The Carrick 1st XV put in probably their worst performance of the season so far in going down by 25 points to 15 to Randalstown at Tom
Simms Memorial Park on Saturday 19th October. Despite a reasonably bright start, and looking the better side for the first quarter,
Carrick probably committed more errors in handling, ball control and discipline than in all of their previous games combined! At one stage
in the first half, they conceded four penalties in a five minute period. Randalstown were not error free either and, in particular, had
difficulty in finding touch from penalties, something which also afflicted the home team from time to time. That said, Randalstown
deserved their victory; they stuck to their game plan and took full advantage of Carrick’s mistakes while making fewer of their own.
Carrick started well and dominated the early exchanges. They deservedly took the lead after seven minutes when blind side Neil Marsden touched
down. This followed a strong drive by Ryan McGonigle off the back of a scrum and a twenty metre run by Curtis Rea. Randalstown scrambled the
ball into touch but Carrick caught and drove from the line-out and Marsden got the touch-down. The try was not converted. From this point
on, Carrick’s error rate began to climb and, after fifteen minutes, the visitors took advantage to reduce the gap with a penalty from straight
in front. For the remainder of the first quarter, and a good part of the second, both sides continued to make errors but Carrick extended
their lead with a Johnny Sheriff penalty after thirty minutes. However,Randalstown, who were begining to look the better side, took
the lead three minutes later with a try in the left hand corner. This came after they had gone through several phases in and around the
Carrick 22 and there was a suspicion of a knock-on in the final transfer but the try was given and converted to give the visitors a 10
points to 8 lead which they held until half-time. The quality of rugby was little better in the second half but the
visitors, through making fewer errors, always looked the more likely winners. Carrick did have teritorial advantage in the early stages but
it was Randals town who extended their lead fifteen minutes into the half when they took advantage of a Carrick yellow card to score a
push-over try. This was not converted but Randalstown scored again ten minutes later when their right winger touched down in the corner
following a clever grubber kick through by their out-half. This try was converted. The home side briefly rallied and, on thirty minutes,
Johnny Sheriff gathered and touched down after Brian Alexander had fly-hacked a loose ball towards the Randalstown line, his second touch
ensuring that the ball went in-field towards the Carrick support players. Johnny Sheriff added the conversion points to take Carrick to
within one score but, with a couple of minutes remaining, Randalstown made the game safe with a penalty from straight in front.
Carrrick, who face Grosvenor at Tom Simms Memorial Park this Saturday, will need to improve considerably, mainly in cutting down their error
rate, if they are to take advantage of the run of home games in the period before Christmas.
The Carrick team which faced Randalstown was:-
A. McKinney; A. Moore, J. Wady, J. Cullen, B. Alexander; J. Sheriff, K.
Topping; A. Gibney, G. Baxter, R. Williams, C. Rea, C. Rodgers, N.
Marsden, N. Hanna (Capt), R. McGonigle.
