Carrick lose...
The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV lost their unbeaten home League record, and any
slim hope of the Section 2 title, when they were beaten by 22 points to 15 by League
leaders Bangor at Woodlawn on Saturday 4 April. Despite some good individual performances,
most notably by second row Stuart Currie, and a solid defensive effort into the strong
wind for much of the first half, Carrick surrendered control to the visitors at crucial
phases and were made to pay. Playing into the strong breeze in the first half, the
home side did well to keep matters scoreless until almost the half hour mark but
Bangor took virtually complete control for a ten minute period from the twenty-fifth
minute on and, in that time ,ran in two tries, both converted, and put over a penalty.
Both tries were well worked and came after patient build-ups and skillful handling.
This period of dominance left the visitors leading by 17 points to nil at half-time.
Carrick, with the elements in their favour in the second half, began the task of
catching up well with an intercept try by Karl Quinn after four minutes of the half.
Karl Wilkinson added the conversion points. Carrick used the wind to gain some territorial
dominance but turned the ball over too often to be able to maintain sustained pressure
on Bangor. They did, however, narrow the gap further with a Karl Wilkinson penalty
after twenty-three minutes. Bangor continued to contain Carrick fairly well though
and put the result beyond doubt with an unconverted try in injury time. They then
conceded a try in the fifth minute of injury time when Andy McKeen gathered a wild
clearance kick and broke through a couple of tackles to go over in the corner. The
try was not converted, leaving Bangor victors by 22 points to 15 and well on course
to take the title.
The dates for Carrick's remaining fixtures, away to Bangor and to Letterkenny, have
not yet been finalised.
The Carrick team against Bangor was:
M. Gilmore; P. Saberton, K. Quinn, A. McKinney, W. Shaw; K. Wilkinson, G. Picken;
D. McKeen, G. Baxter, P. Greenaway, S. Currie, A. Kincaid, M. Hadden, A. McKeen,
P. McIlrath.
The Carrick 2nd XV lost a tough encounter away to Lisburn in the Junior League, Section
3, decider on Tuesday 31 March. Carrick fought hard all the way but in the end went
down by 8 points to 3.
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