AMERICAN FOOTBALL: Claymores collapse in the end

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

BY NICK HALLING

The Scottish Claymores' inaugural season in the World League is set to end in disappointment after their 33-27 overtime defeat by Rhein Fire in Dsseldorf on Saturday.

The defeat, coupled with a trip to unbeaten Amsterdam next week, effectively gives the Claymores - who have won only one of six games - no chance of qualifying for next month's World Bowl. Yet this was a game the Claymores seemed to have under control. They led 20-3 early in the third quarter, inspired by their running back, Siran Stacy, who finished with 175 rushing yards - a league record

Instead of killing the game, however, the Claymores self-destructed. Rhein Fire recovered and never looked back until with nine minutes left Andy Kelly completed a 42-yard pass to Deron Pointer and it looked to be all over. However, Stacy's second touchdown of the game with less than two minutes remaining tied the game.

In overtime. The Claymore's punter, Sean Conley, fumbled a routine kick. Rhein Fire recovered the ball on the Claymore's 16-yard line from where Shaumbe Wright-Fair ran in untouched to complete the Claymores' humiliation.