Leicester Huntsmen 6

St Helens Cardinals 6 THE Cardinals finally kick-started this year's Grid Iron season after a couple of rather lacklustre performances which threatened to end the year before it had started.

A six-six score line, however, does not reflect new head coach Brian Coulson's Cardinals commitment in a game they could have won comfortably.

With the St Helens offence moving the ball with apparent ease behind veteran QB Paul Fallon and new teenage play caller Damian Marshall it was the spectre of the dreaded turn over which has haunted the Cardinals so far this season that came to the rescue of the Leicester side during the first half.

Firstly behind Fallon's direction St Helens went 74 yards downfield on eight plays only for a mis-timed hand off forcing a dropped ball which the Huntsmen gleefully recovered at their own four yard line.

Later in the first half it was Marshall's turn to suffer the highs and lows of football as the Cardinals drove downfield only to lose it deep in Leicester territory.

Then the spectre struck once more as the half appeared to be ending scoreless. Paul Fallon was hit by a posse of Huntsmen, the ball broke lose and Jaimahn returned it 57 yards to put Leicester 6-0 ahead at the break.

The Cardinal offence, howeve,r proceeded to dominate and when Stuart Archer broke from 37 yards to go in in the corner and tie the score at 6-6 the St Helens side finally glimpsed victory.

But it was not to be. Despite valiant efforts by Fallon and Marshall, and some hard nosed running by Hall and Archer, the Cardinals just failed to find the endzone and time ran out.

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