Greetings sports fans! Moving into the second half of the Northern Wastes regular season the playoff picture is beginning to shape but, with five more games to be played, all teams are still capable of booking their place in the inaugural Northern Wastes play off finals!
The first game of the round saw the battered and bruised Lamprey Lightnin’ host the league leading Iron Rock Greenskins. For the Lightnin’, the game would be an opportunity to get their playoff push back on track after a destructive defeat to the Ironbeards which saw the demise of top scoring Catchers Panzermann and Rickenbackker and their Ogre blocker Arnie Dumpkopff. Whilst for the Greenskins it was a chance to consolidate their position at the top of the league and move one step closer to booking their place in the playoffs.
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The match began with the Lightnin’ receiving the ball and driving hard down their left flank through their three pronged Blitzer attack which was aided by a carefully laid pre-match mine. The resulting explosion blew a hole in the Greenskins’ line and it was only a scrambled Black Orc defence that prevented a try scoring break through. As a result, the Lightnin’ soon switched the focus of their attack to the right flank and, with the clock winding down, Thrower Sigmund Bolflinger broke clear of his defensive cover and found Blitzer Otto Spitz. Spitz was, however, tackled before he could cross the line for a touch down and, with little time left on the clock, the first half came to an end with the score at 0-0.
The second half began with the eagled eyed Lightnin’ Head coach spotting that the Greenskins had taken to the field with 12 players and, once Thrower Lugnub Nobnails had trudged off the pitch to take his place on the reserves bench, the match began. The opening kick off was quickly gathered by Nobnails’ throwing partner Morgrim Bolgrot who began advancing up the pitch behind a solid Greenskins’ offensive line. Just as a break through appeared likely though, a fireball erupted from the side line as the Lightnin’s mercenary wizard literally worked his magic. To the amazement of all, however, as the smoke and flames cleared the Orc cage remained remarkably intact.
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As the second half progressed, and the Lightnin defensive line began to stretch as the casualties mounted, the Orc cage swung from the left of the pitch to the right and Bolgrot spotted a gap that allowed him to walk over for the winning touchdown.
There was just enough time left for the Lightnin’ to line up for a late attempt at knocking some Orcs onto the apothecary’s table but the final whistle soon sounded after and a close affair was brought to an end. With a 1-0 win the Greenskins consolidated their position at the top of the table and for the Lightnin’, free from any further injuries and maintaining their third place position, they had made moves to recover from their set back against the Ironbeards.
The second match of the round saw two of the meanest defences in the league come head to head as the Tomb Titans hosted the Ironbeards. The visitors elected to receive the opening kick off and having gathered up the loose ball, the Ironbeards prepared to break through the Titans’ defensive line bristling with Tomb Guardians. As the half progressed, the Ironbeards’ cage had made sufficient progress up the pitch to allow Runner Runbar Broadgrip to break free and carry the ball into the end zone shortly before the half time whistle was sounded.
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As the second half began it was now the turn of the Tomb Titans to gather the ball and hunker down in a cage before rumbling down the pitch in an attempt to register a score. Annointed Thrower Verte-Bray gathered the ball in the back field and positioned himself behind a wall of Skeletons and Tomb Guardians. Despite the best efforts of the Ironbeards’ defensive line, which badly hurt the Titans’ Blitzers Elb-Oh and Tochdoon in the process of defending their lead, the Dwarfs were unable to stop Verte-Bray crossing into the end zone for the equalising score. With little time remaining on the clock, and with neither team possessing the speed of attack to score a winning touchdown, both teams returned to their dugouts at the final whistle with honours even and no major casualties on either side. More ominously for the other teams in the league, however, during the post match session the Ironbeards’ chief engineer, wiped his sweaty brow, dusted off his apron and unveiled the latest team signing in the form of a mighty death roller.
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The final match of the round was a bottom of the table clash between the Sons of Roland and the Broekwater Buccaneers. With neither team yet to register a win, both sides knew that if a late charge for the play offs was to be made then now was the time!
The Buccaneers elected to receive the opening kick off and in short order they scored the opening touch down after Thrower Felix Frueh found Catcher Siegmund Oberholtzer. With their lead established, the Buccaneers quickly employed their mercenary Meteoromancer to summon a blizzard to engulf the pitch and bring any constructive play for the remainder of the half to an end.
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As the unnatural hail and snow continued to swirl around the stadium, the second half brought further misfortune for the Sons. With casualties mounting, in no small part due to the Buccaneers’ rampaging Ogre Ogrot the Slavering, the Sons’ ball was turned over by the Buccaneers and Catcher Maximillian Schultz tucked himself behind a Buccaneer defensive line with eyes on stretching the lead to two scores. As the Buccaneers’ moved down the pitch with increasing ease as the Sons defensive line crumbled. All that was left was for Schultz to dump off to Anshelm Fiegler and the Blitzer crossed the line for the second, and ultimately decisive, score.
The match ended with a much welcome win for the Buccaneers, who were finally off the mark, but left the Sons in a precarious position with the play offs now looking all but beyond reach.
Round Seven will see the first match up of the season between the Iron Rock Greenskins and Tomb Titans. With both teams seemingly bound for the playoffs it would be an opportunity to posture for a higher placed finish as well as a chance to weaken a rival’s team prior to the knock out stages. The Ironbeards, complete with a well oiled death roller, will face the Sons of Roland and in an all human clash, the Broekwater Buccaneers will face the Lamprey Lightnin’. And with the Buccs’ fresh from a morale boosting win they will be keen to avenge the 4-2 defeat earlier in the season and capitalise on the Lightnin’s recent dip in form.
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