Report: SGS Pride vs. Cardiff Cobras
Report by Eddie Koszler on 10 February 2026
Who knew American Football games could get so intense?
SGS PRiDE’s Friday night-lights game gave them a huge opportunity to shine against local rivals, the Cardiff Cobras, but were left in the shadows after an agonising 7-6 defeat to the Welsh team.
The first half started out with lots of aggression and change in possession, going from PRiDE having offense push to Cardiff pushing for a touchdown; both teams were doing all they could to give their team the upperhand in this battle between these two South-West titans.
When the first half concluded it was a 0-0 deadlock, proving how evenly matched the teams were going into this dusk-based duel. Despite no scores for either team, PRiDE Defensive End Denzel Boye had a standout performance, applying constant pressure to Cardiff’s offense pushes and providing numerous tackles to pivot the game into the hands of SGS.
Into the second-half is where the game really started to kickoff! After numerous pushes and changes of possession, PRiDE were presented with another chance to attempt a much-needed touchdown. The ball started with Quarterback Ash Bailey who threw a whistler to Josh Wilson who made the run to the endzone and got the first points of the game for the South Gloucestershire side.
In an attempt to build up more points, PRiDE went for a safety push to try to net another 2 points. Ash Bailey once again had the ball and threw a lovely ball to William Freire who almost made the play, but was denied the touchdown after a tackle on the edge of the endzone.
Cardiff wouldn’t go down quietly, keeping up with PRiDE’s plays and winning possession once again. Cobras player () would squeeze past the SGS defense and even the score with a wonderful touchdown. It would be the Cobra’s kicker, (), who would ultimately give Cardiff the upperhand by scoring their field kick taking the lead with mere minutes left on the clock.
PRiDE gave everything they could but sadly weren’t able to equal the score, leaving the Cobras victorious at the Stoke Gifford campus.
PRiDE’s Head Coach, Ben Herod, was clearly disappointed by the result but still gave the team much-needed praise despite the cloud of defeat hanging over them:
"A tough loss, and the first time we have ever lost to Cardiff. Up until the one mistake on defense allowed the score, I felt very comfortable about the score. The offense had been doing well moving the ball but our drives stalled in the redzone.”
“I really feel we beat ourselves here, having plenty of opportunities to put the game away. We left it a one score game for far too long, then their ability to convert their score compared to us ended up being the difference.”
Despite the game being a loss, Herod was still happy with the team’s overall placement and looked forward to the future: “We finish second in the division now regardless of what happens this Sunday away at Brunel. This does secure us a home quarterfinal against Northumbria and it would be great to get a rematch further down the line with Cardiff".
SGS Pride are back in action Sunday 15th February against the Brunel Burners! The team will make the journey to the Brunel University Sports Park, ready for a 12pm kickoff.