The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV were well beaten by title-chasing Bangor on Saturday 2nd March, going down by 34 points to 10 at Tom Simms Memorial Park. Carrick were out-muscled up front by the big Bangor pack and were under pressure, with the ball or without, for virtually the whole game. The scrum was in difficulty throughout and at the breakdown Carrick turn-overs were well into double figures. The one solid area for Carrick was the line-out where Mark Patterson, Curtis Rea and Andy Kincaid provided a good supply of clean possession. Ryan McGonigle did a good job in cleaning up at the back of a retreating scrum and Glen Picken at scrum-did well despite being on the back foot throughout.
The visitors started strongly but, frustrated by some solid Carrick defending and a tendency to kick away possession, took some time to demonstrate their superiority in the score-line. They took the lead with a drop-goal after six minutes but, despite their dominance of possession, did not record their first try until the twenty-third minute when they went over following a line-out catch and drive.This try was not converted but Bangor increased their lead ten minutes later with another try from a line-ouy catch and drive but this time impressively from 15 metres out. Again, the try was not converted and the visitors took a 13 points to nil lead into the half-time break.
Shortly after the kick-off in the second half, Bangor extended their lead to 20 points when their inside centre ran a good line and beat the Carrick defence to touch down near the posts. This try was converted. For much of this half, Carrick actually played in Bangor territory, thanks partly to some good line kicking by full-back Andy McIlroy but also because of a Bangor tendency to give away penalties which eventually earned them a yellow card. Carrick got on the score-board after eleven minutes of the half thanks to a Johnny Sheriff penalty but Bangor responded from the re-start and their loose head went over following a move which went through several phases inside the Carrick 22. This try was converted and ten minutes later the visitors completed their scoring when their right winger raced in from forty mtres out following a slick transfer from very quick ruck ball. Again the try was converted to give the visitors a 34 points to 3 lead. For much of the last fifteen minutes Carrick did dominate territory and possession but rarely had the quality of ball to allow them to pose a serious threat. Their endeavours were,however, rewarded in the closing minutes when, after incursions by Adam Gibney and Mark Patterson, winger Kenny Topping ran a good line to go in at the corner. Johnny Sheriff added the conversion points from a difficult angle to leave the final score at 34 points to 10 in Bangor’s favour.
Next week Carrick take on Omagh at Tom Simms Memorial Park and will be hoping to complete the double over the County Tyrone side.
The Carrick team which faced Bangor was:
A. McIlroy; A. Moore, K. Love, J. Anderson, K. Topping; J. Sheriff, G. Picken; A. Gibney, N. Hanna(Capt), R. Williams, A. Kincaid, C. Rogers, C.Rea, M. Patterson, R. McGonigle.
On a bad day for the Carrick senior teams, the 2nd XV were beaten 30-26 away at Clogher Valley while the 3rds and 4ths both lost heavily away at Ballymena and CIYMS respectively.
The Youth teams fared better though, all three coming through tricky home fixtures against City of Derry in the Ulster Carpets Youth Cups. The Under 13s, fresh from their appearance at Ravenhill on Friday night, won by 25 points to 15, the Under 15s won by 17 points to 15, prop Jordan Robinson scoring in the last play of the game, and the Under 17s won by 29 points to 17.
Senior fixtures for Saturday 9th March are:-
1st XV vs Omagh, home
2nd XV vs Omagh II, away
3rd XV vs Dungannon IV, away
4th XV vs Queen’s, away
