“Ulthuan Invitational Rd 3 game for the Alabaster Lantern, and probably the best comeback win ever for the Ruffians - albeit on a coin-flip! The Ruffians somehow snatched victory from the jaws of defeat - in fact I thought they had lost at least four times!

The Ruffians' initial game plan of inflicting some early damage with Skrit, Glart and Skitter soon went out of the window as Strong smashed their way up the pitch on their opening drive. Rats fell like flies, and the skeletons soon took advantage of the numbers with some nasty fouls which left only 3 rats on the pitch. Thankfully the babes brought the rats back up to 11 and they had a decent shot at a one-turn equaliser after three chain-pushes, but the catch was dropped in the pouring rain.

Second half Strong carried on where they left off, as did the Ruffians who couldn't have hurt a snotling with a blunderbuss. Rats started to drop again, with Glart and Skrit (for the second time) following Skitter into the casualty box. The Ruffians were rattled but at least were good at dodging, and managed to find a breakthrough down the left wing - Diggory scoring in the corner. Strong all but won it 2-1 in response, but following a pass and some dodges on the last turn their AG4 Blitz-ra snake-eyed the very last dodge.

In Overtime Strong won the toss and the Ruffians again looked lost, until a shallow kick and Blitz. Killjoy caught the ball after a fumbled catch, and the ball then changed hands several times in an almighty scrum on the wing. A skeleton lineman caught the ball but then skulled a block which would have put Denzil in the crowd. Gutters Denzil and Diggory then managed to blitz free and retrieve the ball to safety in a very loose screen. The few remaining rats dodged about the backfield with two other gutters trying to get free for a catch near the endzone. However they were heavily outnumbered and eventually ended the half with only two rats on the pitch. They did at least waste a lot of turns though - fortuitously avoiding a strong blitz at one point from a failed gfi - and only the Ag2 Blitz-ra could attempt a pick-up in the last two turns, without RR. He failed and the Ruffians followed up their late luck with the coin-toss to win the shoot-out.

One of the craziest games I've ever played hence the long write-up! The Ruffians look forward to the finals but without much hope after an absolute battering over the last three games! Congratulations to Mazylis who is a good sport as well as a good coach - he took an unbelievable late turnaround very well. Have lost a coin flip in similar circumstances so I sympathise; at least Strong won the same Lantern last year!”