On Saturday 22 October, the Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV drew 14 points apiece with Grosvenor at Tom Simms Memorial Park.
This was a game Carrick could, and probably should, have won but they were not helped by persistent handling problems. In addition, the home side will feel that the referee did them no favours, letting Grosvenor away with numerous offences at the break-down.
The game began in grey, overcast and breezy conditions and Carrick, with the elements in their favour in the first half, had the visitors under pressure for most of the first quarter but found it difficult to translate this into points. Frequent handling errors allowed Grosvenor off the hook. Eventually, though, the pressure told and, on nineteen minutes, Karl Quinn broke from half-way to put Jason Wady in for a try. This was not converted and the home side then knocked on the kick off to give Grosvenor a mid-field scrum from which they ran in a soft try.This was not converted to leave the scores tied at 5 points each. The Carrick forwards continued to apply pressure but the handling errors also continued. Just before the half-hour mark, Grosvenor defenders went off their feet to give Carrick a penalty which Johnny Sheriff duly converted. More Grosvenor indiscipline gave Carrick another penalty five minutes later and Johnny Sheriff again converted to give Carrick the lead by 11 points to 5. However, they almost immediately conceded a penalty themselves and the vistors went into half-time trailling by just 11 points to 8.
In the blustery conditions, and into the wind, Carrick tried to play with ball in hand at the begining of the second half but just five miutes in conceded a penalty in front of the posts to allow the visitors to level the score. They remained camped in the Carrick 22 for most of the first quarter helped by being allowed to stray off-side at the breakdown almost at will. When Carrick did manage to get into the Grovsvenor half,the visitors killed the ball at a ruck, for which one of their players was yellow carded, and Johnny Sheriff kicked Carrick back into the lead with the penalty. The rest of the game was played in heavy rain and the visitors levelled the scores with five minutes to go when Carrick were somewhat harshly penalised for a high tackle. Carrick had their chances in the last few minutes but didn’t capitalise and the game finished with the spoils shared at 14 points each.
This was a game Carrick will feel was very winnable and they will have to sharpen up before they meet some of the stronger teams later on.
The Carrick team was:
J. Sheriff; D. Kirkpatrick, A. McIlroy, J. Wady, K. Quinn; A. McKinney, G. Picken; E. McBrien, G. Baxter, D. McKeen(Capt), A. Kincaid, C. Ferris, M. Patterson, R. Crymble, C. Rea.
In mid-week, the Carrick 2nd XV over-powered Banbridge, winning by 50 points to 3 while, on Saturday, the 3rd XV had an excellent 47-13 away win over Cooke.
The 4th XV produced a stirring fight-back in the second half to defeat the much vaunted Ards IV by 28 points to 22.
Carrick began well with an early try from Gareth Clarke but they then conceded three tries to the visitors. After the third, Carrick re-grouped and took the game to their opponents. Craig Brazier dived over from close quaertes and the conversion left Carrick trailling by just 17 points to 14. However, the experienced Ards side hit back with another try to go into the half-time break leading by 22 points to 14.
Early in the secvond half, Carrick got the lift they needed when scrum-half David Moore picked up at the base of a ruck, dummied and sprinted in from 60 metres for a try. Alan Smith put over the difficult conversion into the wind to leave Carrick just one point adrift. Then, from quality “off the top” ball at a line-out, the ball was moved quickly through the hands of Clarke and Crothers for Gillanders to score by the posts. Alan Smith again converted to give Carrick the lead by 28 points to 22.
The experienced visitors then battered away at the Carrick defence to try to get the winning score but, showing great courage and resolve- and playing smartly- carrick held out for a famous win over a team with former senior players throughout.
The Carrick Youth teams continued their League campaigns with home wins over their Ballymoney counterparts.
The Under 17s won by 41 points to 17, the Under 15s by 48 points to 10 and the Under 13s by 34 points to 19.
Next week’s fixtures:
Friday 28th October
1st XV vs Dungannon, home, KO 7.30
Saturday 29th October
2nd XV vs Ballynahinch III, home
3rd XV vs Dungannon IV, away
4th XV vs Larne III, away
5th XV vs Malone IV, home
Under 19s vs Ballyclare, home
