“What can you say?? When you work so hard on the training ground, turn up on the night feeling confident, and give it 110%, only to be denied some cruel misfortunes, then what can you do?

Just one touchdown has been scored in the last two matches these coaches have come head to head in. Last night, it was only some terrible luck on the ball handling front (on the part of Rumpus 8) that ended up separating these two teams.

Rumpus received the kick and Eris, who was well placed, promptly dropped the ball........TWICE!! A Whitestone dwarf managed to get into the frey (fray?) but was promptly dealt with by Wardancer Gert.

However, Eris then proceeded to drop the ball.....AGAIN!! The ball bounced to Gert.........and he dropped it too!!

Next thing you know, there are taciturn dwarves swarming round the ball like flies round the proverbial. Needless to say, the ball is picked up without incident, an opening is created, and by the end of the Whitestones' next turn, they are 1 - 0 up.

And that's how it stayed. The rest of the match was a tussle, a struggle for power, a dogfight, mano-et-mano, cliche after cliche.

With three turns left however, Rumpus 8 found themselves within range - just a good solid rush from a touchdown. Alas, the opportunity was never provided itself, as the taciturn dwarves somehow conspired to get the ball back.

They managed to progress through the middle of the park, and there was a single chance of making it two-nil, with a good throw and an even better catch.

It didn't happen - and it would have been a travesty of sporting justice if it had.

Coach Creekmoor refused to comment when asked if his job was approaching its sell-by date.”