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The UL Vikings scored a third consecutive win in the 2011 season with an efficient performance over their divisional rivals, the Cork Admirals.
Cork Admirals 0 - 40 UL Vikings (game called before end of 3rd quarter)
Conditions were near perfect in Limerick as UL won the toss and chose to receive the ball. Following a good return by Brendan McCarthy, the Vikings started their first offensive drive of the day. Strong running from Ian Cahill lead the Vikings into the Cork redzone, however a well timed blitz stopped Marc Ashworth from trotting in for a 4th down score.
Cork took the ball on their own 20, however, their running game was swallowed up by a hunger Viking defence and the Admirals punted from inside their 10. Seamus Hogan took the bouncing kick and returned it to the Admirals 20. UL again came out running, however an offensive miscue and strong play from the Cork D-Line saw UL fail on consecutive 4th downs. Cork took the ball inside their 20 again, and again they were thwarted by a speedy Viking defence, with Alan O’Carroll and Mike Guinane making important tackles behind the line. Cork punted, and Hogan’s return was another lengthy affair, so it was fitting that he was the one to punch in the first score of the afternoon, finding pay dirt on a 20 yard end around.
With the Vikings defence getting the better of the Admiral offensive unit, Cork punted again, and again Hogan punished them by picking up the rolling kick and breaking off another impressive run back, not least due to some selfless blocking from Adrian Garvey. UL’s running game was now taking a stranglehold on the game. James Twomey broke a 12 yard run, following some fine blocks by receiver Brendan Curtin and the ever hardworking offensive line, and managed to take the ball inside Cork's 1 yard line. Twomey was unlucky not to score in the corner of the endzone on that run, however, Ashworth finished off the drive and punched it in from a foot out.
The Admirals' offensive struggles continued and they were forced to punt after some good tackles from Brendan McCarthy, Sam Vaughn and Dermot Moriarty. The Vikings made short work of their final drive of the half, Glen Carr doing the damage this time, punching in a short yardage effort to put UL into a commanding 20-0 lead at the half.
UL started the second half strongly, forcing the Admirals to punt from inside their 20 again. The Vikings scored again, this time on a 15 yard scamper by Twomey. On Cork’s ensuing possession, Brendan McCarthy intercepted a short pass on 2nd down to continue the Viking's impressive second half showing. After the turnover, Joe Nolan made some impressive gains on the ground, including an impressive 14 yard rumble along the right sideline, helped out in no small part by committed blocking from receiver Larry Sean Fitzgoldrick. Curtin completed the drive, hauling in a beautifully floated touch pass from Ashworth, in the back left corner of the endzone for the score.
Cork fumbled the ensuing kickoff, UL's coverage team recovered and the Vikings offence took over on the Cork 40 yard line. The Vikings scored on their third consecutive offensive drive, mainly due to some hard running from Glen Carr. Carr wore down a tired Cork defence with some pounding runs up the middle, before bulldozing his way through numerous Admirals on his way to a 22 yard score, the most impressive effort of the day. The extra point was missed, however, UL did not get a chance to kick off again, as the game was called before the end of the 3rd quarter, to ensure the safety of remaining Cork players, who had travelled light on the day.
The Vikings now look to their next game, a repeat of last year's divisional round game, as they play hosts to the Carrickfergus Knights.
Scoring Summary:
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
- Seamus Hogan - 20 yd rush (XP Glen Carr)
- Marc Ashworth - 1 yd rush (XP Glen Carr)
- Glen Carr - 3 yd rush (XP Missed)
3rd Quarter
- James Twomey - 15 yd rush (XP Glen Carr)
- Brendan Curtin - 13 yd pass from Marc Ashworth (XP Glen Carr)
- Glen Carr - 22 yd rush (XP Missed)
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