On Sunday the 25/5/08, a day that started in Essex with torrential rain, The Spartans travelled to Kent for an away game at Maidstone Pumas. On arrival the team was in good spirits, little did we know what was to follow.

The weather in Kent was good and the match got under way with both teams testing each others defences. The Pumas went ahead on a drive that was full of Spartans penalties; in a team so full of new players the Spartans could ill afford to do this. After conceding 7 points the Spartans put a drive together which saw kicker Luke Purcell #10 attempt a field goal but unfortunately it went wide left; something that was to haunt the Spartans later in the game.

Eventually the Spartans scored a TD of there own via the running of Matt Campbell-Carr #27, there then came a period where both teams traded punts. This was broken by another TD for the Pumas this now made the score 13-6 to them. The Spartans kept driving but conceded penalties to often eventually they scored via a short yardage run from Marc Saunders #56. The Spartans went for the 2 pointer to put them ahead but failed this led to the final score of 13-12 in the Pumas favour.

Manager Tony Palmer said "With such a new and young squad things were always going to be slow to develop. In future games the lads will knit together and one good result will give them confidence."

He also had praise for veteran defence players Shulba Hunt #40 and Gary Smith #58 along with Saunders who kept at it when things sometimes did not go according to plan. The Spartans now travel to the Cobras who lay in wait in West London, they are very much the favourite so the pressure on our youngsters should ease of a bit and allow them to enjoy the game.

Although now 0-2 Palmer is quite happy at the way things have developed over the winter saying "Last year saw us with a twenty man squad and at one game only field 17 players. We now have a squad of 52 and although in the first 2 games not all were available the future is looking a lot brighter."