The Vikings regular season has come to an end and the knock out part of the season begins this Sunday in the UL Sportsgrounds. The Vikings managed to secure homefield advantage, pipping the Knights to second place in the league by a point. The two teams played earlier in the season with the Vikings clinching a victory in the last minute of a dramatic game. The two teams are extremely evenly matched and both hope to be contesting the Shamrock Bowl in a few weeks time.

The Knights are an experienced and savvy team with a balanced offense and a hard hitting defence. On offense they have a number of weapons including their QB Adam Devenny. He has a strong arm that can threaten any team deep. He has a number of targets including one of the most prolific wide recievers in the history of the Irish game, Paul McKillop. Running Back Chris Carson is the perfect foil to this potent passing attack. Carson proved a thorn in the Vikings side when the teams last met and is a serious threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. He makes the most of what opportunities are presented to him by an experienced Carrick O-line.

On defence the Knights play with a lot of freedom, using their experience and instincts to make plays rather than complicated defensive schemes. Darren Montgomery is a force coming off the right end and will get pressure on the Vikings passing attack. Linebackers Mark Harris and Gareth Millar are strong against both the pass and the run and will hope to contain Adrian Garvey and co. Paul McKillop also features at safety and will cover any deep threats effectively.

The Vikings have a huge challenge on their hands to overcome the Knights. The main strength of the team remains the defence. Glen Carr and Dermot Moriarty will hope to limit the effectiveness of the Carrick O-line and give their linebackers space to make plays. Brendan McCarthy leads this athletic bunch with John Mullen and Bill Parkinson contributing with sideline to sideline speed and a penchant for big hits. In the secondary, Seamus Hogan is looking to improve on his MVP performance the last time the two teams met. The Vikings defence cannot overcommit to stopping the pass or run as Carrick will take what they are given.

On offense the Vikings have hit a rich vein of form, scoring over 40 points on their last two outings. Their running game remains their strong point with Adrian Garvey, James Twomey and Liam Ryan all scoring prolifically in recent games. This strong running game is based on a strong O-line featuring Jamie O'Brien, Brendan Moroney and Dave Moloney. The Viking run game has big play ability due to the downfield blocking of their recivers and tight end Marc Ashworth. This bunch will also look to make big plays in the pass game.

This match kicks off at 2pm on the UL Sports Grounds on Sunday 26th of July. Please come down and (hopefully) cheer the Vikings to their fourth consecutive Shamrock Bowl appearance. The winner of this Semi Final will play in Shamrock Bowl XXIII in Belfast on the 9th of August against the winner of the Dublin Rebels vs DCU Saints.