The Titans, coming off their season opening win against Lancashire last week, were looking to continue their good form against the Hornets. This season Hull had moved into a fantastic new ground at Brantingham Park, and were looking to revenge their 2 losses to the Titans last year.
The Titans won the toss and elected to receive. WR Adam Simms took the kick off and returned it 46 yards to the Hornets 44 yard line. Two Ryan Farrell runs carried the ball to the Hull 6 yard line where QB Alan Mead hit Simms with the opening TD with the XP missed.
2 plays later the Titans got the ball back when LB Sandy Kyriacou forced a fumble that fellow backer Hugh English recovered. RB Ross Profit then took his first carry as a Titan 28 yards for a TD with Farrell adding the XP for a 13-0 lead.
On Hull’s next possession they moved the ball efficiently down the field but ultimately turned the ball over on downs on the Titans 29 yard line. Some good running by RB Niall Sweeney and a key 3rd down catch by WR James Dean moved the ball 71 yards, finished off by Sweeney’s 14 yard run into the endzone. Again the XP was no good.
The Titan’s Defence held Hull to 3 and out on the next possession but the punter mishandled the snap and the fumble was recovered by DE Neil Cash as the 1st quarter ended.
Three plays later Profit ran in his 2nd TD of the day from 1 yard out with Farrell converting the kick for a 26-0 score-line.
Again Manchester’s defence forced Hull to punt and on the following play Mead hit Simms on a short pass over the middle that he took 58 yards for a Touchdown. Farrell’s kick made it 33-0.
On Hull’s next possession DE Andy Burridge forced and recovered a fumble which again gave the ball to the Titans Offence. After a couple of runs and a penalty, Simms scored his 3 TD of the day with a 38 yard reception from Mead followed by another Farrell conversion.
With only a few minutes remaining in the half Hull mounted one of their best drives of the game, moving all the way down to the Manchester red-zone, but with just seconds remaining, veteran LB Michael Smith intercepted a Hull pass and raced 45 yards down the sideline before being knocked out of bounds as the time expired with the half-time score 40-0 in favour of the Titans.
Hull started the 2nd half with the ball on their 26 yard following their kick-return. However DT Paul Welsh forced and recovered another Hull fumble. 2 Ross Profit rushes netted 14 yards setting up a TD pass to TE Chris Heap from 7 yards out. A bad snap on the PAT left Farrell with no choice but to try to run it in, but the Hull defence tackled him short of the endzone.
On the next Hull possession Safety Jon Homer intercepted a Hull pass setting up the Titans with a 1st & 10 from the Hull 35 yard line and despite a 20 yard reception by TE Tom Leonard on 4th & 9, a fumble by RB Kenny Harrison gave Hull the ball back.
However Hull immediately gave the ball back to Manchester with GB International player Graham Roberts picking off a Hornets pass and returning it to the Hull 9 yard line where WR Rik Lowthion caught Mead’s 5th TD pass. The Titans went for 2PAT but Profit fumbled the ball into the endzone where Hull recovered leaving the score at 52-0.
Hull’s next possession saw LB Rick Hurst force a fumble for Hugh English to recover. But RB Sweeney returned the ball to Hull with a fumble in the Hull red-zone. However 2 plays later FS Dave Barnett picked off a Hull pass and returned it 11 yards for a score to end the 3rd quarter.
On Hull’s next possession the Titans defence again forced Hull to punt but LB Smith broke through to block the kick giving the Titans the ball on the Hull 29 yard line. Two rushes by RB Nick Copley increased the Titans lead, the latter being a 23 yard scamper into the endzone. Farrell’s kick made it 65-0.
The Titans defence again forced a Hull punt and Simms returned it 31 yard yards to the Hornets 35 yard line. From here backup QB Rik Lowthion hit TE Heap with a 35 yard TD pass with Farrell’s 6 conversion being the final score of the game, 72-0.
Manchester now have a week to prepare for the visit of the Shropshire Revolution at Broughton Park on Sunday 30th May.
Titans MVPs
Offense – Matt Gornall OL
Defense – Michael Smith LB 4 tackles, INT, Punt Block.
Special Teams – Chris Heap (5 tackles)