LONDON HORNETS 26

COLCHESTER GLADIATORS 0

SFC 1 EAST

COLCHESTER Gladiators’ injury crisis deepened after they fell to defeat at the hands of London Hornets.

A number of their players have picked up injuries which are likely to keep them out for a number of games.

They include stand-in QB Curtis Bourke, who sustained a dislocated shoulder is could miss the rest of the season.

Starting the game with only 30 players dressed for action, Gladiators could ill afford to lose any more.

With starting QB Rob Wickham already sidelined for the year, head coach Luke Box turned again to receiver Sam Gennings.

Gennings made a sterling effort but with players going down seemingly on every drive, the depth of the squad is exhausted.

The last two running backs on the roster, Sam Morton and Thomas Blum also went down with injuries.

That forced linebacker Ian Hardy and safety Dave Kerr to take the hand-offs in the fourth quarter.

And with receivers Tom Clarke and Jake Wickham also unavailable, rookies Mike Drury and Ben Roper had to be thrown in at the deep end.

Despite their injury problems, the Gladiators started well with Dave Walton forcing a fumble on the Hornets’ first play.

It was recovered by Lewis Mews, and after a Gladiator punt, Mews got the ball back again when he picked off the Hornets QB.

The Gladiator offence struggled to get going and the Hornets took the lead after a nine play, 51-yard drive, despite a Josh Milgate sack of the London QB, and a fumble fortuitously recovered by the home side.

On the very next play after the recovery, their QB found a receiver behind the Gladiators’ defence with a pinpoint pass for a touchdown.

The extra point failed but the Londoners had opened their account, leading 6-0.

The lead was then doubled with the help of a penalty against the Gladiators on fourth down, gifting the Hornets a new set and the QB threw another touchdown pass.

The second quarter saw no change to the flow of the game, with the Colchester offence struggling to make an impact.

A long punt return set the Hornets up with a first down just 11 yards out and they made no mistake in adding to their lead, with a four-yard run.

In a repeat of a previous drive, the Hornets fumbled when Dave Walton stripped the ball from the QB but recovered the ball.

They followed up with another scoring strike and two point play to take a 26-0 lead.

The Gladiators then put together a drive and Morton rumbled for 33 yards deep into Hornets territory before having the ball stripped from his grasp.

It lay on the floor agonisingly before a Hornet fell on it, claiming possession and threatened to score again before Josh Mews picked off a pass.

QB Bourke was unable to take the field for the second half so Gennings set up under centre, handing the ball to Hardy and Kerr but failed to make much impression on the swarming Hornets.

Both defences were on top throughout a scoreless third period before the Gladiators started to find their running game early in the fourth.

Kerr broke away for a 26-yard gain and after Aaron Martin was unable to hang on to a Gennings throw in the endzone, Nathan Brown came on to try to break their duck.

But a low snap couldn’t be fielded so the attempt went begging, as Hornets claimed victory.

Gladiators' next match is at East Kent Mavericks on Sunday, June 3, kick-off 2.30pm.