“It was a battle of the cellar dwellers as the Red Star Strikers met Steve of the Dead for Round 4 of the Premier SWL Season. Steve of the Dead hadn't been travelling too well, managing only a draw from their first three games and coming off a loss to Woodies Double Revenge. The Reds, however, had been going far worse. Not only had they lost every game, they had not even scored! Still, there's plenty of reasons to watch this clash between two teams that dominated their Conferences last season but have struggled with the pressure of Premier.

The Strikers started with 10 players, thanks to the butchering they received from Mort Avaritaia last week. With Klaus Fuchs out, it was up to Vyacheslav Molotov to take care of most of the playmaking. The Necromatic side received the ball and looked to use Mike as a quarterback. They showed their aggressive intent early as the fouled Lavrenti Beria, delivering what was thought to be a mortal wound until the apothecaries were able to take care of it. Fans of Ho Chi Minh in the stands wondered why they had not been able to save the big man last week. The Reds swarmed Mike, but were unable to get through the loose net of surrounding teammates. When it finally looked like Mike might be exposed, he ran in the touchdown with plenty left on the clock for a reply.

From the restart, Molotov picked up the ball and went long to Kliment Voroshilov. He missed the pass, but the ball landed fortuitously in the middle of a group of Communists. The Reds were certainly knocking their opponents over, a task which they faled at miserably last week, but were unable to inflict serious damage. Voroshilov took the ball and ran sideways, hoping to find a chink in the Necromatic armour. With Mike helping out though, Aidan was able to blitz and knock the ball free. He picked it up and it looked like it could be 2-0 by the half. The Reds were quick to pounce, however, and it looked for a split second that they may be able to wrest back the momentum. A dreadful bounce as the ball was knocked from Aidan's grasp though, meant that the Strikers went into defensive mode, determined to prevent Cameron the Werewolf, lurking nearby, from scoring. In fact, Cameron was eventually knocked out after a foul just before the halftime siren.

Molotov took the ball in the second half, but fumbled a pass to put the Reds under pressure straight away. He managed to regain possesion, but only long enough for Steve the Flesh Golem to line him up for a blitz and knock the ball free. The resilient Molotov rose again, however, picking up the ball after Kliment Voroshilov and Matyas Rakosi cleared some space. Molotov passed long to Vladimir Lenin, who was now open as the Necromatic side had tried to chase down the ball. Lenin stood up to some heavy pressure, whilst Mao Zedong bashed the cage from the other side to force Lenin into the clear. With Molotov blitzing and providing cover in the unlikely role of enforcer, Lenin found space and headed for the endzone. The thought of finally scoring gave the Reds new impetus. It was probably too late to win the game, but a draw against the odds with 10 men was inspiring enough. Georgy Malenkov bashed Trevor the Zombie in the skull, putting him out for a couple of weeks. The new aggression reminded fans of the Strikers of old. Deng Xiaoping smashed Rob the Flesh Golem who would have missed next week but for his regenerative powers. Molotov knocked out Ned the Ghoul, who was pursuing Lenin. Lenin took care of the rest of the chasers himself when he forced Andrew S from the ground with an injury. In fact, when Lenin ran in the touchdown just before the siren, it was not the Strikers who were undermanned but Steve of the Dead, who had only six left on the ground with most of them actually lying on the ground rather than standing. The referee finally brought proceedings to a close to signal a 1-1 draw.

The Strikers can be deservedly happy with this result. They started undermanned and never had a full side. Three of their stars were watching from the stands whilst the presence of Ho Chi Minh will continue to be missed. Nevertheless, there were encouraging signs. Molotov stepped up in Fuchs' absence, and the late flurry of bruising suggests that the Strikers may have learnt how to bash again. With three players back, they can look with optimism to the remainder of the season. It may be too late to stave off relegation, but they can play for no small amount of pride.

Twahnlow Votes
3 - Mike

The Wight was best afield, acting as the primary receiver, scorer and sweeper in defence.

2 - Aidan

Was in much of the play. His ability to direct himself even as he fell caused some problems for the Reds.

1 - Steve

The big Flesh Golem was an imposing presence.”