Manchester Titans American Football Club

The Titans shut out the Edinburgh Wolves sunday to take the season record to 2 – 0.

William Wakatega ran for 99 yards and a touchdown to win the Offensive MVP award for the second game in a row while GB Linebacker Graham Roberts caught and interception which he ran back for a touchdown on his way to the Defensive MVP award.

Edinburgh were playing their first game of the season where they finished last season and played hard all the way despite an injury ravaged squad but just couldn’t get anything past the stingy Titans defense.

Offensive MVP William Waketega

1st Quarter

The Titans entered their second game of the season knowing that victory would put them in a strong position at 2 and 0 going into their bye week, and the fans watching from the packed main stand at Broughton Park were expectant after their team had dominated the second half of their road victory against Hull the previous week.

The Titans elected to take the ball and, following the touchback, attacked an injury depleted Wolves side with the running game yielding early success particularly for fullback William Wakatega. Driving down the field with a series of runs straight at the heart of the Edinburgh defence, the Titans marched 70 yards on 9 running plays. Dave Barnett broke through the Edinburgh defense on a 21 yard run, but it was Wakatega who score from 4 yards out to give the home side the early lead and the momentum Coach Holman was looking for.

Following a missed extra point, it was now the turn of the Manchester defence to set the tone as they were able to shut down the Wolves offence and, after allowing a ten yard run for a first down on their first play, the D turned the screw and forced a turnover on downs which meant the offence took over at their own 34 yard line.

The Titans offensive line looked to be too much for the injury depleted Edinburgh defensive line as they came out running again, picking up another 40 yards on just 5 carries including a 25 yard bulldozing run from Wakatega. The drive stalled however when Edinburgh’s D came up with a big stop on a 4^th and 3 which meant they got the ball back at their own 18 yard line.

Once again though, the Wolves were unable to get much done on offense, with linebacker Graham Roberts making his presence felt on more than one occasion. The road team were forced to punt, giving the ball back to the Titans at their own 31 yard line.

2^nd Quarter

Quarterback Alan Mead prepares to launch a pass

Now it was the turn of Titans’ Quarterback Alan Mead, completing all four of his passes on a 59 yard drive, including 2 to tight end Chris Heap, one of which went for a 26 yard touchdown strike and a 12 nothing lead. The extra point was blocked this time, meaning the Wolves took over on their first possession of the second quarter trailing by 12.

Defensive MVP Graham Roberts

Two unsuccessful running plays left the Wolves with a difficult 3^rd and 11 from their own 15, and under considerable pressure from the Titans front four, QB number 19 set up the tip drill, which Graham Roberts gratefully plucked out of the air and ran his way back for the touchdown which was converted for 2 by Philip Fitzpatrick to take the Titans to 0 – 20 lead.

The Wolves’ next drive started more successfully, assisted in no small part by a couple of defensive offside penalties, but a momentum shifting sack on 3^rd and 2 by Titans LB/RB Tim Barton stopped them in their tracks and forced them to punt again from midfield.

Following a Titans fumble and a Wolves missed field goal, the home team got the ball back with around four minutes to play in the half. Dave Barnett ran 33 yards and Alan Mead closed out another impressive series with 3 straight completions, including a 21 yard fade to tight end Ryan Farrell for the the touchdown converted for the extra point by Dave Barnett to cap a first half that left the Titans coaching staff pleased with discipline or the performance. The home side left the field with a commanding 27-0 lead.

3^rd Quarter

The respective Head coaches would have faced very different but equally imposing challenges with their half time speeches. Edinburgh would no doubt have been keen to get on the scoreboard and would’ve reminded their players that in the corresponding fixture last season, they were on the other end of a 20 – 0 first half scoreline that the Titans turned around in the 4^th quarter so the game should’ve been far from over, and the Titans would have been desperate to press home their dominance on offence, and register a shut-out on the defensive side of the ball. The half started with the home side looking like they would achieve their main goal, forcing the Wolves backwards and giving them no option but to punt possession back after 3 running plays that failed to make the necessary progress required to retain possession. However, credit must be given to the depleted Edinburgh defence who were able to replicate their opponents’ ability to stifle the other team’s offence and get the ball straight back for their team on a 3 and out. Their half time adjustments looked to bringing them back into the game.

The game now seemed to be reduced to a series of strong plays by the defences of both teams, interspersed with a number of costly penalties, mainly in crucial 3^rd down situations which will have led to frustration for both sets of coaches. Roberts, Rob Bainbridge, Rick Hurst, Andrew Burridge and Tim Barton were the stand-out performers on the defensive side of the ball for the Titans, continually forcing the Wolves QB out of the pocket into areas where he wasn’t comfortable. And it was this constant pressure by the front four which led to the interception by Owen Bryan on the Wolves’ next series, with the Titans taking over at their own 10 yard line. The home side now took the ball and marched 65 yards down the field with a solid mixture of run and pass before the drive stalled and a miscue between center and holder led to a botched field goal attempt with Dave Barnett in his secondary role as a kicker thinking on his feet having retrieved the ball to make an attempted pass which was incomplete to force a turnover on downs rather than allow the Wolves to prosper from the fumble and possibly returning the ball deep into Titans territory and possibly their endzone. The 3^rd quarter ended without troubling the scoreboard.

4^th Quarter

Into the 4^th quarter and the Titans defense dominated Wolves’ tiring ground attack with the Wolves struggling to make and progress with the exception of an inspired fake punt with the Wolves completing a pass to make the first down but the Titans defense held it’s ground and the long travelled Wolves playing their season opener failed to register any points. This defensive show of strength was highlighted on a big 3^rd and 13 play at the Titans 15 with less than 2 minutes to play. Edinburgh chose to run the ball and defensive tackle Rick Hurst read the play and knifed into the backfield, tackling the Edinburgh running back for a 5 yard loss which really put the exclamation point on a dominant day for the Titans D.

So the Titans got more than they could have hoped for here, a 2 and 0 record and a shutout as they prepare for the next game on the road in Glasgow, but Manchester will have to guard against complacency if they are to continue their run. It was an efficient first half performance that was marred slightly by a less disciplined second half performance but a lot of credit has to be given to an Edinburgh team playing their first game of the 2009 regular season with a dreadful injury list. They played to the end of the game with a never say die spirit and a determination that they were not going to allow the Titans to have it their own way, they were just unable to score. Edinburgh are not a team to be taken lightly with some superb coaches, excellent players and a great team spirit. They are a credit to the league with a professional backroom staff that are second to none. The return fixture will by no means be an easy game for the Titans and by the time American Independence Day comes around, the Wolves will have started to click and have some of their injured players back to make it a very difficult fixture for the Titans.

The Titans next take on Glasgow Tigers who are currently 1 – 0 and if the game lives up to last season’s 22 – 20 Titans win it will be a great game for players and supporters alike.

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