BLACKHAWKS DOWN TROJANS

Clyde Valley Blackhawks 26 – West Coast Trojans 12

Clyde Valley Blackhawks turned in a confident start to their second campaign with well-deserved victory over the West Coast Trojans.

Following an impressive debut season last year, the Lanarkshire side were looking to continue where they left off at home. 

Even though this was their second season, Clyde Valley came into the game with a squad packed with youth and experience, many of them having graduated from their successful youth sides

Standing in their way was a Trojans side, former Division One Northern Conference winners, who had dropped down a division through a poor campaign last season.

And even though they were minus a number of offensive weapons from previous campaigns, the Renfrew outfit had brought a decent size squad to Wishaw, which included a number of experienced players and were expected to give Clyde Valley a tough test.

During the early stages of the first quarter, there was very little to separate the teams with both defenses forcing turnovers on regular occurrence.  

But the breakthrough came when Phil McCabe turned on the pace with a determined run down the far side shrugging off a number of challenges for a 30 yard touchdown, with Tam Chapman splitting the uprights for a 7-0 Blackhawks lead. 

Graeme Macmillan ate up some big yardage for the home side at the start of the second quarter, taking his side to the Trojans 21 yard line.

The visitors quickly regrouped and a tough stand off ensured very little gain for the “Men in Black” and were forced to turn over possession.

The momentum then shifted dramatically back in Clyde Valley’s favour when their defense turned up the pressure, forcing a fumble, which was recovered on the visitors 30.

The Blackhawks quickly punished the Trojans for the turnover when Darren Sharpe pushed through a mass of bodies for a second touchdown.

Clyde Valley continued to pose the greater threat as they pushed forward to try and extend their lead going into the latter stages of the first half.

And with 2 minutes left of the second period remaining, the Lanarkshire side were knocking on the door of the endzone, with their offense inside the ten yard line.

Phillip McCabe then did enough to finish the move off crossing the goal line for another score with Chapman splitting the uprights for another successful conversion, giving the Blackhawks a 20-0 half time lead.

The Trojans were determined to pick up some ground at the start of the third quarter, but with defenses giving very little away, the action eventually started to fall flat.  

The game looked dead and buried for the Trojans, then in the first play of the final quarter, the visiting offense sprang in to life with a huge gain from Bud McFerren make yardage down the far side, shaking off a number of challenges, taking the ball all the way for a touchdown.

The Blackhawks eventually started to regroup and were starting to stamp their authority on the game once again, with Tam Chapman pulling in a great catch at the Trojans 12 yard line.

Minutes later the home side were inches short of the goal line with quarterback James Keogh finishing things off diving through a gap in the Trojans defensive wall to make it 26-6.

Then the resulting kick off, there was had to be described a unique bounce of the ball or an unusual version of an onside kick, when Chapman’s kick off down field resulted in the ball hanging in the air and came down bouncing back towards the Blackhawks, who pounced on the loose ball for a new set of downs at the Trojans 39 yard line.

When your luck is in, your luck is in !!!!!

But despite the strong field position, the Blackhawks made little progress, with the Trojans defense still determined to give their offense the chance to have the final word on the game, regardless on the result.

And the visitors were able to take some shine off a well-deserved win for the McFerren broke through for another big gain and his second touchdown of the day.