Written by Jimmy English
On a weekend when the weather wreaked havoc on the country, part of me was happy to be in the comfort of my home. That being said, there were some close games in the Irish American Football League that I would have loved to see. But standing on the sidelines in the wind and rain is no fun. please do not worry. Because when the sun appears again, I'll be back on the road again. In the meantime, here's a summary of the four games played on Sunday afternoon.
Cork Admirals 14 – Belfast Trojan Horse 21
The Leesiders are still waiting for a win. It was really hard to know who to back in this match as the manager had insisted that the Trojans would win easily, but my heart tells me never to consider this talented Cork team. Told. With standout quarterback Jake Kennedy running for first, the youngsters jumped out to an early two-touchdown lead before Yahn Dasini scored his second and it was 14-13 by the end of the third quarter. He was leading the way. The defense also contributed, with Adam Murphy and Matthew Sibanyonyi each having an INT and two fumble recoveries. But the Trojans weren't down all the way from Belfast and fought back with goals from Oran Wilson and Darren Quinn. Wilson's second TD followed by Thomas Boyd's interception resulted in a stalemate, with the visiting team ultimately winning the game. It really seems like it could go either way, and I'm already looking forward to the rematch in June! A special shout out to Admirals running back Andrew Lyons, who unfortunately suffered a broken leg and had to be taken to the hospital. We wish Andrew a speedy recovery!
Photo: Dave Bradshaw
Westmeath Minotaurs 21 – Belfast Knights 27
It was mainly the North side that won on the road today. If the conditions outside weren't so dire, I probably would have driven to Mullingar to watch this match. In hindsight, it's a shame they didn't, as the home team made a very dramatic second-half comeback attempt. The Knights took a nearly irreversible 27-point lead in his first three quarters. Marty Caskey had two touchdown catches, and Zach McDowell and Ben Wright had one each. Their defense was just as aggressive. Katherine Harper and Robby Alexander caused havoc with four sacks, and the senior Spencer had a fumble recovery. The hosts then began to close the gap with Sean Dalton's 20-yard touchdown catch. Niall Foran was also selected with the No. 6 pick, giving some hope. An unexpected victory came close when Rafa Monteiro added his third run late in the fourth, but despite having the ball with 90 seconds left, the rally fell short. The Knights flee back down the highway in victory, but the Minotaurs are left hanging on the wrong side as a result of losing two games.
Photo: Charisse Mae Ducao
Donegal/Derry Vipers 6 – Causeway Giants 6
No matter how you look at it, this encounter played out much the same as the previous one. The weather was a major factor, resulting in a tense single-digit scoreline. Nate Wilson scored the Giants' only points of the game on a passing touchdown to Tony McCloskey. The Vipers' only score came on Josh Reed's 15-yard run. There doesn't really seem to be much to say due to the lack of details about the game. Good, tough, bad weather soccer!
Photo: Desmond Rollery
razorbacks 0 – Sil Dara Crusaders 34
Both teams entered this match needing a win, but it was the away team who came away with a convincing victory. This 30-point victory over their opponents puts the Crusaders back in contention as one of the top teams in Division One. But don't rule out this former PSNI outfit just yet. Coach Richard Maloney commented after the game: They'll be a force in this division and I'm looking forward to playing against them again.''Positive feelings aside, you need points to win and the Kildare side had them in abundance. . Two pick-sixes by Oisin Maron and Corey McNamara provided the early score, and three forced fumbles and another interception by Gavin McDonnell sealed the shutout victory. The offense was firing on all cylinders as well. Craig Dooley scored a rushing touchdown, Liam O'Donnell scored another, and Wello (yes, he's still there) finished the game with 100 yards rushing and a touchdown. “The players gave their hearts and souls to win. They fought as a team,” Maroney added. It definitely sounds like a perfect performance and should get noticed by the rest of the division.
Photo: Paul McIlwain
