Kent Exiles 2 v 20 Southern Sundevils

BAFL National League South Division 1A

THE Kent Exiles American Football team faced a tough welcome to top flight competition, going down heavily to the well-drilled and tough Southern Sundevils.

The game started badly as the Exiles' perennial nemesis Jon Wyse returned the opening kick-off 71 yards for an early 6-0 lead.

However, the Exiles fought back and good defensive pressure from Aaron Alexis and Paul Clayborn forced the Sundevils quarterback to throw a fumbled snap out of the back of his own end zone for Exiles' only points of the game.

This was despite out-gaining their opponents by 42 yards as fumbles and dropped passes at key points stalled several drives and kept the Sundevils offence on the field.

Sundevils, who play in the top south division compared to Exiles in south division 1A, extended their lead through Wyse again and this time the extra point earned a 13-2 lead.

As the half ended, another Exile fumble allowed Sundevil Despotakis to find his twin brother Brandow with a two-yard pass and again the extra point was good leaving Exiles 20-2 down at the break.

A stern half-time talk from head coach James Mitchell and some adjustments to the offence seemed to make a difference in the second half as the Exiles moved the ball more easily and held the Sundevils' offence to minimal gains.

Defence coach Richard Clement said: "It was a tough baptism and it will be interesting when we play opponents from our own division."

In the British American Football League each team plays their own division opponents twice as well as teams from the top division once.