The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV lost at home to Ballyclare by 24 points to 17
on Saturday 5 December. This was a somewhat disappointing outcome against one of
the teams in contention for the title because Carrick were the dominant team for
three-quarters of the game. Some aimless kicking and slack defending cost them 14
points when the visitors scored twice in the second half . Carrick had the Ballyclare
scrum under pressure for much of the game, reduced their line-out to a shambles at
times and competed well in the loose. It was only in the last quarter, when they
had been allowed back into the game, that the visitors began to exert any control.However,
when they did get good possession, the Ballyclare backs looked extremely sharp. For
Carrick, Stuart Currie, Andy Kincaid and Andy McKeen did excellent jobs in the line-out,
and were prominant in the loose, while , in the first half at least, there was some
excellent kicking out of hand from Michael Patterson, Karl Wilkinson and Karl Quinn.
Carrick started strongly, pushing Ballyclare off their own ball at the first scrum!
They took the lead with a Karl Wilkinson penalty after three minutes and controlled
territory, and a fair amount of possession, for the remainder of the half. Indeed,
it was not until the thirty-ninth minute that the visitors mounted their first serious
attack. With Ballyclare sttruggling to get anyhing from the line-out, and having
to deal with bad ball at the scrum, Carrick kept them penned in their own half and
deservedly increased their lead on sixteen minutes when Matt Hadden touched down
following a catch and drive from a line-out. The try was not converted, leaving Carrick
leading by 8 points to nil. Although continuing to dominate, the home team could
not add to their score before half-time and this was to prove significant in the
final outcome
Carrick continued to look the better side in the early stages of the first half but
the kicking, which had been excellent in the first half, was now failing to put opponents
under pressure. In the tenth minute the visitors got their first score which was
made by a break from their scrum-half and finished off by the speedy right winger.
The try was converted to reduce the deficit to just one point. However, Carrick continued
to play much of the game in their opponents' half and increased their lead to 14
points to 7 thanks to Karl Wilkinson penalties after sixteen and twenty minutes of
the half. Ballyclare though hit back with a converted try to level the cores after
twenty-two minutes. A loose Carrick kick into the opposition half was run back by
the visitors' three-quarters and they were able to get round the Carrick defence
rather too easily for their full-back to touch down. Ten minutes later, the visitors
took the lead for the first time when their open -side went over following quick
ball from a seies of rucks close to the Carrick line. This try was also converted.
In the closing minutes the sides exchanged penalties- Carrick's from Glen Picken,
with Karl Wilkinson off the field injured- to make the final score 24 points to 17
to the visitors.
This was an encouraging performance from Carrick which they will hope to build on
against Lisburn at Woodlawn on Friday evening.
The Carrick team against Ballyclare was:
A. McKinney; P. Saberton, K. Quinn, J. Neill, G. Picken(Capt); K. Wilkinson, M. Patterson;
G. Leslie, G. Baxter, P. Greenaway, S. Currie, A. Kincaid, M. Hadden, A. McKeen,
P. McIlrath.
The Carrick 2nd XV avenged their defeat earlier in the season by Banbridge III, over-coming
their visitors by 28 points to 5 at Woodlawn. This despite having to play for sixty
minutes with fourteen men after Tim Green had to leave the field with an injury.
Kyle Jordan got three of the tries and Allan Davidson the other. Wes Anderson kicked
all four conversions. Kyle Jordan and Neal Marsden were "men of the match".
The Under-19s lost to Ballymena by 21 points to 16 despite competing well in all
areas of the park. Carrick's try came from Jonathon Smith with Luke Whitall putting
over three penalties and a conversion.
The 3rd XV and Youths matches were postponed but the Minis travelled to Ballymoney
where, alongside their hosts, they faced Instonians. Several teams recorded good
results, with some showing a marked improvement compared with their previous meeting
with Instonians.
On Sunaday 6 December, the Carrick Ladies played League leaders Cill Dara and were
beaten by 34 points to nil despite a good performance with the wind at their backs
in the first half.
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