The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV got their League campaign off to a great start with a 22 points to 16 victory over Larne at the Glynn on Saturday 1 September. On a day on which a strong cross-wind affected just about every facet of the game, Larne appeared to have adapted better to the conditions until the last twenty minutes when Carrick at last got decent ball into the hands of their talented backs and ran in three tries. Even the Larne try in this period was in effect gifted to them by the visitors! Although under pressure in the scrum, and with neither side able to rely on line-out ball because of the strong wind, Carrick competed well at the break-down with Neal Hannah and Ross Marsden prominent. No 8 Nathan Greenwood supported his back three well and carried bravely. However, most of the plaudits have to go to the backs, especially Aaron Mckinney who played a real Captain’s part on the wing, popping up everywhere looking for work. Jason Wady made a number of clean line breaks, and was involved in two of the tries, while Karl Love finished off his try in fine style.Half-backs Glen Picken and Johnny Sheriff coped well with the difficult conditions and the latter put over two conversions in almost impossible goal-kicking conditions.
The home side started the better of the two teams and ,despite the breeze in the first half helping the visitors, managed to play a lot of the game in the first quarter in Carrick territory by keeping ball in hand. However, they appeared to abandon this approach in the second quarter and allowed Carrick to spend more time in their half. With both sides making a lot of handling and kicking errors in the conditions, the only score of the first half was a Johnny Sheriff penalty goal for Carrick in the twentieth minute.
Larne appeared to have taken control of the match in the third quarter, dominating territory and moving into a 9-3 lead by the twelfth minute courtesy of three penalty goals. Then, as the game moved into the last quarter, the visitors at last began to get some quick ruck ball and after McKinney and Wady had made ground into the Larne 22, John Anderson picked up a loose ball and dived over. Johnny Sheriff was unable to convert but ,virtually from the re-start, Jason Wady made a great break into the Larne 22 and the ball was transferred via Andy McIlroy to Karl Love who took his try in fine style in the corner. Johnny Sheriff put over the conversion from the touch-line to give Carrick the lead by 15 points to 9. However, carried away by their success, some basket ball style passing by the visitors gave Larne an interception and they raced in from half-way to score near the posts. The conversion put the home side back in the lead by 16 points to 15. Five minutes later, however,Carrick put a penalty into touch 10 mteres out from the Larne line; after a catch and drive, they were awarded another penalty and the quick-thing Glen Picken tapped and dived over. Johnny Sheriff again added the points. Despite turning the ball over to the opposition because of more loose handling,and again nearly conceding a try , Carrick held on for the last ten minutes to take a deserved 22 points to 16 victory.
The new coaching team of Warren McClean, Neal Hannah and John Anderson will be pleased with the start to the season, especially following last week’s success in the Ranalstown tournament, but there is still plenty to work on.
The next match for the 1st XV is at home at Tom Simms Memorial Park to Randalstown on 15 September.
The Carrick team was:-
A. McIlroy; A. McKinney(Capt), J. Wady, J. Anderson, K. Love; J. Sheriff, G. Picken; E. McBrien, G. Baxter, A. Gibney, A. Kincaid, D. Smith, N. Hannah, R. Marsden, N. Greenwood.
Fixtures for Saturday 8 September are:
2nd XV vs Ballyclare II, away
3rd XV vs Ballymoney III, away
4th XV vs Antrim II, home
