Hashutites Break Metal Heads Hearts With Late Winner

Hashutites 1

Marnak Darkstabber

LTs Metal Heads 0

LTs Metal Heads' plucky performance was unrewarded as they succumbed to a very late Touchdown to reigning champions Hashutites, that kept the host's incredible record of 6 consecutive shut-outs intact!

Marnak Darkstabber crosses the white line in the final phase for yet another shut out victory for the reigning champions.

The youthful Metal Heads almost pulled off a shock result in the sweltering heat as they made life very difficult for their illustrious hosts. Hashutites could barely contain the Humans in a feisty first half. The visitors inexperienced charge eventually failed to take their numerous chances as the irrepressible defence of Hashutites held firm.

Returning star Zara the Slayer, who made her second start of the season, was the prime target as the Chaos Dwarfs began with a defensive blitz, but showed her worth as a perfectly timed uppercut lifted Ferdinand II off his feet. The horned minotaur would be a source of frustration as the wild beast would not budge from the astorgranite.

Ferdinand II feels the full force of Zara in the opening exchanges.

The Metal Heads' game-plan was clear form the kick-off. The catchers, Mastodon and Melvins, ran deep post-routes to stretch the defence, whilst thrower Devin Townsend, withdrew deep in his half with the ball. But the deceptively quick bull centaur, Bultar the Great, broke through the offensive line to put pressure on Townsend.

Downfield, Amorphous the blitzer crushed the neck of hobgoblin Gnash Greenheart, ending the sure-handed slave's promising career. Mastadon was now unmarked. Townsend skipped past Bultar the Great and launch the ball - only to throw off target giving the relieved Hashutites defence the opportunity to track back.

Heads catcher Mastodon is sent reeling by Darkstabber with the ball and end zone in sight.

Mastodon, what seemed the easiest of chances with the end zone in sight, contrived to fail scoring, firstly by the desperate lunge of the retreating Marnak Darkstabber. Fellow Metal Head, Enslaved, faired litter better as he evaded his marker yards from the end zone, only to fail the pick up by the touchline.

Hashutites had survived thrice! But the ferocity of the Metal Heads' attack persisted.

Veteran hobgoblin Hejami Bonecatcher had the simplest of tasks to gather and run the clock down only to fluff his lines and knock the ball out of play as the half took another twist. The highly charged partisan crowd launched the ball back into the field of play which allowed Zara the Slayer to gather the ball only to be surrounded by the Hashutites defence, but with time now against the Metal Heads, Zara broke clear of the melee only to get caught up again as the defence stood firm to hold out in a half high on tension and drama and from the Metal Heads point of view, a half of so near but yet so far.

In a first half full of drama, the Metal Heads just couldn't make the break through.

The deep human roster came into action that allowed them to maintain the numbers in defence. However, a poor restart handed the ball straight to bull centaur Marnack Darkstabber out on the left flank, who then followed the team's perfect screen in relative safety; whilst the Metal Heads defensive line provided stiff resistance (a trait that has been impressively on show this season).

Something had to give, and the game quickly turned into a gruelling slug-fest between the two teams which began to swing in Hashutites’ favour as the half went on and when the defensive line was finally split as the game came into it’s final phases, Darkstabber having surfed his closest marker, didn’t need a second invitation and burst through the line with fellow centaur Bultar the Great flattening the covering Mastadon, which left Darkstabber clear on goal to break the Metal Heads resistance in the final phase of the game.

Bultar the Great made the decisive block of the game.

It was tough luck on the Metal Heads who’s players inexperience in the first half showed as they threw away 3 glorious chances of opening their account for the season, but the devastating attacking display from Hashutites in the second claimed a QMLS record of a sixth clean sheet in a row.

Up next...the Hashutites juggernaut face off against the very dangerous and unpredictable Crescent Moon while LTs Metal Heads’ tasks don’t get any easier as they face league leaders, the free scoring Bognor Bograts.

Riska's Most Valuable Player - Bull centaur Marnak Darkstabber proved a thorn in the Metal Heads side all game, thwarting what looked like a certain touchdown in the first half and then coming up with the winning score in the second half.