Longhorns Get Back
The Winning Feeling!

Beltane, Wishaw, Sunday 20th June 2010

Report by Eric Dougan.     Pics J.McInally

After 2 defeats in their opening games the Longhorns players could have been forgiven for going into today's game against Gateshead Senators lacking confidence. Add to that a sideline looking more like the local Outpatient Department with several key players carrying potentially season ending injuries and the odds looked stacked against them.

How did the Longhorns react......?

With grit, determination and a will to win right through the entire squad!!

Offence, Defence and Special Teams turned up at Beltane today with confidence and spirit in abundance! Gateshead outnumbered the Lanarkshire team at every position, but that didn't matter because the Longhorns had something to prove after narrowly missing out in their game against Leeds last weekend, and set about the task right from the kick off.

39 combined tackles, 200+ yards offence and 5 touchdowns later the Longhorns had shown their true credentials as a team that is here to compete in the Youth North Division 2010.

After restricting Gateshead to less than 100 yards total offence and  1 touchdown the Longhorns left the field 38 - 6 winners, with the added prospect of a return leg in Gateshead next weekend.

A delighted Coach MacMillan said after the game, "It's great to be on the winning side after coming so close but yet so far in our previous games." Defence captain Steven Munro commented, "It was a tough game, both teams played really well but fortunately we were the better team on the day."

QB Ally Ferguson threw for 110 yards, passing for 1 TD and running in another 2 scores himself. WR Matthew Kennedy had another prolific outing with 4 receptions for 110 yards, 1 TD and 4 PAT's gaining the offence MVP for the day.

On the defensive side Sean Fallon took up from where Kyle Grier left off after game 1, with 10 tackles to collect the defence MVP.

It must be said however, that on a day when the roster was down to the bare minimum, the weather conspired to make the conditions really demanding and the prospect of getting a result seemed a bridge too far, every player in the Longhorns squad earned the right to be on the field, and then some!

Lonhorns v Leeds Varsity Bobcats