SHAMROCK BOWL XV |

Posted 20th December 2001
By Andy Dennehy
CARRICKFERGUS KNIGHTS 07-28 DUBLIN REBELS
Sunday 16th December 2001
Venue: Woodburn Road, Carrickfergus. 20011

REPORT:
Running Back Brian Dennehy returned the opening kick-off 90 yards for a TD without being touched by a Carrickfergus player until the 1-yard line. He then ran in a two-point conversion. The Knights never recovered.

Rebels QB Paddy Blood played the game of his life, returning from an injury-forced absence to marshal his troops admirably. After a fired-up defence gave him the ball back Blood drove his offence the length of the pitch, sweeping behind a solid O-line and bruising FB Mark Kelly. He topped off the drive with a 20-yard pass into the back corner of the endzone to legendary TE Paraic Reddington after a playaction fake sucked in the Knights defence. The conversion was unsuccessful.

The Knights answered by recovering a fumbled punt and driving to the Rebels 10-yard line. From here Knights QB Stephen McDowell connected on an out pattern to WR Ron Smyth for the TD, which was converted to bring the score to 14-7 and the Knights within grabbing distance of the lead.

But that was as close as they came for the rest of the match. The still-fiery momentum was raging on the Dublin sideline, inspiring and incensing them to continue undeterred. They scored on a cheeky HB option just before halftime as RB Dennehy passed to WR Brian Martin for a 30-yard TD. Blood connected with Dennehy for the two-point conversion to make it 22-7.
20012

Comfortable, but not complacent, the Rebels held on. Both teams stepped up a notch on defence, with Michael Finucane and Steve Porteous pummeling Carrickfergus from the d-line and the Knights defence as a unit putting the brakes on Blood’s offence. The Knights QB opted for an aerial attack in the 3rd quarter, completing passes to WRs Smyth and Paul McKillop. Two nail-biting goal line stands by the Rebels, culminating in a crucial acrobatic tackle by Free Safety Marcus Naylor, kept the lead intact.

Late in the third quarter the game was laid to rest in peace. Dennehy swept in from 2-yards after carrying the ball almost exclusively on the 70-yard drive. 28-7, and Dublin just had to hold on for one quarter and they would return home with the coveted Shamrock Bowl. This they did, mainly thanks to an unerring defence.
20013