Northwest Vipers Clinch Home Playoff Game with Dominant Win Over Westmeath Minotaurs
Match Snapshot
| Date | Sunday, June 6th, 2026 |
| Gameweek | AFI Senior Kitted Division One – Week 9 |
| Opponent | Westmeath Minotaurs |
| Venue | Mulingar RFC, Westmeath |
| Final Score | 38-8 |
| Season Record | 6-1 |
Opening Overview
The Northwest Vipers secured a crucial 38–8 victory on the road against the Westmeath Minotaurs, officially clinching the #2 seed in AFI Division One and guaranteeing a home playoff game.
Despite a slow start, the Vipers showed their resilience once again, overcoming an early deficit before taking complete control of the contest. Dominant defensive play, timely turnovers, and an offence that found its rhythm as the game progressed proved too much for the Minotaurs to handle.
First Half Summary
The game began in difficult fashion for the Vipers as the Minotaurs opened the scoring with a safety following a bad snap on a punt attempt. The home side then marched downfield and added a rushing touchdown along with a successful two-point conversion to take an early 8–0 lead.
The Vipers offence initially struggled to find momentum, but a huge defensive play changed the course of the game. Ishy Ahmad came up with an interception that gave the Vipers possession deep in Minotaurs territory.
Quarterback Mike Naulty capitalised immediately, powering over the line on a quarterback sneak to get the Vipers on the scoreboard. Harry Burgess added the extra point to cut the deficit to one point.
The Vipers defence continued to dominate, with big plays from Josh Reed and Matt Graham, who consistently pressured the Minotaurs offence and disrupted drives.
The offence then found its groove. A clever route from Ishy Ahmad drew defensive attention and left Lewis Lecky open downfield. Mike Naulty found him in stride for a touchdown pass, with Burgess converting once again to give the Vipers a 14–8 lead at halftime.
Second Half Summary
The Vipers took complete control after the break.
Mike Naulty added his second rushing touchdown of the game on another quarterback sneak, with Burgess remaining perfect on extra-point duties to extend the lead.
The offence struck again when Naulty connected with running back Mike Mallon, who turned the catch into another Vipers touchdown. A bad snap on the PAT attempt looked set to end the scoring chance, but holder Lorcan McCartney showed excellent awareness to scoop up the ball and run it into the endzone for a two-point conversion.
The Vipers defence continued to suffocate the Minotaurs offence throughout the second half. Multiple turnovers gave the offence excellent field position, including an interception from Sean Devlin and several fumble recoveries.
The defence even added points of their own with a safety before Naulty capped off another strong outing by connecting with Ishy Ahmad for a late touchdown. Burgess converted the extra point to complete the scoring and seal a dominant 38–8 victory.
Key Performers
On offence, Mike Naulty (#17) earned Offensive MVP honours after accounting for four touchdowns and leading the Vipers offence throughout the afternoon.
Defensively, Joshua Ferris (#91) was named Defensive MVP after another relentless performance at linebacker, helping the Vipers control the game from start to finish.
On special teams, Harry Burgess (#29) earned Special Teams MVP honours, converting all of his extra-point attempts and providing consistency in the kicking game.
MVP awards for the 2026 season are proudly supported by The Branch Bar and Grill, Campbell’s Bar, The Old Dock’s and Georges Bar.
Closing & Next Fixture
The Vipers now return home with confidence high as they prepare to face the Causeway Giants at home on June 21st.
With a 6–1 record and the #2 seed secured, the Vipers have put themselves in an excellent position heading into the final stretch of the regular season as they continue their push towards the playoffs.
