Because of the tight nature of the Northern Conference this was virtually the championship decider. Ironically the game was originally scheduled to be the Hawks home game but had to rearrange due to shortage of players. The only available date saw them surrendering home field advantage, a valuable cash outlay and in the end the Conference title to the fledgling Senators.

Both teams found the going tough in the first quarter. The Hawks recovered a Senators fumble to give the visitors possession but the Gateshead defence forced the punt. Possessions continued to be traded throughout the first quarter as they vied for supremacy and it was little surprise that the sides were tied 0 – 0 at the end of the first period.

Confident their defense could hold out the home side gambled on fourth down with Adam O’Brien taking the pitch out and scampering thirty-eight yards for the opening score. Stephen Manuel with a two yard barrel up the middle notched the extra points to give the Senators an 8 – 0 advantage. Both sides then traded fumbles before O’Brien again darted in for another six close to the end of the half. Manuel repeated his bludgeoning run to again secure the extra two and give the home side a 16 – 0 lead at the half.

The travelling Hawks held on grimly in the third. Quarterback Alan Harrison connected with Will Winter on a seventy-yard catch and run only to be downed by Gateshead on the seven-yard line. A series of penalties took Clyde Valley all the way back to the thirty-seven yard line with the drive stalling when Senators’ Simon Cruise snared a wayward pass.

The game moved into the fourth quarter with the visitors continuing their mistakes, coughing up the ball once more and giving Gateshead the chance to put the game out of reach. Cruise showed his versatility by scampering seventeen yards for the score and a further six points to stretch the lead out to 22 – 0. Clyde Valley continued the uphill battle and their efforts were rewarded when quarterback Alan Harrison scored a conciliation touchdown on an eighteen-yard naked bootleg. The kick for the extra two points sailed wide left as the Hawks reduced the arrears to 22 - 6. Although the visitors tried the onside kick, Gateshead were well prepared for it and recovered the ball and quash any hope of a Hawks come back.

The Northern Conference goes to Senators an excellent achievement in their rookie season. The Hawks, assuming they concede no more points will finish second. The prize for both of them is a couple of long, gruelling and difficult trips on the road for the playoffs. How they perform there will be a true measure of how strong their conference was this season.