The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 2nd XV beat Ballymoney by 13 points to 3 in a League match at Tom Simms Memorial Park on Saturday 12th October. The home side were pretty much on top throughout and the final score did not really reflect their dominance. After scoring two tries in the first quarter, Carrick then let at least three further chances go begging and, with their defence well on top, didn’t seem able or inclined to show the patience needed to bring them further scores. After a few wobbles early on, the Carrick scrum was solid as was the line-out and the back row trio of Crymble, Patterson and O’Callaghan dominated the break-down. No 8 Ross Crymble was impressive as a ball carrier as were front-rowers Robbie Williams and Richard Higgins. In the backs, Kyle Jordan and Johnny Sheriff looked threatening throughout, and the latter made put in a number of scything runs which, with better ball retention, could have led to tries.
In cold and breezy conditions, there was abright start by both sides but it was Carrick who scored first with a penalty converted by Adam Kendall after ten minutes. Two minutes later, the home side got their first try when Ross Crymble made ground off the back of a scrum on the Carrick 10 metre line, off-loaded to Kyle Jordan who in turn fed Aaron McKinney and the scrum-half beat the Ballymoney cover defence to score. The try was not converted. After twenty minutes, Ballymoney got their first, and only, points from a penalty just inside the Carrick 22. From the re-start, however, Carrick went further ahead when the back row wrested the ball from Ballymoney, Craig Patterson made gound deep into their half and, from quickly re-cycled ball, Neil Hastings went over in the corner. Again, the try was not converted but Carrick now held a 13 points to three lead which they held comfortably until half-time.
While the first half had provided some good rugby, and suggested the potential of the young Carrick side, the second produced untidy and error -strewn rugby rugby from both sides, with Carrick throwing away a number of chances. They were perhaps fortunate that, apart from one occasion early in the second half, their opponents never really looked like scoring thanks, in part, to excellent defence from the home side.
The team which faced Ballymoney was:-
A. Kendall; K. Jordan, N. Hastings, J. Sheriff, C. Brown; L. Whitall, A. McKinney; J. Graham, R. Higgins(Capt), R. Williams, D. Smith, D. Ferris, B. O’Callaghan, C. Patterson, R. Crymble.
The 1st XV return to action on Saturday 19th October when they face Randalstown at Tom Simms Memorial Park.
