TIGERS TURNOVER RAMS PT 2

With the minutes of the second half ticking away, the Rams finally got their offensive machine in gear with Kevin McElhinney dumping the ball off to Alan Martin for a first down at the Tigers 30 yard line.

The Rams drive progressed with an excellent run down the far side from Craig Towler, giving the home side first and goal.

And at the second attempt, McTague got the North Lanarkshire side back in the game, doing enough to cross the goal line for their opening six points just before the break.

With no change in the scoring in the third quarter, the Rams appeared to hand the game back to the Tigers who recovered another Lanarkshire fumble, giving them excellent field position.

Then Sparky broke through with another great run and appeared to be leaving the Rams defense for dead but was stopped with a desperate tackle at the two yard line.

The Tigers rusher then finished off what he started, blasting through on the next play to make it 20-6 for the Glasgow side.

But instead of running up the white flag, the Rams stepped up a gear, when McTague returned the kick off to the half way line.

The Rams moved the chains again when McElhinney hooked up with Reyes to take the home side inside the Tigers half.

McElhinney moved the chains again, with completions to Steven Dunn and Reyes taking the ball to the one yard line.

And despite a five yard penalty, the home side reduced the deficit when Dunn made a crucial catch in the endzone.

Then on the next Tigers drive, Kris Kennedy was picked off by Reyes at half way, who retuned the ball all the way to the endzone, but failed to tie the scoring due to a failed conversion attempt

The worrying signs were starting to appear on the Tigers side lines, when the Rams recovered their own onside kick and were soon on the march again.

McElhinney took to the air with the ball being bough down courtesy of great catch from Dunn.

But with five minutes of the half remaining, the Rams found themselves with a fourth down gamble well inside the Tigers half.

However the Tigers line turned up the heat, forcing McElhinney back to short of halfway and a crunching challenge from Alan Bodel forced another fumble.

Then the visitors soon had the Rams on the rack courtesy of a series of terrific runs from Dick all the way to Rams goal line, with Sparky digging into his reserves with another final dash through the middle to put the visitor’s eight points in front with just over two minutes remaining.

PICS C/O ALFIE BETTS