The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV maintained their unbeaten League record and their position at the top of Section 2 of the Kukri Qualifying League with a 25 points to 6 victory over Lisburn at Tom Simms Memorial Park on Saturday 9th January. The Carrick cause was helped by nearest rivals Coleraine going down by 19 points to 13 to Academy. The match against Lisburn was played in cold and virtually windless conditions but on a very muddy pitch because of the rainfall during the week; by the end it was hard to tell the teams apart at times! The match was preceded by a lunch sponsored by Forever Living Products at which the guest of honour was former Carrick Secretary and Ulster Branch Life Vice-President Ian Beggs who was awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours List for services to rugby.
When Carrick met Lisburn in the away fixture in November, they were fortunate to come away with a win, with an injury time try. The first half on Saturday gave cause for concern that it might turn into another nail-biting encounter, with Lisburn dominating the second quarter and the sides going into half-time tied at 6 points apiece. However, despite having a man in the bin, Carrick took control from the start in the second half and scored three unanswered tries. They butchered a great chance of a bonus point try in injury time and it is to be hoped that this doesn’t come back to haunt them if things get tight at the top of the Table towards the end of the season. The Carrick scrum was dominant throughout and, in a game in which kicking became important, they won the kicking dual in the second half. Once again, the conditions dictated that it would be the forwards who largely decided the outcome and the Carrick ball carriers did a magnificent job in the second half. Second row Chris Rodgers was outstanding and deserved his brace of tries but there were also influential performances as ball carriers from Ryan McGonigle, Andy Kinkaid and, when they were on the field, Andy McKeen and Robbie Williams. Scrum-half Michael Black, on debut because injury and illness meant the first and second choice scrum-halves were unavailable, and a very good game and played a full part in ensuring Carrick played the game in the right areas in the second half. Luke Whittal, Ryan Bailey and Aaron McKinney also kicked well out of hand. Lisburn, on the other hand, did not kick well and inexcusably missed touch from penalties on four or five occasions.
The first half was a dour affair dominated by the muddy conditions which were not conducive to running and handling rugby. The home side took the lead with a Luke Whittal penalty for off-side after ten minutes and extended the lead with another penalty conversion by the same player five minutes later following strong carries by Chris Rodgers and David McKeen. Lisburn then began to dominate territory and for much of the second quarter played the game in the Carrick half. After twenty-four minutes they had a try scoring chance with an over-lap on the left but the final pass did not go to hand. However, they were awarded a penalty and converted it to reduce the deficit to 3 points and ten minutes later levelled the scores with a further penalty. The visitors continued to dominate territory and Carrick ended the first half with fourteen men as result of a yellow card and were perhaps fortunate to go into the break with the score tied at 6 points all.
The home side had to play the first seven minutes of the second half a man down but were able to ensure that most of the play was in the visitors’ half and, when restored to full strength, began to take control. They took the lead with fourteen minutes of the half gone with a try by Aaron McKinney. Andy Kinkaid ran back a poor Lisburn clearance kick and, when the ball was re-cycled, Andy McKeen spotted a gap on the blind side, made ground up to the Lisburn 22 and, with a well-timed pass, put McKinney in space and the full-back rounded the Lisburn defence to score. Luke Whittal added the conversion points to give Carrick a 13 points to 6 lead. Two minutes later Carrick extended their lead when Chris Rodgers found himself unmarked at a line-out on a Lisburn throw which went straight into his hands and he raced the twenty metres to the line with scarcely a hand laid on him. The opportunity for the try came about as a result of a great touch find by Aaron McKinney from inside his own half and into the Lisburn 22. The try was not converted but Carrick now led by 18 points to 6. They continued to dominate territory mainly because their kicking game was now demonstrably superior to that of their opponents. Otherwise, the game became very scrappy with both sides finding it difficult to hang onto the ball for any length of time. Carrick’s third try came at the end of normal time. Following a series of picks and drives inside the Lisburn 22, the ball was moved into mid-field and, after a quick re-cycle, Chris Rodgers ran a great line to take a pop pass and crash over. Luke Whittal converted to make the score 25 points to 6 in Carrick’s favour. From the re-start, Ryan McGonigle made about thirty metres into Lisburn territory and, with quick ruck ball, Carrick had a great opportunity for the bonus point try but with Aaron McKinney, one of the best finishers in Qualifying League rugby, virtually unmarked out wide, the ball was taken into the tackle and the opportunity was lost, the final whistle being blown shortly afterwards.
This was a competent performance by Carrick in the conditions, especially in the second half. They now face two difficult away fixtures, against Donaghadee next Saturday and Ballymoney a fortnight later.
The Carrick team which faced Lisburn was:-
A. McKinney; P. Simpson, R. Hamilton, R. Bailey, B. Alexander; L. Whittal, M. Black; D. McKeen, N. Hanna, R. Williams (M. Smiley), C. Rodgers, A. Kinkaid, N. Marsden (A. McKeen), R. Marsden (Capt), R. McGonigle.
