Pirates Fall to Late Field Goal
April 23rd, 2026
Nottingham Caesars 27 – East Kilbride Pirates 26
East Kilbride made the long trip to Nottingham for the opening encounter of the 2026 campaign. With a much-changed squad, may expected the new look, inexperienced Pirates to be looking at a rebuilding season, however, on this showing, they could still find themselves in the play-off mix come August.
The home side kicked off, but EK’s initial drive stalled. They quickly regained possession though when Mo Khan intercepted a Liam McGovern pass deep in Caesar territory. A 4th Down offside penalty against the Defense kept the drive alive and Pirates’ QB Reece Aris made them pay for that mistake by rolling right then finding Arran McDonald in the back of the endzone. With no kicker available on the day, EK went for the 2-point conversion only to see Aris held up just short of the line. Regardless, the visitors had an early lead, but that would change hands no fewer than seven times before the end of the day.
There was no further scoring in the initial period and Nottingham had possession as the game moved into the second quarter. A 7-play drive concluded when McGovern connected with Elliott Knight from 12 yards. Will Morgan also tagged on the PAT for a 7-6 lead. That advantage was stretched later in the period when Morgan added a 22 yard field goal. The Pirates then forced a turn over when Kris Borland had a strip sack of McGovern leaving EK with a short field. On 3rd and goal from the 2-yard line Aris ran the ball into the endzone before adding the 2-pointer by passing again to McDonald and put the Pirates 14-10 ahead. That lead proved to be short lived. After the restart, a break out run by Wellington Tafireyi took him down to the 1-yard line and on the next play, he then managed to get the ball across the plane of the goal-line for a TD. Morgan again converted, allowing Nottingham to take a 17-14 lead into the interval.
Almost immediately after the restart, the Caesars fumbled away possession and Michael Girvan was only too happy to pick up the loose ball and return it to the Caesars’ 9-yard line. Another offside penalty moved it to the 4 and from there Mike Curtis Sop ran in the TD. He was stopped short on the 2PAT but EKP again had their noses in front. Another Khan interception halted Nottingham’s next drive but the Pirates couldn’t capitalise, giving the home side another chance. They weren’t wasteful this time around, moving the ball down field before McGovern again connected with Knight, taking advantage of a blown coverage to score from 22 yards out. Morgan duly converted and the lead went back to the home side, with them now 24-20 ahead. The Pirates’ “never say die” attitude came to the fore as they took over at their own 10-yard line and proceeded to move the ball all the way to the Nottingham 2-yard line, from where Sop added his second TD. There was just time for Ryan Miller to pull in the 3rd INT of the day before the third period expired with the Pirates ahead 26-24.
With everything still to play for in the final quarter, the atmosphere was tense and the sides traded possession on several occasions. There was also a lengthy stoppage following a serious injury to a Nottingham player, and on resumption EK looked to try and work the clock. The game moved towards the 2-minute warning with the visitors holding the ball. They were unable to keep it though and were forced to punt. Time looked set to run out on Nottingham, who were still in their own half, but as the clock ticked down, McGovern launched a long pass which gained 37 yards and took them into field goal range. Four plays later Morgan stepped forward to slot home a 27-yard field goal for a 1 point lead. EK had just 20 seconds left to respond. They managed 3 plays but the final pass fell incomplete.
So a close one, but ultimately a loss. However, heads were still high on the sidelines and there were certainly a number of positive signs on show. The Buffalo Trace Bourbon Gameday MVP Award went to cornerback Mo Khan, who along with his two interceptions also made several pass break-ups. The Pirates now have a long wait before their next game when they host Merseyside Nighthawks on May 10th. Before that, the Pirates U19’s face Edinburgh Napier Knights at GHA Rugby Club this Sunday.
Report by Bill Campbell
Report photos courtesy @Harveyjpeg
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