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After 2 weeks of internal turmoil that has seen both a number of
players and coaches depart the Redditch Arrow, the whole country was looking for an implosion of the club away at the highly fancied Nottingham Caesars. But this was to be the Arrows turning
point of the season. The moment of truth. The time for self pity to stop. The time to show everyone how good the Arrows really are.
On their first drive, the Caesars got into field goal position at
the Arrows 11 yard line. But the snap was poor and with the kicker being forced to run with the ball was hit hard and fumbled the ball at the Arrows 25, allowing Karl Watkins to recover the
ball.
It was not a day for passing, the driving rain and wind, meant that
both teams were running the ball often, but the Caesars three times in the first quarter managed to get crucial passes complete. However their drives were stalled by a mean looking Arrows
defense who were in no mood to allow them good field position, and at half time, the score remained scoreless. Big hits coming from Jon Ward and Colin Nash.
The third quarter was the story of 2 long drives. The Arrows started
the third quarter with dominant drive down field. Starting at their own 36, they took the ball down to the Caesars' 13 yard line in 13 plays but on 4th and 9 decided to go for it, but only managed 2 yards. The Caesars' then took over and marched down the Arrows 23, and on 4th and 8 threw the ball wide but great coverage by Stuart Irons meant the pass went incomplete.
Enter the final, thrilling quarter.
After a couple of 3 and outs, Punter Tom Fisher pulled of a sublime
fake punt, and ran 7 yards to get a first down. But the next drive stalled when the Arrows lost a fumble at their own 32. But the Caesar could not make use of their excellent field position,
and Colin Nash forced a fumble which the Caesars recovered, but only after a 6 yard loss. On the next drive the Arrows moved to midfield again, before being forced to punt the ball. A
fabulous punt by Tom Fisher was downed at the 8 yard line and suddenly the whole atmosphere changed. Facing a 3rd and 10 at their own 21 yard line, the defense blitzed the Caesars QB and stripped the ball from his hands where it was recovered by Trevor Ballinger at the Caesars 13 yard line.
The Arrows needed just one play. From the snap, the ball was given
to running back Nick Jones who exploded through the hole down the centre, cut past one linebacker, and avoided 2 tacklers ad ran into the Endzone for his first touchdown in an Arrows shirt.
All this with just 2:34 remaining on the clock.
The Caesars had to put a drive together to save the match. But on
what transpired to be their one and only set of downs, great defense by Noel Fischer and James Hampton left the Caesars on 4th and 9 and their own 21 yard line. Unbelievably to the whole Arrows sideline, they punted. But the punt was poor and the Arrows took over the Caesars 35 yard line, and thanks to great clock management ran the remaining time out.
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