AMERICAN Football — Inverclyde Goliaths Recover Against Highland Stags After Poor First Half

Highland Stags 25 – 42 Inverclyde Goliaths

INVERCLYDE Goliaths had to stage a second-half comeback as they faced Highland Stags at Parklea.

Goliaths had defeated The Stags twice already but the visitors arrived with a bigger squad and another month of hard work under the belts, so the local side knew not to take them lightly.

Goliaths took the kick-off, pushing the Stags deep into their half. The defence stifled a pumped-up Stags offence, forcing them to fourth down and to punt the ball on their first drive. Goliaths’s offence took over on their 44-yard line and, after a couple of unsuccessful passing attempts and a short run from running back Brian McFerren, quarterback Fabio Marturano found space through the left of the offensive line and rushed the ball in for the touchdown from 52 yards. He then lined up for the field goal himself, putting the ball through the sticks for the extra point, making it 7:0 Goliaths.

The Goliath kick-off again forced the Stags to set up deep in their half. This time they managed to get a single first down before being shut down by the Goliath’s defence for a fourth down punt from their own half which the Goliaths promptly returned to the 50-yard line. Unfortunately this was when things started to fall apart for the Goliaths’s offence in the first half. A poor snap meant quarterback Marturano had to scramble and the Stags’s defence managed to force him back to the Goliaths’s 27-yard line.

Another mix-up in the back field led to a fumble which the Stags defence scooped up and marched back for a touchdown of their own. The Goliaths’s defence managed to block the field goal keeping the Goliaths lead at 7-6. Stags took their first kick-off and managed to keep the Goliaths deep in their half, with the offence having to line up for their drive on their 18-yard line. Goliaths managed to climb up toward the halfway line with their running game but the passing game still wasn’t gelling with Marturano having difficulty finding his receivers.

Goliaths were sitting on their 48-yard line, three yards short of the first down and elected to go for it on fourth down but were unsuccessful, setting the Stags up for a drive starting in the Goliaths’s half for the first time. The Goliaths’s defence stayed strong against the run attempts but switched off for a deep pass to the Stags number 10 up the middle who took the ball into the endzone for a 36-yard touchdown. Goliaths stopped the two-point attempt, but were 7-12 down.

Half-time was looming, but not quickly enough for the Goliaths. Pushed back deep into their own half, another mistake by Goliaths in the backfield, led to a fumble recovery by the Stags, setting up their offence on the Goliaths’s 14-yard line. The defence where unable to keep them out, with the Stags’s number 35 rushing it in for their third touchdown. Goliaths again stopped the two-point attempt. It was 18-7 to the Stags going in to half-time.

Stags took the kick-off to begin the second half and the ball was rapidly returned to them via running back McFerren, with the entire Goliaths sideline roaring him forward. Even though Marturano had his field goal attempt blocked, the attitude from the Goliaths showed that this was going to be a different half of football. Goliaths had closed the gap to five.

Stags began their drive on their 24-yard line and managed to crawl forward with some successful running plays but, after a screen pass was caught, the tackle from defensive lineman Rahman Afzal forced the fumble which was scooped up by safety Scott Galbraith and spectacularly run back to the Stags’s 11-yard line putting the offence in a great position to take the lead, which they did. Marturano found wide receiver Richie Moore on a screen pass which allowed him the space up the left to drive it home. Moore also took the field goal attempt, knocking it in off the post to put the Goliaths in front again, 20-18.

Goliaths’s defence again shut down the Stags’s offence, quickly giving the ball back to their quarterback. Marturano found receivers Ryan McCluskey, Carlo Cappochi and John Murphy on a drive which ended with a huge 44-yard rushing touchdown from McFerren. Moore again stepped up for the field goal but put it wide. Goliaths led 26-18.

Stags’s offence were struggling to find their way through, quickly returning the ball after being picked off by outside linebacker Andrew Coom. Goliaths again confidently drove the ball up the field with a good mixture of passing plays and running plays, this time gaining the touchdown out to the right from eight yards, Marturano gaining his second of the game. Goliaths then went for the two-point conversion, McFerren punching the ball in to make it 34-18.

After the kick-off, Stags managed to take advantage of a tiring Goliaths defence gaining some yardage. Their perseverance paid off with their first touchdown of the half, from a short pass to number 10 who found space inside the endzone. The field goal attempt was good, making it 34-25. The Goliaths’s offence had found their form and were not about to slow down with the end of the game creeping up.

They returned the kick-off up to the Stags’s 44-yard line then drove the ball forward with the same solid mix of run and pass. Marturano found Coom open in the endzone off of a post route for a 28-yard passing touchdown. Goliaths again attempted the two-point conversion with running back Cappochi finding space out to the left to make it 42-25 to Goliaths. Stags were again forced to a fourth and punt by a Goliaths defence given a second ind watching their offence fly as the game came to a close.

Head coach Martin McClintock said: “This was another tough game, against a good Highland side. The Stags were well prepared for us and had us on the back foot early. Coming out of half-time, our guys were really fired up to reverse the scoreline and they did a great job turning it around to come away with the win.”

Goliaths visit Dundee Hurricanes on Sunday 9 September at 1pm at Dundee North West Community Sports Club.

To get involved with the team, or any of the other squads under the Inverclyde American Football banner, get in touch with them on their Facebook page.

Goliaths train every Thursday, 7.30pm at Greenock Wanderers ground, Fort Matilda Playing Fields. Non-Contact senior team, Clyde Comets, train before them at 6.30pm, same venue. And the Youth Teams, Inverclyde Phoenix (12 to 18 years) and Inverclyde Mighty Ducks (two to 12 years), hold sessions every Sunday, 11.30am, again at Fort Matilda Playing Fields.