It was the final regular season game for the UEL Titans as they faced the unbeaten Canterbury Christ Church in what turned out to be a heart-breaking 14-12 defeat for UEL.
Strong Start
Tough weather conditions had an impact throughout the entire game with strong wind and rain making it very difficult to throw the ball for both sides. UEL started off the better side as they stopped Canterbury CC on offence in every drive in the first half.
The Titans started off very well on offence with backup QB Daniel Hopkins scoring a one-yard touchdown on a long drive. The extra point however was missed due to the adverse wind conditions.
Controversial Decision
The Titans continued to pressure Canterbury as they had a huge chance to score a TD before the half ended. Jordon Bolessa had apparently fumbled the ball according to the referees. The decision sparked controversy as it look like Bolessa managed to recover the ball. A strong defensive performance from the Titans made sure they went into half time with a 6-0 lead.
Second Half
The second half started with Canterbury Christ Church finding their rhythm with the running game. Within five plays, Canterbury scored a touchdown with their running back, a big physical runner, who also plays on their defence. Because the Chargers missed their PAT as well, the game was tied up at 6-6. In the following possession, the Titans struggled to answer back with points of their own thus giving the ball back to Canterbury.
UEL’s luck however changed when Jack Saunders, who was coming off a three-interception game last week, intercepted the ball from Canterbury. The Titans used that to their advantage as Daniel Hopkins scored his second touchdown on a long drive whilst relying on the running game, something that had worked well last week. Yet again, the Titans missed the PAT which proved to be costly later on, and took a 12-6 lead.
Breakdown in Coverage
With both sides exchanging possessions with no score, it was Canterbury who broke the deadlock as their QB threw a crucial 30-yard play, followed by a TD that was run in. With Canterbury missing their PAT on the previous score, they opted to go for the two-point conversion which they took, giving them a 14-12 lead.
This meant that a FG would win the game for the Titans but unfortunately, Canterbury’s defence got the better of them. With possession back to Canterbury, they ran down the clock giving them the win and an undefeated season and ended the Titans season with a 3-3 record.