Reading 15 - 36 Plymouth Admiral

Reading Renegades made their first away trip of the year to the Plymouth Admirals on Sunday, only to find themselves on the wrong end of a 36-15 scoreline.

Both teams started a little shakily in slightly soggy conditions, Plymouth fumbling on their opening drive, with Renegades linebacker Neal Kent pouncing on the ball. Reading started promisingly, with Paul Cook racking up some quick yardage with powerful running, but Plymouth snatched the ball back with a Kyle Micallef interception of a Paul Waddington pass. Again, though, the Admirals couldn’t hold onto the ball, Kent jarring the ball loose from running back Michel Lange, with Ben Callus grabbing it for the Renegades, giving them great position in the Plymouth half. The drive stalled just outside the redzone, and Duncan Robertson just failed to hold onto a fourth down pass, diving at full stretch for the ball. Plymouth were moving the ball well on the ground, but neither team would get close to the opposing endzone in the first quarter.

Plymouth got threateningly close to the Reading line early in the second quarter, Nicholas Copley finding his way through the Renegades defense to move the ball to the 12-yard line, but the men in red held firm and forced a turnover on downs. The teams traded punts on their next few drives, Reading’s Oli Neal pinning the Admirals back deep, and Plymouth’s Melvyn German returning the favour. Late in the half, Reading broke the scoring deadlock when Waddington connected with Robertson for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Kent’s point-after kick was good, and it was 0-7. Cook got the Renegades’ hearts racing in the dying seconds of the half, breaking through tackles to go 38 yards down the sideline, before being brought down by the last man between him and the endzone as the clock ran out on the first half.

On Plymouth’s first drive of the second half, the hearts were pounding again, this time as Micallef raced 37 yards downfield, apparently clear to the endzone, before Renegades’ defensive back Duncan Scott’s last ditch tackle saw the ball knocked loose at the 6 yard line, with Ian Hiscock recovering in the Reading endzone and returning the ball 14 yards. Reading had to punt the ball away though, and Plymouth put together a 15 play, 54 yard drive, finished off when Copley went over from 2 yards out. The two-point attempt was no good, but the score had tightened to 6-7.

The Admirals defense struck on the ensuing Renegades drive, Waddington fumbling as Thomas Yelland got to him as he looked to throw, with David Wellbeloved falling on the ball for the recovery at the Renegades 11 yard line. From there, Copley bulldozed through the Reading defense and crashed over the line. Copley’s two-point run was good, and Plymouth now had the lead, 14-7, as the game entered the fourth quarter.

Plymouth scored again, following another Micallef interception, driving the ball virtually the full length of the field thanks to the legs of Copley and Marco Pinder. Micallef got his name on the scoresheet, going over from 1 yard out, and again Copley’s two-point run was successful, the lead now stretching to 22-7.

Reading certainly weren’t done yet though, and on the very next drive, Cook notched up another lengthy run, crossing the Admirals’ line from 34 yards out for the touchdown. Waddington found Oli Neal in the endzone for the two-point conversion, and it was 22-15. Plymouth came straight back though, with more excellent running from Copley. Micallef looked to have scored again, but was stopped just short of the goalline. From the 1 yard line, Pinder recorded his first touchdown as an Admiral. Copley was again good for the two-point run, and the lead had moved out again, 30-15.

Things just weren’t going right for the Renegades, as Wellbeloved jumped on another Waddington fumble, the ball being jarred loose on a huge hit by Jerome Cronin. Micallef took the ball in from 28 yards out for his second touchdown of the day. The two-point pass was broken up by Ian Hiscock, but the final score had now been set at 36-15, as Reading failed to convert on a fake punt and the Admirals took a knee to run out the clock.

Reading MVPs were Paul Cook on Offense, Anthony Crossley on Defense and James Smith on Special Teams.


The Renegades are proudly sponsored by Goldline Travel