Rebels fall to Na Fianna

On Saturday, the Albany Rebels played their second home game and second league game of the season against Buffalo Na Fianna. The visitors were expected to be a difficult challenge. Na Fianna won the Junior D football National Championship in 2021 and have competed as a Junior C team since then. The Rebels are a Junior D football team. It would’ve been an upset for the ages.

Final Score:

Na Fianna: 4-11 (23)

Rebels: 2-4 (10)

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

A rainy day promised chaotic conditions. A flooded basement robbed the Rebels of one of their best players at the last minute. On the field, the Rebels struggled to handle the ball and maintain possession in part due to everything being wet, and in part due to Na Fianna being very good. The game was close at halftime with only 5-points separating the two teams. The Rebels felt hard done with a goal allowed after a sideline ball was illegally hand passed in bounds. Some over ambitious shots on goal also denied the Rebels what could have been 3 fairly easy points.

Na Fianna would find another gear in the 2nd half. Consistently the first team to every loose ball. The Rebels tried to up their physicality to match Na Fianna but only found they upped the amount of fouls being called against them. It was a frustrating day against a team that is good at frustrating opponents.

Some highlights from the day included Pierre Massena and Craig Larsen continuing to be monsters at full-forward winning just about every ball played into them (when they’re not just straight up pushed in the back). Des Norris made his semi-triumphant return feeling well enough to stand in as goalie. Kevin Clifford earned his first yellow card as a Rebel and Craig Larsen earned his first of the year. And Stuart McMahon continued to control possession for the Rebels like he does anytime he steps on the field.

We at the Albany Rebels cannot function without our volunteers. Despite the monsoon, three intrepid non-Rebels braved the elements to watch grown men chase a ball around a high school field just to make a few decisions should the ball leave the field of play in their area. A huge thanks to our intrepid volunteers: Pat Doyle, Joe and Jason Chicione’s dad, and Caroline Peyron. You all could’ve just gone to the Winchester, had a nice cold pint, and waited for this all to blow over. But you didn’t. As they say in the old country, t’anks a billion. Ye be grand! (Des, if you alter my use of Irish slang in this paragraph then we won’t be friends anymore).

“It’s all part of life,” said player-coach Henry Best who had to play blind for the 2nd game in a row due to weather. “You get knocked down. You get up again. It ain’t ever gonna keep you down. You get knocked down. You get up again. It ain’t ever gonna keep you down. You get knocked down. You get up again. It ain’t ever gonna keep you down.  And that’s what we’re going to do at training on Wednesday. We’re going to get back up again.”

Scorers:

Pierre Massena: 2-1

Jason Chicione: 0-1 (first ever point!)

Mark Adam: 0-1

Stuart McMahon: 0-1

Debutants:

Tyler Hornsby

Geoff O’Connor

MVPs: Jason Chicione for play on the field, Craig Larsen for his quick medical assistance to a Rebel who’d just taken a tooth to the forehead (wear your mouthguards people!)

Next Up: @ Buffalo Fenians 6/28