Weather: Nice
Gate: 35k
2,000 fans had to be turned away from the doors of the The Cell as the local hooligans and trouble-seekers crammed in desperately to see the surprise leaders of the Western Conference play their first cross-conference match against the Dolts. For their part, the Dolts were coming off a morale boosting win over the Mercenaries and were looking to pick up a second to prove the validity of their head coach's confident proclamation of league glory. The Mugaz for their part had been issuing statements playing down their chances but a closely fought draw against with the Wildmen had done much to show their genuine potential.
It was the Mugaz who had the first opportunity to show what they could do, receiving the initial kick-off with Arda the Dark Elf Thrower and primary kick receiver. The gameplan very nearly went horribly wrong when the second plank of the attack, Norse Thrower Aaaarne "The Launcher" failed a block and was sent down into the dirt. With the ball still deep in the Mugaz half, the Dolts could not find anyone to pressurise the ball carrier so instead sought about offering up a defensive shield. The setback was only temporary for the Mugaz with Arda setting off, attacking the left flank with a rolling maul of blockers as protection. The going was slow and steady making for unspectacular Blood Bowl. The Dolts frequently found themselves too far from the maul to throw serious numbers of blocks while the Mugaz were keen not to over-stretch their protection of the ball. The only inflammatory action of the early going saw Mugaz Lineman Buckminster sent off for what can really only be described as a minor foul on the Dolts Norse Blitzer Sven Andersson.
The Mugaz rolled their way ponderously and deliberately towards the Dolts end zone, meeting increasingly little resistance. It was almost as if the defence recognised that they simply could not get through to the ball carrier so instead found themselves retreating into holding patterns to slow further the Mugaz advances. Two-thirds of the way through the first half, a flurry of action bore witness to the breaking of the Mugaz wedge and the emergance of Arda still carrying the ball. The Dark Elf burst towards the Dolts' line, catching many defenders flat footed and slightly behind the play with the sudden injection of pace. The move out-flanked the home team leaving them with no realistic way to stop the score. Perhaps with this in mind, the Dolts cut their losses and accepted the score and the Elf's second touchdown of the season.
This was the first touchdown the Dolts had conceded during the first half of a game. Having defended so valiantly for so long against the Mutineers the commitment levels just didn't seem to see their for the home players against the Mugaz. With just over a quarter of the half to go, it would require a rapid response for the Dolts to draw level before half time and they nearly did. Witch Elf "High" Lady Venice" took the kick off before handing off to Wood Elf Catcher Salina Black on the left hand side of the offensive line. Using sheer pace and a hole created by Sven Andersson, Salina sped towards the end zone in an effort to beat the clock. The Mugaz simply could not get near her. Time was running down and in desperation, Salina over-reached herself and stumbled to the ground. As the ball bounced free, the whistle went for half time leaving the Dolts bench cursing their ill luck.
Trailing at half time in front of their home fans, the Dolts came out early for the second half and looked to impose themselves on the proceedings. Before their assault on the Mugaz lines had even really begun, the Dolts suffered a serious setback. A nasty blitz from Dwarf Longbeard Klein seriously injured Witch Elf "High" Lady Venice. Sensing a breakthrough, the Mugaz pushed into the Dolts backfield, overrunning the front lines and putting pressure on the home side's ball handling. The one player with a seemingly iron will who stepped up for the Dolts was A'Argch the Ghoul who had so nearly held the Mutineers out in week 1. A'Argch battered in to pick up the loose ball and sprinted free, clearly hoping he could find some protection before the Mugaz closed in. Despite some scathing blocks, the away side found themselves just out of reach so A'Argch survived momentarily.
The relief did not last long. As Dolts fell all about him a safer pair of hands was needed and the only player close enough to take over the responsibility of carrying the ball was Norseman Sven Andersson. The decision to hand-off to Andersson was almost calamitous. He was unable to take the ball leaving it on the floor within the sharp eye of Arda, the Mugaz Dark Elf Thrower and main ball player. The sense of relief in The Cell was palpable when Arda slipped and hit the deck before he was able to gather the ball in to his skilled hands. A'Argch was still deep in trouble, only five Dolts remained standing. The only player as far up the field as the Ghoul was Lineman Simpson, untried in ball handling skills and with few blocks to his credit. Seeing no other option, A'Argch lateralled to the Lineman and where Sven Andersson had erred in his handling, Simpson was surprisingly assured in taking the ball and rushing at top speed to the Mugaz line.
Having missed the opportunity to take the ball, the Mugaz now found themselves caught upfield and out of position. With no player of outstanding pace in the side, there was no way for them to close the ball carrier down before he reached the goal line. All that could be done was to put pressure on in the hope of a mistake but it was not forthcoming. Simpson showed great composure as he finished off a 17 yard rush to equalise with around a quarter of the half to go.
As in the first half when the Dolts took over possession of the ball with little time left following a score, the Mugaz would have to act quickly if they were to regain their lead and take all three points from the game. The ball bounced kindly for Norse Thrower Aaaarne "The Launcher" to take up the running. He was helped by Dwarf Longbeard Klein who took advantage of the soft flanks of the Dolts defence to put Salina Black down and create a hole for Aaaarne to exploit. Using an overload on the right flank, the Mugaz rolled forwards facing little opposition. The deep defenders of the Dolts just did not have the tools to bring down the Norseman. Attempts by both A'Argch and Halfling Snot ended in failure and with only seven players in total left on the field at the kick-off the defence was spread too far to find defensive positions to hold up the Mugaz assault. Having seen off the desperated defence of weaker foes, Aaaarne wrapped up the game with the Mugaz second score as time ran out.
Another heartbreaking loss for the Dolts at home as they went down for the second time to a last gasp score. Once again, it was down simply to a lack of healthy bodies to take on the attacking side. A'Argch once again tried some heroism but again it was not quite enough. The Mugaz skilled ball handling and assured if slow running was too much for the numerically disadvantaged defence. They will though be a little concerned with their inability to provide defensive cover of their own once they had spread into the Dolts half in search of a turnover. Even so, 7 points from 3 games is a very healthy return for the leaders of the Western Conference. The Dolts for their part will be up against it and in need of points against the Fabienettes in the next game.
Injuries: None
Key Stats
Team
Dolts
Mugaz
MVPS: Rob "Bitch" Lanc, Arda
Best Players
Aaaarne "The Launcher": 1 TD, 1 Rush for 15 yards, 6 Blocks, 4 Downs, 2 Stands, 1 Dodge, 1 Fall
Arda: 1 TD, 1 Rush for 20 yards 1 Blocks, 1 Downs, 1 Fall
Klein: 1 CAS, 8 Blocks, 6 Downs, 3 Stands