Trojans Force Draw Against Knights – AFI Week 8 Round Up
It was a relatively quiet weekend in the world of Irish American football, with only two league fixtures being contested. Both games took place in the northern half of the country, as the Trojans and Knights played out a thrilling draw in the Battle of Belfast and the Rhinos crossed the causeway to challenge the Giants! Meanwhile in sunny Stepaside, the Dublin Rebels hosted the North Central College Cardinals in a friendly game as part of the Global Football program. Despite being depleted, the Rebels gave everything they had, and even managed to score on a 75 yard pass from Greg Johnson to brother Dan! Keep reading to discover the outcome of the other games!
Causeway Giants 0 – Dublin Rhinos 7
The Rhinos really do not enjoy making things easy on themselves, and this clash with the Giants was no different. Only a few weeks removed from beating the neighbouring Antrim Jets by 40 points, the hosts couldn’t find the same spark this time around. The score remained at 0-0 until the fourth quarter, when Rhinos QB Ethan Bailey managed to finally punch in a score from one yard out. Paul Hosford added the extra point, and the West Dublin side’s long trek didn’t end up being in vain. A strong defensive performance all around, including a sack by Stephen Connor was critical on the day, holding the Giants to minimal first downs. Despite their respective resilience and strong performances, it’s hard to really see these sides causing much trouble down the stretch of the season but stranger things have happened!
Belfast Knights 24 – Belfast Trojans 24
It was a quick trip across the city for the Trojans on Sunday afternoon, as they headed to Malone Park to face the Knights. Dubbed the “Battle of Belfast”, it certainly lived up to this lofty billing, and by all accounts was a truly thrilling affair. The Knights went ahead early by way of a Marty Caskey field goal, which was swiftly reciprocated by Fergal Murphy. Their lead would then continue to grow well into the 4th quarter, where they held a 24-10 advantage. Scores on the ground came from Ben Wright and Spencer McDowell while Liam Moores continued to display his passing prowess with a touchdown pass to Marty Caskey. McDowell added an interception on Defense, as did Jonathon Headley. Trojans Quarterback Dom Lynn connected with his brother James for his sides first score of the game, before Maks Dimitrov incited a late comeback on a kick return touchdown to pull it back to 24-16. The Knights couldn’t make anything happen on their next possession, and with 2 minutes remaining on the clock, Darren Quinn made them pay with a rushing touchdown and 2 point conversion to tie the game. Despite ending in a stalemate (sorry) both teams could and should have a shot at a top tier playoff spot come the end of the season!