock, Buckley, and Orr, Ed Goka was able to continue to run the ball, with Graham Roberts in front, taking chunks of yardage needed to get in range for at least a field goal attempt. Chris Ward came down with the ball as Rowan found the Tight End for a first down and six. An illegal block in the back pushed the Stallions back to eleven but on the ensuing play Goka found the end zone after Roberts and Walker blocked a path and the Stallions had taken the lead.

Nevertheless Newcastle still had four minutes remaining to ensure that they wound be representing the North in the final on Saturday, but after a third and 15 was turned into a fourth and six, Briscoe got to the ball carrier leaving Newcastle short of the first by two yards, giving Rowan the opportunity to end the game.

The victory means that the Stallions will be heading to the University Championship Game to face the number one seed in the south, the Southampton Stags, for the chance to become the first ever BUAFL Champions.

MVP's Rookie: David Orr, Special Teams: Jonathan Wood, DefencePeter Buckley, Offence: Edem Goka, Game: Graham Roberts

Sunday, March 16