The Coventry Cassidy Jets travelled to face the London Blitz in Finsbury Park and came away with their heaviest domestic defeat in five years. The 32-0 drubbing was made worse by a season ending injury to defensive tackle Matt Barrett on the games first play. The scoreline didn't however do justice to the Jets much improved defence. The unit rebounded well from a woeful afternoon in Bristol where they gave up 40 points to the Aztecs.
A quick three and out from the Blitz handed Coventry the ball on their own 29 yard line. The first of five Jets' fumbles however backed Coventry toward their own goal line before Dion Andrade's 21 yard interception return opened the scoring and gifted London a 7-0 lead. The Britbowl XXII runners up quickly doubled the advantage behind Gareth Dauley's 11 yard touchdown scamper.
Whilst the defensively the Jets where doing their part, offensively they were going backwards. Ed Tate, under near constant pressure, was forced out of the back of his own endzone to hand the Blitz a safety and another two points. Coventry's ensuing drive ended after just one play as yet another fumble set up the Blitz on the Jets' two yard line. Jonathan Chilton rumbled in to make the halftime score 23-0 to the home side.
After a torrid first half the Jets' offence came out firing after the break. Three quick first downs set up Coventry in London territory but the drive quickly petered out. Several needless penalties quashed the Blitz's next possession as they began to lose their discipline but the Jets helped them out again, losing 36 yards on two plays with the second ending in another safety, it could have been worse if Tate didn't put his body on the line to recover another Coventry fumble.
With the fourth quarter in full swing both sides began to heavily rotate their personnel, back up running back Oliver Hypolite-Bishop looked anything but second string as he darted 28 yards for a touchdown to end the scoring. Coventry mounted one last drive in vein as they failed to score for the second straight game against their north London opponents.
In an ill tempered affair that included a near bench clearing brawl, Head Coach Gerry McManus can take some solace in the demeanour in which his team competed. Two penalties for 20 yards are both record lows for the Jets whereas their usually classy rivals frequently found themselves in hot water with the officials for some questionable behaviour. Next up for the Jets is a trip to the south coast as they travel to the Sussex Thunder on the 16th of August.
