In the past 13 months the Mean Machines have directed more thrillers than Alfred Hitchcock. Last year they narrowly beat Kuopio Steelers by 3 points and then lost to Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns by a deuce. Both games were cliffhangers. Their second-round visit to Flash de La Courneuve on Saturday was another photo finish.

It was a tale of two halves. The first one was dominated by the French team which posted a couple of touchdowns in each of anterior quarters. Northerners took some serious smelling salts in the third period and fully caught up by the end. The Flash had a late surge and the whole event ended on a triplet of blown conversions.

On their opening drive, the Flash first moved the chains by a couple of Badis Grami’s passes to Guillaume Ketcheain-Francotte and then a toss to Yassine Sifeddine in the end zone, 7-0.

With their two running backs, Kasper Wedberg and Oliwer Stedt out of commission, and their starting quarterback, Mateo Renteria nursing an injury, it was 3 and out for the visitors.

The long snap went over the punter’s head but he scooped up the ball and booted it to the 19 yard line. Grami took advantage of the short field by hitting Darius Dawsey to up the score, 14-0.

The Swedes had found their groove in the next series when David Ottander and Erik Säving ploughed the field. Just when they got into the red zone, Johan Hallgren’s pass was picked off by Fara Mendy.

Judson Saint Louis and François Pion kept the drive going for the home team and Grami connected with Dawsey, Stéphane Fortes and Saint Louis for double-digit yards. Pion crowned the travail with a score of his own, 21-0.

It was more ground work for the Mean Machines in the extension. A couple of penalties pushed them out of the rival’s red zone before Emmanuel Makasso intercepted their deep pass to the scoring area.

On a screen pass Fortes escaped his defender and sprinted down the right boundary for 81 yards when Enoch Mawunguzi tackled him on a touchdown-saving race from the other sideline. The scoring play was a corner pass by Grami to Dawsey to end the first half at 28-0.

The Mean Machines must have stolen the Gauls’ magic potion during the break. Against all odds they still believed, desperately resolved to rage against the dying of the light.

After the intermission Renteria went in clenching his teeth and located Leonard Bronse and Anton Blomgren to put the ball near half-field. Ottander took over with his relentless rushes, finally breaking into the end zone to take the potato off the board, 28-7.

On a surprise onside kick, visitors’ Rodrigo Rocha Novella jumped on the ball. Makasso was the only one to make use of it though, recording another interception. Home team’s drive still faltered and the Mean Machines got another go at it.

It was already last quarter when Renteria dialed up Robin Gavelin Miranda and Isac Lilleberg and Ottander carried for a good chunk of yards. That thrust them in the red zone one more time, where the French team shot themselves in the foot with costly penalties. Ottander punched in for 28-14.

Another onside kick later and the ball was again in the Swedish team’s possession, courtesy of Omar Fall. Renteria dropped a rainbow to Blomgren who clenched the ball on a circus catch for a 44 yard gain. Gavelin Miranda fought his defender off and came up with a catch in the end zone for 28-21.

Flash offense got the ball back with 6 minutes to play and Saint Louis found a hole for 23 yards but their following rushes were stopped. They went for the field goal and missed, leaving 4 minutes on the clock and a palpable chance for their opponent.

It was 4th and 11 when the home team got flagged for a 15 yard pass interference penalty. On 4th and 15 with less than 3 minutes to go Renteria scrambled right and lobbed it to Blomgren who came up with another tough, 57-yard-long catch. Ottander broke 4 tackles to get into the end zone for a 14 yard touchdown. French kick blocking unit then did a fantastic job blocking the PAT and they were still in the lead by a point, 28-27.

With nothing to lose, the visitors went for yet another onside kick. This time it didn’t pay off. Flash RB, Pion jumped for the ball and ran it to the Mean Machines’ 16 yard line. Saint Louis scrambled for his team’s last points of the game. Stockholmares’ special team now blocked their rival’s low kick and the score was 34-27.

The time was 1:13 when Renteria started swinging for the fences. What ensued was a flood of completed passes to Ottander, Gavelin Miranda, Hallgren and Säving. Renteria even ran out of bounds for 5 yards, stopping the clock at 11 seconds, while skipping on his one good leg and reinjuring the other. The culmination was another touchdown pass to Gavelin Miranda who was all alone below the goal post. The score was 34-33 and the Mean Machines went for it all, not feeling their chances in overtime with a hobbled play caller. Protection held up long enough for Renteria to lift a spiral to Blomgren who was tightly covered on a crossing route by Mendy. The ball sank to the ground, along with the visitors’ hearts.

Both teams gave their all and neither one should regret anything. Fantastic first half by the Flash, 3 passing touchdowns by their domestic QB Grami, with 2 more by RBs and 3 interceptions to boot. Let’s not forget a crucial stop on the final defensive play. For the Mean Machines, a heroic comeback for the books, made possible by 2 recovered onside kicks out of 5 in total. They had a great second half where Renteria, still in rehab mode, posted 242 yards and 2 TDs to Gavelin Miranda, and Ottander showed up big for his missing teammates adding 3 rushing scores.

Even so, only one opponent will go to the semifinals as the home team. On 11 May, the Flash will lay the red carpet for Calanda Broncos who have bested Parma Panthers in the second round.