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Yet again, a home match at Linkor Phen saw thousands of fans turned away at the doors, this time it was 17,000 rabid supporters who were unable to get in to see the visit of the defending champion KoPite MuGaz. Having just gone up against the other finalists from last year, the Mutineers, the Flatliners difficult run of fixtures continued. The Flatliners were out-classed in a 2-0 loss to the Mutineers, and have lost ground in the South. However, the Mugaz were also losers against the Mutineers by exactly the same score in Week 3 so the shared opponent performances suggest that the gulf in class between these two sides may not be as obviously large as it may appear.
The game also sees the first match for Flatliners new boys, Kinochit and Buckminster. The Linemen were both signed from the Mugaz in the off-season having been deemed surplus to requirement for the defending champs. Neither player made much of an impact during their time in Puddle Dock but surely both will have been keen to prove their value against the club that discarded them.
It was the Flatliners to receive the opening kick-off facing against an aggressive Mugaz defence that features an effective deep cover and a front line anchored around Mumraaah. It was an anchor that the Flatliners blocking unit were not able to come to terms with. The unit knocked down players all across the front line but could not make any impression on Mumraaah. With Billy Mahonie, Flatliners captain and leading scorer at the half way point of the season fielding the kick, the drive had begun. The Wardancer's credentials were not, however, in any way a barrier to Mumraaah. The fearsome Mummy bullied his way through as he broke a couple of tackles to meet Billy behind the Flatliners line. The physical mis-match could only end one way, a brutal knock-out and the stopping of the home team's drive even before it had begun.
A loose ball in midfield is always enough of a prize for players from both sides to pile in. Amazon Linewoman Jane was first to the ball for the the Flatliners but by the time she had reached it, a crowd had formed and there was not a reasonably sized hole for her to squeeze through. Jane still attempted to evade tackler zones but there were just too many bodies and she took a tumble, spilling the ball. The Mugaz response was to clear Flatliners away from the vicinity of the ball. Initially, the Flatliners were able to hold including a successful tackle from Dark Elf Thrower Goale Ong but they were not able to hold out for long. Norse Catcher Henrik Bjornstad-Ibson emerged from the pack brandishing the ball. The Mugaz second round Krush signing has had to step up to the starting line-up following the death of compatriot Sami "The Hoop" last week. Henrik began to show that he was worthy of a place in the line-up of his own right by slipping out the back and marshalling his own protection.
The Flatliners attempted to drop back into cover but their defence had pushed up to support their own attack so found protecting against the counter-attack was difficult. The Mugaz were able to drive forward and take up supporting positions for Henrik. Rolling forward with care, the Norseman was able to march the short distance into the end zone for his first ever touchdown and the lead three quarters of the way into the first period.
With only a quarter of the first period to go, the Flatliners would have to make a move to get into position to score before the break. That move started miserably when Black Orc Blocker Two Jabz struck out on the line of scrimmage but was floored by a sucker punch, losing all the initial momentum. The visitors completely squashed any momentum at all through Mumraaah. The Mummy blitzed into the exposed side of Flesh Golem Lester Hayfriends with such force that it was only the natural regenerating power of the Golem that kept him in the game. The rest of the Mugaz front line ran distracting patterns into the Flatliners half. Lineman Fookalite only took a single yard with the ball before being brought down by Nick Montagu but it was enough to waste time and bring an end to the play in the first half.
A first half with little in the way of offence for the Flatliners, their drive was stopped early in its tracks by the superior penetration of the Mugaz front line, notably Mumraaah. They were unable to get their game going so not able to put any pressure on the defending champs. With the Mugaz offense due to take the field for the start of the second half, the game situation was not looking good for the team from the South.
The second half did not start well for the home team. Mumraaah collected his second Casualty of the night by injuring Black Orc Blocker Two Jabz as the ball was snapped. The Mugaz were forced to track back to collect a deep kick-off, Arda the player charged with starting up the drive. He was nearly caught out early on by an inspired play from Billy Mahonie, the Flatliners Wardancer who slipped a couple of tackle zones and blitzed the Dark Elf Thrower. Arda is an experienced player though and was not awarded the Golden Arm for nothing, he stood his ground and held onto the ball while waiting for the support to create a lane.
Henrik Bjornstad-Ibson again stepped up to be the playmaker. He found space around the half way line on his flank and spun in time to receive a bullet from Arda, the Dark Elf's 15th successful completion all-time. Dwarf Longbeard Klein provided the lead blocking for Henrik and for some steady progress down the left flank. In the middle, the physical supremacy of Mumraaah continued unabated. Flatliners Lineman David Varney took a shot but came off very badly worse. Some decent work the medical team kept Varney alive long enough for him to make a full recovery later that evening.
The only Flatliners player that looked to have the class to compete was Billy Mahonie. The Wardancer was really putting himself around the park and had the pace to track back in defence. Billy was able to evade the tackle zones again and find an angle against Bjornstad-Ibson. The Norse Catcher seemed surprised that his protection had been breached and was not in a strong position to protect the ball, finding himself floored by a solid tackle and spilling the ball in the process. Billy Mahonie had the wherewithal to react to the loose ball before a scramble could ensue. The Wardancer dropped back a couple of yards and headed for the protection of his Linemen.
Unfortunately for the Flatliners, Billy is not a player with great experience. He was just trying a little too hard to escape the Mugaz follow-up and lost footing on the nicely crafted turf. Coughing up the ball was just what the home side did not need. The two pre-eminent ball-handlers in this game combined once again to meat out the punishment. Arda slid in to pick up the ball, getting rid of it again before any reaction from the defence was possible. The recipient was of course Henrik Bjornstad-Ibson. Making no mistake with his handling, the Norseman was unopposed as he stretched his legs and sprinted in for his and the Mugaz second score of the game. The efforts to assist Billy Mahonie had pulled defenders out of position and allowed the second score late with little time remaining in the game.
The clock was running down and the home team were still determined to put on a show for the fans. Goale Ong fulfilled his role in fielding the kick-off and getting the ball immediately to Billy Mahonie. The Wardancer showed his flair and individual talent by racing down into enemy territory. Billy is quick but so too is Mugaz first round pick Salogel Litefoot. The High Elf Catcher is a decent cover player and though he was not able to bring the Wardancer down, did manage to strip the ball away. Surprisingly though, Salogel lost sight of the ball and was out-worked by the impressive Wood Elf. Breaking free from his adversary, Billy finished off a fine individual performance by diving over the line as time expired to bring some consolation for the home support.
A 2-1 win for the defending champion Mugaz was an accurate reflection of the balance of play. They were the better side and were impenetrable during the first half. The Flatliners could not cope with the strength of Mumraaah and so lacked the cohesive drive to push an offensive break through. Billy Mahonie did show in this match that he is a quality player and capable of turning a match by himself. He very nearly did that in this game and for a moment in the second period, it looked as though he might rescue at least a point. In the end though, the Mugaz had too much and will be pleased to have seen Henrik Bjornstad-Ibson fill the receiving shoes of deceased compatriot Sami "The Hoop". Qualification for the post-season appears to be in hand but an improvement will be necessary for to sustain a challenge late into the season. The Flatliners have come through an extremely difficult schedule but must now look to pick up wins within their Conference if they are to make a dent into the playoffs.
Injuries: None
Key Stats
| Team | CAS
|
Rush
|
Blocks
|
Downs
|
Pass
|
Dodges
|
Stands
| Flatliners | 0
|
15
|
41
|
20
|
2
|
15
|
21
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mugaz | 3
|
27
|
41
|
27
|
12
|
5
|
16
|
Best Players
Mumraaah: 3 CAS, 10 Blocks, 9 Downs, 1 Tackle, 1 Dodge, 1 Fall, 1 Stand
Henrik Bjornstad-Ibson: 2 TDs, 3 Rushes for 24 yards, 2 Receptions for 12 yards, 1 Dodge, 3 Stands, 3 Fumbles
Billy Mahonie: 1 TD, 5 Rushes for 13 yards, 1 Reception for 2 yards, 3 Blocks, 1 Down, 1 Tackle, 9 Dodges, 2 Falls,
2 Stands, 4 Fumbles