“Perhaps the Expats coaching staff was overconfident, or perhaps the opposite, perhaps they were over-rattled by their embarrassing season opener against the rats -or maybe they didn't trust these dwarfs with 5 full turns to score. But after receiving and moving up the field (too?) easily, and handing the ball off to an "expendable" skink on the 2 yard line before any lightning could strike, they declined a walk-in Turn 4 score and fell back (poorly) to stall - and then the lightning struck, and things rapidly fell apart from there. 4 of the 5 skinks were out when the last (the Ag 4 baller) was KO'd at the end of Turn 5, inviting the Apo to keep him and the Expats in the game, but that didn't stop a Turn 8 defensive score, 0-1 dwarves at the half.

Meanwhile, the Wrodger Saurus was BH'd, more than off-setting the Guard Dwarf who had been MNG'd in the general chaos.

However 2 of the 3 KO'd skinks returned for the 2nd half, so 8 Lizards faced off against 11 Dwarfs, and the deep kick off came with a Blitz. The Lizards sold out to threaten the ball with half the team (1 St 5 saurus and the 3 skinks), and when weak blocking dice kept dwarven help from advancing and then the 3+ RR'd pickup was failed, the Expats did not hesitate to tie the game 1-1 at the end of Turn 1, BH'ing a dwarf Frenzyer and killing another Guard (Apo'd back in the game) in the process.

The last skink joined the game, making it 9 facing 11 for the Turn 2 deciding drive, which rapidly became a contest of dwarven Guards trying to maintain a cage against St 4 and 5 surrounding it on 3 sides. End of Turn 4 the Lizards resorted to a break-tackle, double-gfi blitz with the Krox, which powed to knock the ball free and clear, and the Ag 4 skink scooped it up. Now it was the dwarfs turn for risks, counting on Dauntless for a 1d frenzy to clear a path for the blitz on the ballcarrier, both of which succeeded (despite an initial -2d), and knocked out the Ag 4 skink to end Turn 5. Turn 6 an Ag 3 skink grabbed the ball out of a TZ, but the dwarves against answered, re-arranging the lizards with one 1d for a path to GFI and 1d blitz the ball loose, and take out the 2nd-to-last skink in the process, and box up the last.

Turn 7 that skink escaped the sandwich but could not pickup the ball for the score, and finally the dwarves did what the lizards could not, retrieve the ball, and with their Ag 3 induced star in scoring range for a deep pass. Again the Lizards called on the luck of their Krox, and again he delivered a break-tackle, double-gfi pow on the ballcarrier. Again the dwarves answered with a successful -2d, scooped the ball and tried for the Turn 8 long bomb - but even a RR could not stop the 6+ roll from fumbling, and the ball fell to the ground, on the sideline in a mix of players from both sides. The Expats had a couple different combination options, each ugly, but failed the RR'd dodge, game over, tie score.


A painful tie for the winners of Albion 2 seasons running - respect to Coach pbydm - as said in game, we'll hate to face him when his team has some skills under its belt!”