It was a challenge Coach Vanden Warner and his Nottingham Caesars were willing to take on, and they went out and held their own when big-hitters Manchester Titans came to town at the weekend in a cross-divisional encounter at The Stute.

As the #2 ranked club in the UK, the Manchester Titans were always going to provide tough opposition for the Caesars come match-day, even the incessant weather conditions didn’t stop them, eventually.

The rain started early, doesn’t it always, and it benefitted the lower league hosts, and they hit the Titans when clearing up consecutive fumbles from the visiting quarterback, Defensive Line men, Taylor-Hutchinson, and O’Brien picking up the loose ends.

After the Caesars picked up a recovery from their own punt, the first touchdown of the afternoon was not far behind, Karim Hamdi shocking the Titans when daring to dream, the hosts opening a 6-0 lead, before Taylor-Hutchinson went off injured.

The Titans would take the lead themselves late in the first period, crossing the Caesars line to lead 13-6 at the break; it could have been more as well but for late tackles by the hosts’ Defensive Backs, twice stopping further scores.

After the interval, the Titans flexed a little more, and started moving ahead, that Caesars back-line breached on a handful of occasions, maybe giving the stronger visitors a more flattering score-line, especially after the first play of the second resulted in a Titans fumble that the Caesars gladly claimed.

Later in the half though, that Titans top-level experience paid dividends, the first coming after a series of altercations resulted in the Titans scoring, they adding two more in the closing stages to finish the game 34-6.

As the Lincolnshire Bombers was postponed, the Caesars now take a further, couple of week’s break, before they make the trip to face the Scunthorpe Alphas on Sunday 22 August.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @CaesarsFootball the team found the Titans too tough to crack.