Scoring
Q1
0-7 Trinity: James Marron, 9 yard run. PAT good (James Marron).
0-14 Trinity: Rob McDowell, 50 yard run. PAT good (James Marron).
0-21 Trinity: Rob McDowell, 60 yard run. PAT good (James Marron).
Q2
0-28 Trinity: David Corcoran, 30 yard reception. PAT good (James Marron).
Q3
0-34 Trinity: Rob McDowell, 90 yard run. 2 PAT no good.
Q4
8-34 Trojans: Chris McKeown, 35 yard reception. 2 PAT good.
8-42 Trinity: Hodson, 5 yard run. 2 PAT good, Connor Logue 3 yard reception.
Game Report
Game Report by Darrin O’Toole:
Game Photos
Photos by Máirtín Ó Conghaile
[nggallery id=12]
A warm but overcast day at Trinity Sports Grounds, Santry was the setting for a game that would show how two of the IAFL’s dark horse teams would fare this year. Trinity College Dublin stood at .500 going into the game against a 0-1 Trojans team that travelled to Dublin with the intention of getting their first win. Having seen Trinity dismantle DCU, only to falter to the Rebels, Belfast must have thought they could achieve their goal of a first victory. Trinity, however had other plans and by the end of the game TCD would show that Trinity can more than hold their own in their debut season…
On the opening possession TCD unleashed its 3 headed monster at the running back position with great effect. Big plays from rookie RB Rob McDowell and new RB Ricardo Carbonell brought Trinity to the red zone. Senior RB James Marron was given his first carry and seized his opportunity, running into the Trojans’ endzone to give the Red & Black a 6-0 lead. Marron, who also is the teams special teams’ captain, kicked the PAT to give TCD a 7-0 start.
On the Trojans’ opening possession, they struggled to move the chains and had to punt. Two plays later, RB McDowell broke to the sideline on a 50 yard run to put the students up 13-0. Marron again kicked one down the middle to put it at 14-0. If those in attendance were impressed with McDowell’s 50 yard run, they were to be shellshocked by his encores later on.
Belfast again had little success moving the chains. On the second play of the 3rd TCD drive, McDowell stormed right through the heart of the Trojans defense at lightening speed to score a blistering 60 yard TD, effectively ending the game early. Marron kicked the PAT to give TCD a 21-0 lead and leave the Trojans wondering how 21 points were on the board so quickly.
In the second quarter the Trojans rallied. They managed to move the ball with more success; although the red zone alluded them, thanks to the excellent defensive performance of Yousef Abdul Wahab, who terrorized their backfield.The TCD offense rolled back on to the field. New signing from Valencia Ricardo Carbonell ran riot down the field, although the Trojans held firm and finally kept Trinity out of the endzone.
The Trojans offense came on again and had little success. On the next TCD drive, QB Hodson threw a 20 yard pass to WR David Corcoran. Corcoran dodged the oncoming DB and jinked into the endzone on what ended up a 35 yard play. Again, Marron hit the PAT and Trinity’s sideline were ecstatic at having a 28-0 lead at the half.
At the beginning of the second half, the Trojans came out firing. Some good completions got the ball rolling, followed by an excellent 50 yard screen pass which had touchdown all over it until CB Brendan O’Sullivan’s last gasp tackle on the 3 yard line. Over 4 big plays, TCD’s defense marshalled by Senior LB Connor Logue, held fast and stopped what looked like a certain score for Belfast. The play of the drive was a fingertip deflection by CB Conor Campbell.
Belfast now had Trinity’s offense on its own 1 yard line, and surely must have been thinking safety. However, on 3rd down Rob McDowell gave the IAFL a moment of magic, exploding for a 90 yard run. McDowell had over 300 yards on the day and is emerging as one of the most exciting players in the IAFL. TCD went for a 2 Point attempt, but good Trojans coverage kept Hodson from completing.
The fourth quarter saw Belfast hit an excellent route to score their first points of the day. Going for two, they powered into the endzone to make it 34-8.
Trinity used much of the second half giving valuable game time to rookies and back ups and, to their credit, they performed well. The Red & Black rolled down the field. In the red zone, TCD brought its starter package back on, and on 3rd down QB Hodson scored himself. An excellent pass to TE Connor Logue saw TCD at 42-8 and 2-1 as the game ended.
Trinity now travel to play the 1-2 Craigavon Cowboys in Craigavon this Sunday. The Trojans must lick their wounds and prepare to revive their season May 2nd against the Dublin Dragons.