Chester Romans entertained Edinburgh Wolves in BAFA National League NFC One but finished on the wrong end of a 32-6 scoreline.
Edinburgh made the final in 2014 so another tough game was anticipated and the Scottish visitors opened up a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter as Chester were slow to get going.
Two more Wolves touchdowns in the second quarter had the Romans trailing 20-0 before good running from running back Ash Wainwright got the hosts rolling.
The tried and trusted partnership of quarterback Brad Chilvers and wide receiver Martin Cocking combined to get Chester on the board as a 45-yard touchdown made the scores 6-20.
Wainwright carried the workload on the ground, earning himself the game MVP, but it was another pass from Chilvers that got the home crowd going.
This time the pass was only five yards to Tom Morley, but the receiver broke free and sprinted down the sideline for 52 yards before he was stopped just short of the touchdown. However, Chester were unable to capitalise on the field position and the score remained the same.
The momentum then shifted and Edinburgh looked sure to score with a runner going into the end zone from a couple of yards out but linebacker Scott Gillham stripped the ball out of his grasp and defensive end Danny Cotton dived on the loose ball.
The second-half was more of a stalemate between the sides with no further scoring in the third Quarter and most of the fourth as the Romans defence made several good stands with defensive MVP Rich Burgess leading the fight.
Chester had several chances to score but couldn't convert them and deep into the fourth quarter the Wolves broke through the defence with a deep pass and then a short run following a fumble to end the game as a contest and seal a 32-6 win.
The Romans now have a fortnight off to prepare for the trip to Telford on May 31 to face Shropshire Revolution.
