Northwest Vipers Finish Regular Season Strong with Victory Over Causeway Giants

Match Snapshot

Opening Overview

The Northwest Vipers wrapped up their regular season campaign with another impressive victory over the Causeway Giants at Prehen Playing Fields, finishing the year with a superb 7–1 record and carrying plenty of momentum into the playoffs.

Played under glorious sunshine in front of a strong crowd, the day was a landmark occasion for the club. Spectators enjoyed the action from the sidelines while Gold Dust Coffee kept supporters fuelled throughout the afternoon. The game also marked another significant milestone as the Vipers successfully hosted their first-ever live stream, allowing supporters unable to attend to follow the action from home.

With playoff football on the horizon, the Vipers delivered another complete performance on both sides of the ball.

Click here to watch back our Live Stream on YouTube.

First Half Summary

The Vipers could hardly have asked for a better start.

On the opening kickoff of the game, Ishy Ahmad fielded the ball and exploded through the Giants coverage unit before racing the length of the field for a spectacular kick return touchdown. The electric start immediately put the Vipers in front and set the tone for the afternoon.

The Vipers defence quickly settled into the contest and repeatedly frustrated the Giants offence. Sean Devlin was outstanding in the secondary, recording two first-half interceptions to halt promising Giants drives and repeatedly hand possession back to the offence.

The Vipers struck again in the second quarter when quarterback Mike Naulty connected with Ishy Ahmad on a deep ball. The Philadelphia native broke free behind the defence and finished off a superb 50-yard touchdown reception, extending the Vipers advantage.

The defence continued to dominate as the half drew to a close, producing a huge strip sack and recovery to end another Giants drive and send the Vipers into halftime firmly in control.

Second Half Summary

The Vipers continued to apply pressure after the break and capitalised on another special teams mistake from the visitors.

A bad snap on a Giants punt was recovered by Luke Wilkinson, giving the Vipers excellent field position deep inside Giants territory.

The offence quickly made the opportunity count. Mike Naulty found Harry Chambers for a touchdown, while Harry Burgess added the extra point to extend the lead further.

The Vipers defence refused to let up and forced yet another turnover, recovering another Giants fumble to put the offence back in favourable field position.

From there, the Vipers methodically marched downfield before Mike Naulty finished the drive himself with a quarterback sneak touchdown to cap another productive afternoon for the offence.

With the defence continuing to control the line of scrimmage and the offence taking advantage of short fields, the Vipers comfortably saw out the remainder of the contest to secure their seventh win of the season.

Key Performers

On offence, Mike Mallon (#22, Running Back) was named Offensive MVP, continuing his strong recent form and helping drive the Vipers attack throughout the game.

Defensively, JP McKee (#51, Linebacker) earned Defensive MVP honours following another physical and impactful performance that helped keep the Giants offence under pressure all afternoon.

On special teams, Ishy Ahmad (#11, Kick Returner) was named Special Teams MVP after opening the game with a sensational kickoff return touchdown and providing a spark whenever the ball was in his hands.

MVP awards for the 2026 season are proudly supported by The Branch Bar and Grill, Campbell's Bar, The Old Docks and Georges Bar.

Closing & Next Fixture

The regular season is complete, but the biggest challenge of the year now awaits.

The Northwest Vipers will host the West Dublin Rhinos in a home playoff game on July 4th. With a place in the championship game on the line, the Vipers will be looking to build on a remarkable regular season and continue their push towards silverware.