The Glasgow Tigers welcomed the Gateshead Senators to Nethercraigs on Sunday, and wasted no time in taking control of their final home fixture.
QB Ally Kay found passes to Jig McCoy and Kenny Muir which set up Steven Williamson to run the ball in for the game’s first touchdown. Jason Maclean added the extra point to give the Tigers an early 7-0 lead.
Despite keeping the Senators at bay for the rest of the first half, the Tigers were unable to add to their lead. A nice drive took the ball 60 yards down the field, but the Tigers came up just short when time expired for the half.
The first half may not have presented many scoring opportunities, but this changed in the third quarter. The Tigers defence were first to get on the scoreboard, as linebacker David Carney – on his way to a tremendous day – notched up two great solo tackles for losses leaving the Senators on their own one-yard line. Defensive lineman Paul Polson brought down the Senators ball carrier in the endzone for a safety, making it 9-0 to the Tigers.
The Senators kicked the ball back to the Tigers, who immediately drove down the field before Ally Kay ran in for a touchdown, leaving the score 15-0 after an extra point attempt sailed narrowly to the left of the uprights.
On the following Gateshead drive, Connor Nicholson forced a fumble which was scooped up by Craig Aitchison to give the Tigers the ball once again. Good runs from Jig McCoy and Ally Kay gave QB his second touchdown of the day, before a high snap forced kicker Jason Maclean into a failed two-point conversion attempt which left the Tigers 21-0 ahead.
As a bumper third quarter for Coach McCluskey’s side drew to a close, the Tigers made it to the end zone again when Ally Kay found veteran receiver Kenny Muir with a touchdown pass. A failed conversion saw the Tigers go into the fourth quarter 27-0 ahead.
The Tigers weren’t done for the day, as Adam Shakor got on the scoresheet with a great grab in the endzone before Jason Maclean made it 34-0 with the point-after kick. Defensive player of the day David Carney intercepted a pass – after seeing two previous INTs ruled out thanks to penalty flags – and returned it 16 yards to give the Tigers great field position.
Two plays later Ally Kay went on a mazy run through the Gateshead defence, going all the way from one side of the field to the other before finding the end zone. That score, making it 40-0, would prove to be the game’s last as Connor Nicholson and David Carney put the game to bed with a huge sack on the Gateshead QB on their final offensive drive.
The victory puts the Tigers on 4-5 for the year, with one final game left to play this Sunday (July 28) when the Glasgow side make their longest away trip of the year to face Yorkshire Academy Rams in Leeds.
