Pirates Grind Out Result
Against Tough Hurricanes

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Report Mathew Davies

Dundee Hurricanes 12 - 30 East Kilbride Pirates

The Pirates kept up their winning start to the 2009 campaign with a victory against Dundee Hurricanes, however it was far from plain sailing for the boys from the West coast.

Teams from Dundee and East Kilbride had not met in a competitive match for over ten years, when it was the Dundee Whalers who faced off against the East Kilbride Pirates, but the two teams are far from strangers. Having knocked helmets with one another in pre-season games for a number of years, each knew to expect a physical encounter.

Weather played a big part in the proceedings in the early stages as heavy rain forced both teams to keep the ball on the ground. This allowed the opposing defenses to crowd the line in anticipation of the run and there was little to separate the teams in the scoreless opening quarter.

The one notable incident was a concerning one for the visitors, when Running Back Gary Carr left the field with a double fracture of the shoulder caused by a heavy fall in the less than ideal conditions. Carr, a standout player in the Pirates opening game the previous week, had travelled from Michigan in the USA to spend his summer playing for the team.

He intends to spend the summer rehabilitating in his adopted homeland, in the hope of playing some further part in the Pirates season.

As the bad weather cleared and sun began to shine on Dawson Park , the two teams were able to start passing the ball and it was then that the deadlock was broken.

Picking off an errant floated pass from the Hurricanes Quarterback, Pirates Linebacker Blair McTague rumbled 30 yards to open the scoring for the visitors. Quarterback Ryan Hunter converted with a pass to Receiver Jamie McLaughlin to make the score 8-0.

Not to be deterred, the Hurricanes struck back quickly through Great Britain Running Back Mahamadou Niakate.

Giving a typical hard-running performance, 'Dooma' ground out tough yards all day and was rewarded with his first touchdown of the 2009 campaign to reduce the deficit to 8-6.

The Pirates, enjoying a productive second quarter, further extended their lead as Great Britain Tight End Mark Murphy snared a pass from Hunter for his second touchdown in as many games. Again, Hunter found McLaughlin to add the two points, to give the visitors a ten point margin.

With the Hurricanes defense putting up strong resistance to the Pirates running game, they once again opted to advance the ball through the air and it was McLaughlin himself who was able to grab their third score of the day on a 16 yard catch and run. Running Back Blake Kyle ran in the two point conversion, making it 24-6.

The Pirates looked to have added a fourth touchdown before the break as Hunter tucked the ball away and sprinted sixty yards down the sideline with some excellent blocking from his teammates and in spite of what appeared to be a clear face-masking penalty from a Dundee defender.

Unfortunately, one of his blockers was adjudged to have made contact from behind and the play was called back, much to the frustration of the Quarterback.

The third quarter was a cagey affair, with the Pirates failing to build any momentum on offense.

Conversely, the Hurricanes remained productive and were rewarded for their efforts. Despite a goal-line tackle from Pirates Defensive Back Ivor Clark, from such close range, Niakate was able to force his way over on the next play, adding his second six points of the day.

With the score sitting at 24-12 in the fourth quarter and with Dundee finding their running game stifled, they looked to the skies for inspiration, allowing Pirates Defensive Backs James McIntosh and Ivor Clarke to record interceptions which shifted the momentum back in favour of the visitors.

The final score of the day went to Pirates Running Back Iain Dick, running in his first points for the club and closing the game off at 30 - 12 to the visitors.

Despite the way in which it was attained, the Pirates managed to add another one to the win column and look forward to their first home game of the season in their new ground. Me rseyside Nighthawks visit Hamilton Rugby Club on Sunday 24 May. To find more about the team or to get involved, visit www.piratesfootball.co.uk or email info@piratesfootball.co.uk .