The New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers met in their NFL clash at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Entering the match, the Giants bounced back from losing their opening two matches of the season with back-to-back wins to top the NFC East. Meanwhile, San Francisco had lost their last three matches on the spin to sit bottom of the NFC West.
The two sides played out a thrilling contest as the lead exchanged hands several times throughout the match, and Carlos Hyde thought that he had won the game for the visitors with a late score.
However, Eli Manning drove the Giants down the field and with just 21 seconds left on the clock found tight end Larry Donnell in the endzone for an 12-yard touchdown to secure the win for his side.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the NFL clash between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers.
The Giants are searching for their third win on the spin following their last two victories over the Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills in their last outings. Tom Coughlin's men have bounced back from suffering back-to-back defeats in their opening two matches of the season and lead the NFC East in week five. They will now be determined to take a one-game lead at the top of their division ahead of their matchups against their rivals later in the season.
The 49ers had a bright start to life under new head coach Jim Tomsula as they crushed the Minnesota Vikings in their opening match of the campaign. However, the NFC West side have lost their last three matches to leave them bottom of their division, including their hammering at the hands of the Arizona Cardinals. San Francisco will be determined to get a win tonight to keep their season alive.
Let's take a look at the inactives tonight.
GIANTS INACTIVES: Kennard, Casillas, Hart, Cruz, Cunningham, Ayers, Selvie
49ERS INACTIVES: White, Davis, Hodges, Brooks, Silberman, Purcell, Davis
The Giants are without several defenders for the match tonight as linebacker Devon Kennard misses out due to injury, while Jonathan Casillas also misses the game. Victor Cruz continues to be sidelined with his calf problem, and defensive ends Robert Ayers and George Selvie are also absent.
The 49ers are without two key players as Ahmad Brooks did not travel with the team following the death of his sister, while Vernon Davis is absent due to a knee injury. Corey Lemonier and Vance McDonald will start in their place.
The Giants are also without tight end Daniel Fells this evening and for the rest of the campaign after he was placed on injured reserve. Fells is currently in hospital battling an MRSA infection, which could jeopardise his career.
The home side are fired up for tonight's contest.
FIRED UP for this game like #SFvsNYG pic.twitter.com/dR6usm41je
— New York Giants (@Giants) October 12, 2015
New York will start the game on defense as they won the coin toss. Colin Kaepernick and his offense will take the field first in an attempt to put their recent struggles behind them. The 49ers have scored just 10 points in their last two matches.
Brown will kick the ball off with Ellington back to receive.
The 49ers will start at the 20-yard line.
Hyde gets th ball on first down and runs for three yards before he is brought down. Kaepernick then slings the ball out to Ellington on a screen pass and he finds space to take the ball over midfield for a 32-yard gain.
Kaepernick throws short again for Ellington and he takes the ball for a seven-yard gain to the 42-yard line before a tough run from Hyde gets the first down for the 49ers.
Hyde takes the ball for a five-yard gain on first down as he charges through an attempted tackle from Beason. He gets another couple on second, but on third down and one, Bush is dropped for a loss by Hankins to force the field-goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL! 49ers 3-0 Giants (Dawson)
No problems for Dawson from 43 yards as he sends his kick between the posts to hand his team the lead.
Pinion sends his kickoff out of the back of the endzone, so the Giants will begin at the 20-yard line.
The Giants move the chains as Jennings gets the one yard needed on third and one to bring up a fresh set of downs. The back got all 10 yards on the first three plays following a three-yard run on first and a six-yard reception on second.
The 49ers blow a coverage and allow Odell Beckham Jr to get in behind them. The 23-year-old takes the ball 49 yards into the redzone to set up a scoring chance for the home side.
The 49ers make a crucial stand on the edge of their goalline as Jennings gets stuffed for no gain on third and one at the line of scrimmage. A vital hold from the visitors and it forces Brown on to the pitch for a field-goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL! 49ers 3-3 Giants (Brown)
Brown sends his kick through the posts from 22 yards to level the scores at MetLife Stadium.
Ellington takes the ball out of the endzone from the kickoff and gets to the 19-yard line before he gets brought to the ground. Kaepernick and the 49ers' offense take the field once again.
Kaepernick displays his athletic ability on the ground on third down and eight as he finds space over the left side of the line and runs for nine yards to the 31-yard line. Hyde was stuffed on first down as the Giants defense is beginning to clamp down on the back.
No first down for the 49ers this time as their receivers are covered downfield on third and eight. Kaepernick tries to escape with his feet once again, but Damontre Moore forces him out of bounds to earn a three-yard sack. Pinion punts the ball to the Giants' 29, but a penalty against the home side will back them up to the 19-yard line.
Manning does well in the pocket to evade the rush from the 49ers and he throws to his tight end Donnell for a five-yard gain to move the chains at the 30-yard line. Jennings continued his solid start with a five-yard carry on second. Decent start to the match from the home side's offense.
Manning fires the ball Tye to earn another first down for the Giants as a result of a 12-yard gain with a strike over the middle of the field.
Manning makes an alert play to catch the 49ers with 12 men on the field as they attempted to substitute. The hosts wil have a third and seven at their 42-yard line when the second quarter begins.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: San Francisco 49ers 3-3 New York Giants
The Giants convert on third and seven as Manning drills the ball to Beckham on a incut over the middle of the field and he takes the ball all the way to the 23-yard line of the visitors. A 31-yard gain for the Giants.
Vereen gets his first handoff of the game and he finds space over the right side of the line. The back manages to churn through a tackle to pick up 10 yards to move his side inside the redzone.
Manning guides his side even closer to the endzone with a low dart to Beckham, who stoops low to take the ball off the ground. The home side will have first and goal at the four-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN! 49ers 3-10 Giants (Manning - Vereen)
New York take the lead for the first time in the match as after Williams fails to find the endzone with a run, Manning takes the ball in the shotgun and drills the ball to Vereen in the flat for a four-yard strike. A simple score for the Giants.
Ellington tries to return the kickoff from Brown, but he drops the ball in the endzone and decides just to take a knee.
Kaepernick drills the ball short for Boldin for an eight-yard gain on first down, but Hyde then gets stuffed for no gain on second. However, the quarterback does well to evade the rush before finding Patton, who also doesa good job of avoiding a tackle to dive for the first down with a two-yard reception.
Hyde gets decked for a seven-yard loss on first down, which puts the 49ers under immediate presure. McDonald gets three yards back on second, but the yardage limits the playcalling ability of the visitors, who are forced into a screen pass on third and 14, which only yields six yards from Celek. Pinion punts the ball away and Harris returns the ball to the New York 34-yard line.
Manning continues his fine display with a lofted pass over the middle of the field to Rueben Randle on a slant route for a 15-yard gain to take the Giants to their 49-yard line. The passing game has been open to Manning so far this evening.
Donnell collects a short pass for four yards to get the hosts moving again and Jennings gets the first down by running through the middle of the line for a six-yard carry. The Giants have been balanced on offense this evening.
Randle makes back-to-back catches for seven and five-yard gains respectively to move the Giants to the 31-yard line and into field-goal range. The hosts on the verge of adding to the scoreline here, which would really put the pressure on Kaepernick and company.
Harris makes a crucial drop on third and four as he would have been able to keep the drive alive if he had managed to hold on. There was only one defender close to him, but he took his eyes off the ball and will force the field-goal attempt from Brown.
FIELD GOAL! 49ers 3-13 Giants (Brown)
Brown extends his side's lead to 10 points by sending his kick from 41 yards through the posts.
The 49ers wil begin at the 20-yard line.
Kaepernick moves the chains for his side as he fires the ball short to Boldin for five yards and then loops the ball to Miller for a 19-yard completion into the flat to take the visitors to their 44-yard line.
A holding call against Rodgers-Cromartie allows the 49ers to advance another five yards to the 49-yard line. The NFC West side need a response before the break to get back into the match.
Kaepernick drills the ball into the stomach of Smith for 17-yard gain to put the his side in a strong field position to reduce the deficit before the break. The throw had a lot of power behind it to get into the tight window and Smith made a solid grab to earn the first down.
Sports Mole are at MetLife Stadium this evening as Kaepernick has his side on the edge of the redzone.
We're at the MetLife to see the Giants take on the 49ers #SuperCityBreaks pic.twitter.com/hvLseBg3mS
— Sports Mole (@SportsMole) October 12, 2015
Kaepernick runs for the first down after his pass to Patton on second falls incomplete. The quarterback gets the yardage he needs, but fumbles the ball as Rodgers-Cromartie knocks the ball loose. Fortunately for Kaepernick he is able to jump on the ball before a blue shirt can react.
The 49ers fail on third and one on the four-yard line when Kaepernick fakes the handoff and opts to roll out to the right. The Giants don't fall for the trick and put the pressure on the quarterback, forcing an incomplete pass. Tomsula opts to kick a field goal by sending Dawson out on to the pitch.
FIELD GOAL! 49ers 6-13 Giants (Dawson)
Dawson sends his kick through the posts and the 49ers reduce the deficit to seven points.
The Giants begin at the 20-yard line.
The hosts are quickly into their stride as Vereen makes two catches to take his side to the 35-yard line, the second beating the coverage of Bowman over the middle of the field.
Manning edges his side closer to field-goal range with a 14-yard completion to his tight end Tye at midfield.
Tye gets loose again down the seam and Manning hits him for a huge gain to take his side into the range of Brown, and there could be time for more. A huge 18-yard reception from the tight end.
Manning throws short to Harris and the wideout turns to run towards the 14-yard line. The Giants take a timeout and have the chance to make one throw to the endzone.
INTERCEPTION! Disaster for the Giants as Manning throws to the endzone by putting the ball towards Beckham, but his underthrows his receiver and Brock makes the grab for the interception to save his side seven points. A crucial moment in the game.
The 49ers kneel down at the 20-yard line to end the half.
HALF-TIME: San Francisco 49ers 6-13 New York Giants
The Giants blow the chance to take control of the match before the break as Eli Manning threw an interception into the hands of Tramaine Brock. New York could have take anothre 10-point lead into the break, with the possibility of adding to the scoreline when they receive the ball first after the break. Tom Coughlin will not be pleased with the decision-making or execution of the play of his quarterback after that incident. The interception has overshadowed a solid performance for the home side, who have only themselves to blame for keeping the 49ers in the match.
Dawson's kickoff sails out of the endzone so the Giants will start at the 20-yard line.
Manning fires the ball to Harris over the middle on an incut and he makes the grab and then reverses direction. He gets 25 yards on the play before he gets brought down at the 45-yard line by Eric Reid.
The Giants' drive comes to an end with a punt from Wing as he sends the ball deep into the 49ers' half of the field. Manning's pass on third and three bounced on its way to Beckham after the visitors almost handed them a chance to convert after being called offside on third and eight. However, the Giants quarterback could not punish them.
Hyde somehow manages to escape recording a huge loss on first down by escaping the rush of Giants players down the left by cutting back to the right and running for a four-yard gain. Kaepernick gets the first down for his side with his best throw of the game as he lifts the ball over the top for Boldin to make a 37-yard reception down to the Giants 47.
Hyde finally sees some space to run into down the left side of the line and he races through the gap to break into the redzone for a 12-yard gain before he gets taken down out of bounds.
Former Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne gets the handoff for the 49ers on third down and one, and he churns over the right side of the line to get the yard and a few more to take his team inside the five-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN! 49ers 13-13 Giants (Kaepernick - Boldin)
The 49ers cap an impressive drive by levelling the scores as Kaepernick fires the ball into the flat for Boldin on an out route, who makes the catch in the endzone for the four-yard score. Much better from the quarterback and it is well and truly game on at MetLife Stadium.
The Giants will begin at the 20-yard line.
The Giants commit a penalty on first down erasing a good run from Beckham on endaround for seven yards. However, they are backed up 10 yards at first and 17, and Vereen can only get a yard back on the first carry. Manning then goes short to Donnell and then Vereen, but the back just cannot get enough yardage to move the chains. Hayne returns the punt back to the San Francisci 34-yard line.
Hyde drops the ball on first and second down to put the 49ers under pressure, but Smith makes a grab on a drag route for nine yards on third to be just short of the marker, However, a penalty against Boone backs up the visitors and Patton fails to get any yardage on an endaround, forcing the punt from Pinion. Harris collects the kick and returns the ball to the Giants' 39-yard line.
Manning gets his side moving with a short completion to Jennings who comes back on second down with a five-yard carry to move the chains. The quarterback then sends the ball over to Beckham and he makes a defender miss to raid down to the 49ers' 34-yard line.
Manning keeps the drive going with a short pass to Harris on third and two as the quarterback gets hit by Lynch, while the receiver gets clattered by Ward at the 17-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN! 49ers 13-20 Giants (Manning - Beckham)
Manning gets the ball off just in time under pressure fom Lynch and his pass sails to Beckham, who turns his marker with ease and sprints into the endzone for the 17-yard touchdown. The Giants retake teh lead in the contest.
The 49ers will begin at their 20-yard line.
Thr 49ers are forced to use a timeout as Kaerpernick misjudges the amoun of time left in the quarter from the scoreboard, but the visitor earn the first down when the quarterback fire his completion into the hands of Boldin for a seven-yard gain.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: San Francisco 49ers 13-20 New York Giants
The 49ers keep rolling down the field as Kaepernick makes a cruial conversion on third down when the quarterback finds Celek for a 15-yard gain on a hitch route down the middle of the field.
Collins gets penalised for pass interference againt Smith and it sends the 49ers into the redzone as a result of the 28-yard foul. It seemed to be harsh on the safety, but the officials stood by their call on the field, despite the protests of Coughlin.
Hyde races around the edge of the line to the left for a 13-yard gain to take the 49ers within five yards of the endzone. A solid run by the back as he has had to be patient with his breaks tonight.
TOUCHDOWN! 49ers 20-20 Giants (Kaepernick - Celek)
Kaepernick notches his second touchdown strike of the night as he finds Celek in the middle of the endzone for a four-yard score. The quarterback missed on a throw to Boldin on first down, but he showed poise in the pocket to find his tight end to level the scores.
Vereen returns the kickoff to the 21-yard line from Dawson's kickoff.
Davis makes an important grab for the Giants for a 15-yard gain on third down and one over the middle on a slant route to take his side to the 35-yard line. Beckham has gone out of the game with a hamstring injury, the pressure is on their young wideouts to make up for his absence.
Randle makes a grab for eight yards on a hitch route before Jennnings plows through the line for another four to move the Giants over midfield.
Jennings plays another crucial role in securing the first down for his side as he churns for five yards on first down and then makes a grab for seven yards on second to move his side to the 31-yard line of the 49ers.
A penalty on Newhouse stops a conversion from Jennings, but Manning comes back with a throw to Vereen to get the yardage back on second down and Manning throws a strike over the middle of the field to Harris to move the chains inside the redzone. A score here is crucial for the home side.
Vereen gets the handoff on third down and seven on a draw play, and the back gets six yards to leave the Giants short of the conversion. Matters could have been worse for the Giants had Acker intercepted the quarterback's attempted pass to Randle on first, but Coughlin opts to take the three points on offer by sending out Brown to kick the close-range field goal.
FIELD GOAL! 49ers 20-23 Giants (Brown)
A simple kick from Brown as he fires the ball between the posts to hand his side the lead. However, Kaepernick now has the chance to win the game for the visitors.
The 49ers will begin their drive at the 20-yard line.
A good start for the 49ers as Kaepernick fires the ball to Smith on a screen pass and he makes the grab to get behind a couple of blocks to run for a 25-yard gain to the 45-yard line.
Kaepernick makes another quality throw over the middle of the field as he loops the over the top of the Giants' defense for the run of Boldin, who makes the grab for a 26-yard reception down to the 29-yard line.
Hyde makes a huge surge through the middle of the line to reach the three-yard line on a 19-yard gain, after he managed to raid for eight down the left side of the line on the previous play.
A penalty on Rodgers-Cromartie moves the 49ers closer to the endzone and hands them another set of downs right at the goalline as he interferes with a pass heading towards Smith in the endzone.
TOUCHDOWN! 49ers 27-23 Giants (Hyde)
Hyde plows into the endzone from one yard out to hand the 49ers a four-point lead in the match. The score caps another impressive drive from Kaepernick, who has come under-fire in recent weeks, but has put in a solid display tonight.
The Giants start their drive at the 19-yard line, needing a touchdown to win the game.
The Giants get 22 yards on their first plays of the drive as Manning runs for 11 yards before taking a thunderous hit from Brock, while Vereen gets another 11 on a crossing route underneath the defence.
Manning hits Vereen underneath for a 16-yard gain on a slant route to take the ball to the 49ers' 44-yard line.
Manning throws the bal downfield, but Brock makes the interception which would seal the match for his side, but referee Walt Coleman has put the turnover under review.
Coleman overturns the call and the game continues with the Giants at second and 10 at the 44-yard line of the 49ers.
Manning dumps the ball of to Vereen on an underneath route and the the back takes the ball to the 19-yard line for a 26-yard gain.
A pass interference penalty moves the Giants to the 11-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN! 49ers 27-30 Giants (Manning - Donnell)
Manning loops the ball to the back of the endzone for Donnell, who gets above Bowman and Bethea to make the grab for the touchdown. An incredible score for the home side and surely a match-winner.
Miller gatehrs the kickoff from Brown and the 49ers will begin at the 21-yard line.
The 49ers cannot muster any yardage downfield as Boldin is dropped for a short gain, which ends the match. The Giants pull a victory out of the bag at MetLife Stadium.
FULL-TIME: San Francisco 49ers 27-30 New York Giants
Eli Manning does just enough to win the game for his side as he brings the back from a four-point deficit with one minute and 45 seconds on the clock to hit tight end Larry Donnell in the endzone for an 11-yard score to secure a third win on the bounce for the Giants.
Colin Kaepernick performed well for the 49ers, but he was let down by his defense on the final drive as they failed to close out the match, resulting in Jim Tomsula's men dropping to their fourth defeat on the spin.
Thanks for joining our commentary this evening, until next time goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
