The Rams edged out a dramatic 21-20 victory over the Scunthorpe Alphas in a game full of momentum swings, big plays, and late-game drama.

The away side opened the scoring with a well-executed drive, capped by a touchdown pass from Taylor Umland to Dan Haywood who sauntered into the endzone untouched. Trishmpriyo Sarkar’s PAT was good, giving the Rams a 7-0 lead. The Alphas responded with a solid drive of their own, including a key fourth down conversion, but the Rams’ defence held firm and forced a turnover on downs.

Scunthorpe came inches away from tying the game when they reached 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line, but a loss on some great defence and a fumble on the next play pushed them back 10 yards. The Alphas set up for a field goal and a cleverly disguised fake almost led to a touchdown but the pass from the Holder was out of the back of the endzone.

The Rams started the next drive with a QB run but Umland fumbled and only just got the ball back but ultimately the drive would stall and end in a punt.

Shortly after, a long pass to Alphas receiver #9 set up a rushing touchdown. The PAT was good, tying the game at 7-7.

The Rams answered back quickly, with Umland connecting with Joey McEntee in the endzone on a crucial third-and-long, followed by another Sarkar PAT to make it 14-7.

On the first play of the next Alphas drive, Rams defender Ewan Harris intercepted the ball, shifting momentum back in Yorkshire’s favor. The Rams managed the clock well to end the half, although Umland drew a strange unsportsmanlike penalty for delaying the kneel-down.

The second half began with the Alphas going three-and-out following a long injury timeout. The Rams made them pay, as Jono Bell-Davis broke free for a long touchdown run to add to his two touchdowns against Chester last week. Sarkar added the PAT again, extending the lead to 21-7.

Scunthorpe responded with a quick scoring drive, fueled by another deep pass, and capped with a touchdown to #84 to close the gap to 21-14.

A huge run from Rams’ Elliot Jackson nearly led to more points, but a missed field goal after an intentional grounding call gave the Alphas a reprieve.

An Alphas drive was nearly derailed by a massive loss on a fumble, but a roughing the passer call gave them new life. However, they were later forced to punt, which was expertly left to bounce into the endzone by the Jackson.

A bad snap and a sack ended the Rams’ next drive, setting up a key defensive series. The Rams defence stood tall, breaking up a fourth-down attempt to protect their lead. But the Alphas struck back quickly on their next possession with a screen pass taken to the house that brought them within one point. The PAT attempt missed, when the holder mis-handled the ball, leaving the score at 21-20.

With time winding down, the Rams engineered a long drive, taking up the clock and ending in a punt into the corner. On the Alphas’ final possession, Harris made another crucial play, breaking up a deep third-down pass. The fourth-down attempt fell incomplete, and the Rams ran out the clock to secure the win.

The Rams walk away with a gritty win, while the Alphas are left to reflect on missed opportunities and a crucial missed PAT.

Live Stream

You can watch a replay of the game below from the Alphas’ YouTube channel:

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