A crowd of just under 5,000 braved the bitter Bank Holiday weather at Welford Road in order to see the Panther veterans take on Collegiate finalists Loughborough Aces in what was billed as "One Last Game" for the ageing players. The Panthers ran out 20-3 winners but the biggest cheer of the day was undoubtedly for defensive lineman and Tigers legend Martin Johnson - a former tight end with Panther Youth in the late 80's.
Match report
Be warned, the technical American Football jargon may appear slightly confusing for us mere rugby supporters!!
Fund raising for Matt was top of the agenda, but both teams were fired up and contemplating nothing less than victory. Ex-England and Tigers player Tim Stimpson got the game underway by taking the kick-off.
The Aces made the better start, driving to the Panthers 16 in just five plays. A couple of sacks moved them back but facing 3rd and 20, quarter back Thomas Worrell picked out George Anderson Brown at the Panthers 10. Facing a 4th and 4, the Aces went for it but gained only two yards.
The Panthers offence couldn't move the ball though and Nigel Mansfield, one of three Panther quarter back's, was picked off on the third play of the drive allowing the Aces to take over at the Panthers 20. Facing a 4th and 3, they elected to kick and Andrew Studer slotted home a 32yd field goal to give the Aces the lead.
This time, Mansfield led the offence on 51 yard drive that included an 18 yard pass to Graham "Bud" Harris. Much of the damage was done by Lawrence Taylor who finished the day with 71 yards on 18 carries, and short yardage specialist Warren Sweetman who burst through for a one yard touchdown run on the ninth play of the drive. Rex Harrison kicked the extra point.
The Aces now found it harder to move the ball as the Panther defence adjusted, and a handling error on the punt led to the Panthers taking over on the Aces 23 yard line to close out a thrilling first quarter.
A 17 yard Mansfield pass to Jonathan Smith set up another Sweetman one yard touch down run. Harrison missed the extra point wide right and Panthers led 13-3.
Worrall was sacked for the second time and the Aces went 4 and out. The Panthers, now led by import quarter-back Mike Culver moved the ball across midfield but were forced to punt after Culver was sacked and the Aces took over on their own 20. On the second play of the drive, defensive lineman Wayne 'Benny' Benstead batted a lateral up into the welcome hands of Martin Johnson whose charge to the line brought the crowd to its feet, but he was felled two yards short of glory. He later revealed he could have stretched and scored but didn't want to risk losing the ball in the wet conditions. He may have temporarily regretted that decision when Sweetman's run into the endzone was called back for a holding penalty and Panthers faced a 1st and goal from the 12. Johnson came in as an extra tight end and Culver picked him out on the next play much to the delight of the crowd. Harrison kicked the extra point to leave Panthers leading 20-3.
Benstead was having a good day, stopping a reverse sweep for the loss of nine yards on the Aces next drive and again the Aces were forced to punt. They got the ball back, however, when Rod Bradley intercepted Mansfield at the Panthers 26. Aces quater back John Pimberton hit Callum Brown on the numbers in the endzone but the wideout failed to hold onto the ball in increasingly wet conditions. Facing a 4th and goal at the Panther 10, the Aces went for it but star running back Craig Flower was forced out of bounds at the Panthers 3.
The first half ended with a series of turnovers as first Mansfield was intercepted, then Ahmed Rashid picked off Pimperton, and Panthers' Andy Sweeney fumbled a short pass from Mansfield. Walker ithen ntercepted Pimperton on the last play of the half.
Aces coach Jason Scott revealed that his plan had been to keep in touch with the Panthers and reel them in in the second half as they tired. They were certainly better than the 17-point deficit suggested and, but for two attacking decisions on 4th down when infield goal range, and a dropped catch in the endzone, they could have gone in only four points down.
The third quarter was scoreless as a 14-play Panthers drive ended with an interception, and first the Aces then the Panthers were forced to punt. The Aces now looked to be causing problems as star-man Flower was forced out of bounds after a 23 yard run, his longest of the day, but the drive stalled at midfield and Matt Hollis' punt ended the quarter.
The Panthers now rotated their squad to give everyone a turn on the field. Paul Ashton was unable to move the ball as the Aces defence stiffened and their offence looked more menacing. Slick passing plays from Aces quarter back Worrall moved the ball to midfield but, unable to run against the Panther defence, the drive stalled with a couple of incomplete passes including another dropped catch.
On their next possession, the Aces looked destined to score when fine running from Flower and David Jones took them to a 4th and 2 on the Panthers 28. An evasive 25 yardd scramble from Worrall took them to the 3 and an illegal substitution penalty against the Panthers gave the Aces a 1st and goal at the 2. Flower took it up the middle to the 1 then ran right on 2nd down but was stopped short after gaining a foot. Jones fumbled on 3rd down but recovered for a 12 yard loss, before an Ady Piggot interception on the 1 yard line denied the Aces a deserved touch down.
Culver checked back in to move the Panthers downfield in spectacular fashion with a 23 yard pass to David Sweetman, a 16 yard run up the middle from fellow American Phil Badami and a 24 yard pass to Dave Hagger at the Aces 13. Culver was sacked but then repeated the pass to Hagger who made his second spectacular catch of the drive at the Aces 5 only to have it called back for offensive pass interference; and that about wrapped up the game. Culver ended with stats of 4 completions from 6 attempts for 71 yards and 1 touch down.
Aces coach Jason Scott was philosophical about missed opportunities, while the Panthers were elated. Head Coach Kevin Scott (no relation) had said that the Aces had given them a much harder game than expected. An emotional Hagger said the team had been fired up but that penalties had cost them. Bill Moore, at 56, the oldest player on the pitch was surprised he'd come through it unscathed. Perhaps Vince Summers - another veteran of Panthers' first season in 1985 summed it up best when he said it had been a privilege to play on the same field as younger guys he'd coached in the youth team in the late 80's. It wasn't about who started, or who was the best in their position, it was about being a Panther.
As to whether the Panthers will use this event as a springboard to re-launching the club, Rex Harrison is quoted as saying "Watch this space...".
