The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV followed up their mid-week victory over Grosvenor with a 26 points to 14 bonus point win against Ballyclare at Woodlawn on Saturday 19 March. This avenges the away defeat to their local rivals earlier in the season and consolidates Carrick’s position in mid -Table. After a hard fought first half, there was only one point in it at half-time but Carrick pulled away in the second half with the visitors reduced to fourteen men by injury. For Carrick, No 8, Andy McKeen, who got two of the tries, was outstanding and there was an excellent performance at out-half from Aaron McKinney, some of whose line kicking was of the highest quality. Michael Patterson took advantage of the solid scrum to put in some probing runs from the base and also kicked well out of hand. Jason Wady and David Kirkpatrick provided a very solid mid-field defence as well as running some good lines in attack. The front five forwards also played their part, keeping Ballyclare under pressure in the scrum and getting through a lot of work at the breakdown and as ball carriers.
The first quarter of the game was fairly even, the only score being a penalty to the visitors.
They were, perhaps, a shade unfortunate not to be 6-nil up as the referee over-ruled both touch judges when an earlier penalty attempt appeared to have gone over. After twenty-five minutes, Carrick took the lead when Jason Wady went over for a try. This was set up when Andy McKeen broke a tackle and set off on a run deep into Ballyclare territory and the ball was taken on by Ross Marsden whose pass put Wady in space to touch down. The try was not converted but Carrick went further ahead a couple of minutes later when another break and run by Andy McKeen set up an attacking position and Aaron McKinney made good use of quick ruck ball to breach the Ballyclare defence and score. David Kirkpatrick added the extras to put Carrick into a 12 points to 3 lead.Ten minutes later, Ballyclare got back into the match when they created an over-lap on the left for their winger to score in the corner. The try was not converted but the visitors further reduced the deficit with a successful penalty effort in injury time at the end of the first half to leave the score at 12 points to 11 in Carrick’s favour at half-time.
The early stages of the second half were disrupted by a number of stoppages for injury, after one of which Ballyclare were reduced to fourteen men. However, it was not until the twenty-fifth minute of the half that the home side took advantage when Andy McKeen picked up at the base of a scrum and beat the covering defence to go over. David Kirkpatrick added the conversion points. Ten minutes later, though, Ballyclare were back in it when they put over another penalty. They spent the last five minutes of normal time pressing in the Carrick 22 but the home team’s defence held and, in the fourth minute of injury time, Andy McKeen took the scoring pass after a good run off the base of a scrum by Michael Patterson had streched the Ballyclare defence. David Kirkpatrick again added the points to leave Carriick winners by 26 points to 14.
On Wednesday 16 March, Carrick beat Grosvenor by 14 points to 7 in a hard-fought game, the Carrick tries coming from Glen Picken and Aaron McKinney with Johnny Sheriff adding the conversion points. The away fixture against Grosvenor is on Saturday 26 March.
The Carrick team against Ballyclare was:
M. Gilmore; D. Crothers, J. Wady, D. Kirkpatrick, C. Jordan: A. McKinney, M. Patterson; D. McKeen, R. Higgins, G. Leslie, S. Currie(Capt), C. Ferris, N. Marsden, R. Marsden, A. McKeen.
