With just two weeks to go until the opening day of the 2024 The Fly season at the Manchester Regional Arena, we’re once again rewinding all the way back to 2021 and the inaugural season of The Fly, taking a little look at the men’s final match in that enthralling first year!

After Swift had claimed the inaugural women’s title following a 21-16 victory over Forge, all eyes turned to the men’s final and a match-up of epic proportions: Forge v Rise.

Forge featuring international superstars like Tom Bracegirdle, Ming Trinh, and Ben Page-Laycock. Rise calling upon the extreme talents of players such as Ryan Hunns, Alex Russell, and Mike Pomfret.

Could Forge do what their women’s team had failed to do earlier in the day? Or would Rise reach the dizzy heights of top spot for the first time?

The group stage match between the two sides on opening day had seen 25 goals with Rise coming out on top after a 13-12 sudden-death over-time win. We were in for another lacrosse feast, surely?!

The first quarter was more tentative than anything else with Rise taking an early lead through Hunns, who showed he’s a force to be reckoned with at any level of the game as he nonchalantly slung one in with one hand to put his team ahead.

Another heavyweight of the game, Bracegirdle, dressed in the grey of Forge, wasn’t going to let his England teammate take all the glory and he levelled for his team just minutes later.

Cue four minutes of what can only be described as lacrosse chess as Forge and Rise tried to figure each other out, see where their weaknesses lay.

And then, a flurry of goals in the final minute of the quarter as Dan Watson put Forge ahead before Pomfret levelled for Rise and, with six seconds left on the clock, Page-Laycock pushed Forge into a 3-2 lead heading into the second quarter.

If the first quarter was a little slow then the second went by at break-neck speed with over double the amount of goals scored.

Watson added his second to put Forge two goals ahead at 4-2 before Russell hit one back for Rise with a fantastic individual effort.

A rare Tom Roche goal restored Forge’s two-goal advantage before another goal from Pomfret and then two from Russell put Rise back in the driving seat at 6-5.

Then came some more back and forth from the two evenly matched teams as Elliot Leonard levelled the scores once again before another one-hander from Hunns saw his team a goal ahead.

Bracegirdle forced Forge back on level terms at 7-7 before Pomfret and Hunns teamed up well to create an eighth for Rise and, with barely any time left in the quarter, Watson hit his hat-trick goal with a brilliant solo effort to ensure the men in grey went in at half-time level at 8-8.

Another two quarters of this? Yes, please!

In the third quarter, although relatively low-scoring, Rise really began to flex their muscles and stamp their authority on the game.

First, Pomfret scored his hat-trick goal with a superb no look shot before Prescott got his name on the score sheet with two quick fire goals of his own to put Rise in a commanding 11-8 lead.

Forge weren’t dead and buried just yet, though, as Page-Laycock had the last laugh of the third quarter with a smart finish to see the teams enter the final eight-minute quarter with just two goals separating them.

And so, it all came down to this final quarter. Eight minutes that would decide the fate of Forge and Rise. Who could write their names down in history and win the first ever The Fly men’s title?

Russell extended Rise’s lead to three goals once again early in the quarter before Forge turned it on with two goals from Watson, playing out of his skin, leaving the scores at 11-12.

Rise couldn’t seem to quite shake Forge but Hunns restored his side’s two-goal lead with his third goal from three shots with only a couple of minutes until the final whistle.

Forge weren’t done just yet though. Oh, no. Page-Laycock fired in his hat-trick goal with barely a minute left in the game to make it a one goal game.

Unfortunately for Forge, Rise’s game management was impeccable and they managed to see out the game to score a famous victory and lift the first ever men’s The Fly title!

Want to experience the drama of The Fly in 2024? Click the button below to grab your tickets for this year’s competition!

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