The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV travelled to Enniskillen on Saturday 17th November where they lost by 11 points to nil to the Qualifying League Section 2’s in-form team.
As in a number of games this season, Carrick had their chances but appeared to lack the composure to take them.
On a cold and damp day, the early stages of the match were scrappy and penalty opportunities for each side were missed. The visitors were conceding too many penalties in defence though and Enniskillen took the lead in the thirteenth minute with a penalty. They then began to take control and crossed for tjhe only try of the game in the nineteenth minute. This was not converted but Enniskillen maintained their lead of 8 points to nil up to half-time.
Carrick started strongly in the second half but the Enniskillen defence held firm and, despite having numerous chances, the visitors could not apply the finishing touches. Eventually, the home side forced another penalty and extended their lead to 11 points to nil, a lead they held until the final whistle. Carrick had a chance to score a break-away try in the closing stages but, once again, could not find the composure to finish off the move.
Next week, the team take on Ballynahinch II in the Conference League at Tom Simms Memorial Park.
The team which faced Enniskillen was:-
A. McIlroy; J. Davidson, J. Wady, J. Anderson, A. Moore; J. Sheriff, R. Hamilton; E. Peacock, N. Hanna, A. Gibney, C. Rea, A. Kincaid(Capt), C. Ferris, R. Marsden, R. McGonigle.
At Tom Simms Memorial Park on Saturday 17th November, the Carrick 2nd XV went down by 27 points to 14 to CIYMS II.
The defeat was the result of a combination of defensive lapses and an inability to turn possession and pressure into points. This latter problem is one which has afflicted them all season.Despite having the bigger CI forwards in all sorts of trouble in the scrum and competing well at the break down, Carrick simply could not turn a more than adequate supply of good quality ball into points on the score-board. They compounded this by some poor defending which let CI score two, and arguably three, tries which they should never have had. For Carrick, the stand out player was No8 Nathan Greenwood who carried strongly all game and scored Carrick’s only try. He was well supported by his back row partners, Alan Charters and Craig Patterson, by second row Chris Rodgers and by hooker Gareth McKeown. In the backs, Matt Montgomery posed Carrick’s best attacking threat until he had to go off injured.
Carrick started well and went 3 points up after four minutes when Alan Kendall kicked a penalty awarded following good work by Chris Rodgers. Four minutes later, the visitors got back on terms with a penalty of their own. For most of the first quarter, Carrick more than held their own playing into a fairly stiff breeze. However, CI took the lead with a superb individual try from their out-half who went through a gap on a well-timed pass and beat a couple of defenders on his way to touching down near the posts. The try was converted to give the visitors a 10 points to 3 lead. They extended the lead ten minutes later when some poor tackling by Carrick allowed their outside centre a soft passage to the line following a line-out. This try was not converted and Kendall reduced the deficit to 15 points to 6 with another penalty after thirty-five minutes. This was awarded following a lovely weaving run by winger Matt Montgomery.
Alan Kendall further reduced the gap with a third successful penalty kick just after half-time ,for most of the first fifteen minutes of the second half, Carrick looked as if they could take control of the game. However, they did not take their chances and it was CI who scored next when, after sixteen minutes, more slack defending allowed their centres to combine to get a score near the posts. This was converted to give the visitors a 22 points to 9 lead. Carrick hit back almost immediately though when Nathan Greenwood drove the ball up , broke through a tackle and ran twenty metres to score. The try was not converted and, despite continuing to enjoy the majority of the possession, this was to be Carrick’s last score of the afternoon. The visitors finished the scoring when their left winger broke through some ineffectual tackling and ran fifty metres to score. The try was not converted and the score at the final whistle remained 27 points to 14 in favour of CIYMS.
The Carrick team was:-
K. Jordan; M. Montgomery, G. Clarke, K. Quinn, P. Simpson; A. Kendall, S. Martin; A. Moore, G. McKeown, R. Williams, C. Rodgers, D. Smith, A. Charters, C. Patterson, N. Greenwood.
There was better news for Carrick from the IBS-sponsored Under 19s who travelled to Ballymoney for a league game and came away 17 points to 5 winners.
Carrick did well playing into the wind in the first half to reach the break with the match scoreless although at the cost of losing the influential Bradley Young to injury. The hosts scored first in the second half following a series of Carrick mistakes. However, Carrick began to make better use of the wind thanks to the boot of out-half Johnny Moore and it was he who went over for Carrick’s first score. Captain Peter Magill put Carrick in front when he went over following good work from the pack and then crossed the line again to wrap up the game. Johnny Moore converted the final try.
Although this was a great team performance, special mention must be made of the contributions of Ian Smith, John Magill and Chris Taylor.
After three away games in a row, the Under19s can look forward to a home fixture against Ballymena on Saturday 24 November.
Carrick RFC fixtures for Saturday 24 November are:-
1st XV vs Ballynahinch II, home
2nd XV vs Ballyclare II, home
3rd XV vs Ballymoney III, home
4th XV vs Malone V, away
Under 19s vs Ballymena, home
