“Another semi-final after the somewhat surprising win against the Pirates, and this time we meet the Vagabonds. On paper, this match should favor us, since we have the stronger team, and with only one player with tackle, the Vagabonds doesn't really have what they need to stop our skinks. No minotaur either. They have done well the whole season, though, amd should not be underestimated.

Equal number of fans for both teams in this away match for us, and the Vagabonds choose to receive. For inducements, they have bought a babe and surprisingly enough two mercenary beastmen. That brings them up to 13 players, while we have all twelve in the squad ready.

The Vagabonds secure the ball, although their attempt for a pass fails. They advance slowly, trying to punch my team to oblivion, and suceeds reasonably well. Brewer is sent off badly hurt in the opening rush, and Mobster follows in the next turn. Then, in turn 3 we have a string of unlucky rolls ending in a double skull block by Protector, and they KOs Wiggler and stuns Winner and Hollow Claws, and suddenly the ballcarrier Mahsstrac is through. Our sole remaining skink Warrior makes a last attempt to stop him, but Mahsstrac blitzes past and scores. 1-0 Vagabonds. Luckily there is still ample time for us to get the equalizer. With Brewer and Mobster out we are only 10, though, against 11 Vagabonds.

Unfortunately, rioting fans cut in on our remaining time, and even though Booster sends off one of the Mercenaries for the match (badly hurt), and the other ones get in position, we are furthered hampered by Winner failing to pick up the ball, and then Gorespitter seriously injures Wiggler. Winner needs an RR to pick up the ball (another 1 on the attempt), and although the handover to Breaker suceeds, Breaker fumbles the pass to Warrior, and the ball ends up outside the box... Vagabonds can easily secure it and even though there is a small hole where Hollow Claws can squeze through (with two GFI's), he fails to get a topple result, and we can only seethe in frustration while sending the other mercenary off KO'd.

Vagabonds are thus ahead 1-0 at halftime, and we only have 9 players left and have used our apothecary, while the Vagabonds have a full Squad and one additional Merc. This is no longer looking good. But with an equalizer, we can at least force overtime, and then, who knows?

We start by slowly advancing on our left flank, but the Vagaonds are careful and a lot of blocking action does not lead to anything, except for a stunned Hollow Claws. We change to the other flank, but again, both teams are unlucky with their blocking, and not much happens. An attempt to reverse ends in Winner being KO'd, so we Returns again to the right flank, but simply cannot remove any of the Vagabond players until close to the end, when Protector sends Qolga off badly hurt. I'ts too late, though, and when Warrior tries to pick up the ball, another 1 comes up, and the ball for the second time Bounces out of the Box, and this time Chaos Warrior Iohan catches the bouncing ball, and to top it off, Breaker is KO'd at the same time. Suddenly it is the Vagabonds with the scoring chance. Desperately, the Scavengers run after the Vagabonds, and can only leave one saurus, the rookie Peeler, in a scoring position and hope for a miracle... which does not come, of course. Vagabonds handles Peeler, and that is that. They don't score, but neither did we and so they won 1-0-

Vagabonds played very well, and got those early casualties that meant we had to operate outnumbered during the whole match. Added to this, a riot, lots of 1s when trying to pick up the ball and two bounces out of the box ended the game for the Scavengers. WE won't make the final this year either, but having come to the semifinal in the last two seasons isn't bad :)

Breaker got a skill, and we chose sidestep, and the only serious casualty on Wiggler was not a permanent, so we end this season with a squad much improved and can maybe take the step up to the final next season :)



”