THE DONEGAL DERRY VIPERS ran away with it for a historic win over the Galway Warriors in Donegal’s first taste of gridiron action this afternoon.
Donegal Derry Vipers 34 Galway Warriors 0
Colaiste Ailigh opened its gates to American Football and a large crowd was treated to, not only what the Vipers regard as their best performance of their two seasons in the Irish American Football League, but a win that catapults them into the Bowl game.
The Vipers are now on their way to IAFL 1 after a superb win over the Warriors.
Frosses man Colm Kelly’s touchdown – his first for the club – in the game’s opening drive was the cue for a dominant display by the Vipers, who pulled clear with four touchdowns in the third quarter.
Gary Melly converted extra points on four of the Vipers touchdowns and
The Vipers running game clicked in that third stanza to obliterate the by-now patched up Warriors.
Danny Mullen, Chris Tinney and Derm Browne ran in touchdowns and quarterback Nic Young sneaked in another as the Vipers announced their arrival to Donegal in some style.
The win moves the Jason Brock-coached Vipers to 4-0 for this season, coming after they’d won only one game in 2015, their debut campaign in the IAFL.
The Vipers opted to receive after winning the toss and on their opening drive got in for a touchdown, Young throwing to Kelly from 12 yards.
A couple of hundred supporters, a mixture of gridiron buffs and a curious public, ventured to Colaiste Ailigh for the historic clash – and left impressed by the show put on by the natives.
Mullen intercepted a dangerous arrow from Warriors quarter back Rob Harrington and the home defence was every bit as adept as the offence to record their second zero-point game of the season.
Mullen had one crunching tackle to cut the Warriors down and made a gain of 40 yards on the next play after taking receipt of a Warriors punt.
Melly was just off target with a field goal attempt at the close of the first half, which ended with the Vipers 7-0 in front.
Early in the third quarter, Mullen took a hand-off from Young and surged into the end zone.
Kyle McAneny kept the Warriors at bay with a blood-curling challenge and returner Ryan Brolly made a gain of 60 yards to take the Vipers onto the Galway 15.
From there, the Vipers advanced and Minnesota-born Young sneaked over.
Young handed off to Tinney, who blasted his way to the end zone, all the way from the 50.
Eamon Quinn’s interception was the telling moment in the closing seconds of the third quarter as the Vipers struck for their fifth touchdown, Quinn carrying to the 10.
Young again neatly off-loaded to Browne, who danced his way to the end zone to leave the Vipers looking up with two games of the regulation season left ahead of the Bowl game.
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