Resounding win over Predators

July 18th, 2016

East Kilbride Pirates 69 Sheffield Predators 0

East Kilbride saved their best performance for the last home game of the season with a resounding win over Sheffield Predators.

Following recent maintenance work to the main pitch, there was some rutting on the playing surface and the visitors expressed their concern about its safety. The Pirates then had to hurriedly prepare and line the second pitch for use, leading to a delay of around an hour in kick off. When the game did finally get under way, the home side came charging out of the gates.

A good kick off return by Adam Kyle took the ball into Sheffield territory.  Just three plays later and QB Neil Baptie ran in the opening TD from 6 yards. Steven Kane converted for an early 7-0 lead that was soon doubled when Winston Ojei recovered a Predators’ fumble in the endzone and Kane again added the extra point.

Sheffield’s next drive ended with a David McInally interception, and the Pirates rounded off a 65-yard drive with a 5-yard run by Jamie “Jig” McCoy. Kane’s Extra Point made the score 21-0 at the turnaround.

Early in the second period a Dougie Meechan interception regained possession for the home side who then reeled off a 6-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 9 yard reception by his brother Andrew Meechan. Kane duly converted to leave the score at 28-0. Sheffield subsequently went 3-and-out and the Pirates again made them pay. This time running back Kyle was the scorer on a 14 yard run. A wayward snap on the PAT saw Kane trying to pass for the extra points, but he was intercepted. Just before half-time, Baptie added his second TD of the day from the 1-yard line and Kane converted to make it 41-0 at the break.

Sheffield started the third quarter but soon had to punt. A 43-yard return by Dougie Meechan left EKP with just 18 yards to go. Two plays later and Iain Dick carried home on a 5-yard run. This was the club’s all-time leading rusher’s last TD, as he announced his forthcoming retirement earlier in the week.

The Special Teams got in on the act next, and again it was Dougie Meechan in the thick of the action. He returned a punt, running 61 yards untouched to the endzone. Bad went to worse for the visitors on the first play after the restart. Joe MacMillan picked off a stray Sheffield pass and returned it 28 yards to score. Baptie ran in the 2-point conversion to leave the Pirates 61-0 ahead going into the final period.

With the running clock in operation, there were fewer opportunities to score, and giving the ball away on a fumble and later an interception, meant those chances weren’t taken. Another late interception, this time by Nathan Carr, did give East Kilbride the prospect of finishing on a high. They took full advantage as Baptie found Craig Black with a 3-yard TD pass then completed to Kevin Reynolds for the 2-point conversion.

The teams meet again on 6 August when the Pirates travel to Sheffield for the final game of their campaign.

Game report by Bill Campbell
Photos courtesy Duncan Gray, Duncolm Photography

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