FARNHAM Knights 32, South Wales Warriors 14 (Premier Div). The Knights celebrated their 30th season in British American Football with victory against a Warriors team who had pipped them by two points in the away fixture.

That was the game when Farnham lost their starting quarterback and his back-up to injury for the season.

It was therefore fitting that third-choice QB Ally Reid should put in a great performance with both the passing and running attack, showing that practice makes perfect.

Players and coaches from throughout the 30 years swelled the crowd. They included former head coaches Marc Salazar and Frank Snyder, who had both flown in from the USA specially for the occasion.

Knights got off to a great start as Steve Godfrey returned the opening kick-off 65 yards to set up a great field position.

Star running back Aaron Sekwalor carried the ball to the 3yd line, from where backfield partner Nick Roope ran in the first score and then added the first of his four 2-point conversions to make it 8-0.

South Wales, challenging for third in the league, hit straight back with a powerful running attack (6-8) and continued to make progress, despite some fine work from Lloyd Scott who led Knights’ tackling on the day. A spectacular diving interception by Ash Lee James saw the ball back in Farnham hands.

Sekwalor, Roope and Reid all made first-down yardage and Sekwalor set himself for a 15yd scoring pass to Stealy-J Wills. Roope’s 2-point conversion stretched the lead to 16-6.

The second quarter was a defensive battle, the highlight coming when Bart Bashary picked up the ball and scampered the required distance for a first-down, breaking tackles along the way.

But the Knights offense stalled in the third quarter and Warriors took advantage by running in a touchdown and 2-point conversion, closing the gap to 14-16.

However, as the fourth quarter started, Reid hit Michael Bradley-Banzski for a dazzling 54yd catch and run touchdown. Roope’s 2-point conversion gave Farnham breathing space at 24-14

The Knights defense held firm on the next drive and Reid found Bradley-Banzski – his favourite target for the day – for a 45yd gain that set up Sekwalor for a 3yd scoring run. Roope again added the extra 2 points and Knights had victory in the bag.

There was still time for Lloyd Scott to secure the sack he needed to break the long-standing Knights single-season record. Bashary ended Warriors’ next drive with an interception and when the visitors got the ball back, Lee James recorded his second interception of the day.

This was Steve Rains’ 100th regular-season win as head coach, fittingly witnessed by Salazar and Snyder who gave him his first coaching role back in 1988.

Rains said: “This was a great win on an important day for the club. Our guys wanted to show the past generations of Knights that the foundation they laid has built a strong programme and they did that. So too did our junior team who had a great win against Nottingham Caesars the same day.”