SAU POP WARNER LEAGUE SCOTLAND 2004

Clyde Valley Falcons 18
Highland Wildcats 16

Two second half touchdowns from William Winter helped Clyde Valley Falcons gain some revenge over the Wildcats in a Titanic top of the table clash at Wilshaw’s Beltane Park.

But a late fourth quarter score from Wildcat Stewart Harrison ensured that the Divisional title was heading up North this year having won the head to head clash over the Falcons by four points and setting the scene for a classic championship final in Inverness later this month.

Having only dropped six points in Inverness a few weeks ago, this was set to be another close encounter between last season’s runners up and the Pop Warner newcomers.

And in what was a hard fought opening first quarter, the Falcons were more than holding their own against a much bigger front line and appeared to open their account late in the opening period when quarterback David Orr worked a reverse move with John Minto who ran in virtually unmarked into the endzone.

But the score was chalked off due to a holding penalty on the other side of the field.

With seconds of the quarter remaining, Minto was forced to try his luck with a field goal attempt which finished wide right.

The Wildcats made a positive start to the second quarter but had a lucky escape when Kenny MacKay, under heavy defensive pressure was luck not to give up a touchdown, when his panic pass slipped through the fingers of Falcons, Ryan Roger, who had he managed to get his hands on the ball was certain to clock up six points.

The momentum soon swung back towards the Lanarkshire side when MacKay was picked off by Colin Nichol at the Falcons 41 yard line.

With David Orr out injured, third string quarterback Winter was in charge of the Falcons offensive controls whose scrambling abilities started to give the Wildcats new problems to cope with.

And he soon showed a clean pair of heels up the middle to give Clyde Valley a new set of downs.

Then Nichol exploited a weakness down the far side, sprinting up field to move the chains again.

Then minutes later the drive appeared to have stalled just outside the redzone, but a fake field goal move saw Nichol bring the ball home for the first touchdown of the day.

With minutes of the half remaining, there was still time for the Wildcats to tie the score before the break.

But a big stand off from the home defense saw the Falcons recover possession with 23 seconds of the second quarter remaining.

There was very little to separate the sides during the early stages of the third quarter until a blown special teams coverage by the Falcons handed the Wildcats good field position just inside the Clyde Valley half.

Then a late hit by Steve Anderson on Mark McLennan brought the visitors a few yards short of the Falcons goal line.

Then two plays later, James Pyke powered his way through for the opening touchdown, which was converted by Chris Gordon to put the visitors two points ahead.

The third quarter then ended on a sour note when David Orr was on the receiving end of a WWF style challenge from No 80 (name not available) who slammed the quarterback to the ground well outside the boundary and was ejected from the game for his trouble.

The fired up Falcons then regained their lead early in the fourth when Winter sped down the near side for another six points.

The Falcons continued to pile on the pressure when Anderson forced Pyke to fumble the ball which was recovered by Alan Harrison

Then a stand off from the Wildcats forced another fourth down play from the Falcons, but another gutsy run from Winter kept the drive alive.

On first and goal, Blake Kyle blasted through the middle to be stopped short of the goal line.

Then a quarterback sneak from Winter gave the Falcons a 10 point lead and in a strong position to clinch the double header.

But their lead was short lived, when Pike taking over the quarterback duties for the Wildcats went deep to the unmarked Stuart Harrison who took the ball all the way to the endzone, with Gordon adding the conversion attempt, to give Clyde Valley a two point lead.

And with still over three minutes of the game remaining, neither side was able to kill the game off, but in the end the Falcons ran out worthy winners and after next weeks final game against the Cumbernauld Giants will have it all to do it all over again in Inverness when the two sides will contest the SAU Pop Warner Championship Final.

BOTTOM PICTURE: INVERNESS BLITZ
CUMBERNAULD GIANTS V BANNERMAN HIGH WILDCATS