The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV picked up a second League win when they beat Omagh
by 20 points to 19 at Woodlawn on Saturday 10 October. Playing for sixty-five minutes
without centre David Kirkpatrick, who had to leave the field with a leg injury, Carrick
struggled at times to impose themselves on a young and determined visiting team.
With a re-organised back line, there were the inevitable defensive lapses and the
attacking potency of the three-quarter line was reduced. However, another great line
out performance, led by man of the match and Captain, Stuart Currie , ensured a reasonable
supply of first phase ball . While the scrum was, understandably, under pressure,
Andy McKeen and his back row colleagues did a good job of tidying up Carrick possession.
Ross Crymble was , once again, impressive in the loose and did a good job when forced
to go into the backs because of Kirkpatrick's injury. Scrum-half Michael Patterson,
standing in for injured team Captain Glen Picken, had a good all-round game on his
1st XV debut and scored an excellent try early on to get Carrick off to a good start.The
other debutant, open-side Michael Irwin, also had a fine game which he capped by
scoring the third, and winning, try for Carrick. Inside centre, Aaron Mckinney, had
a very good game, both in defence and attack, and winger Paul Saberton produced a
number of incisive runs.
Carrick got off to a great start when they made the first of many line-out steals
just inside the Omagh half and Michael Patterson scored a superb try in the course
of which he sold two dummies and stepped the final defender. He was supported all
the way to the line by Ross Crymble. The try was not converted. The visitors got
back on level terms after fifteen minutes when Carrick failed to control their own
ball at a five metre scrum and the Omagh No 8, Colin Lee, dived in to score. This
try was not converted either, and a couple of minutes later,Karl Wlkinson put Carrick
back in front with a well struck penalty into the breeze. On the half-hour mark,
Aaron McKinney was taken out as he chipped ahead and, from the resulting penalty
, the ball was taken up by the Carrick forwards, with Paul McIlrath and Andy McKeen
prominent, and, from quick ruck ball , Ross Crymble forced his way over. Again the
try was not converted. Deep in injury time, Omagh blind-side, Mervyn Edgar, forced
his way over following a quick throw-in. The try was converted by Colin Gibson to
leave the half-time score at 13 points to 12 in Carrick's favour.
Carrick had the better of the early stages of the second half but could not add to
their score and, after twenty minutes, it was the visitors who struck. A Carrick
defensive lapse allowed the visitors to make forty metres into their territory and,
from a five metre scrum, Omagh centre, Neil Browne, went over under the posts. The
try was converted and the visitors now led by 19 points to 13. Carrick were now making
a lot of mistakes, and looked under pressure but some good line kicking from half-backs,
Karl Wilkinson and Michael Patterson ,kept them playing in the right parts of the
field. It was an excellent touch-find by Patterson that set up the winning try. Kicking
from half-way he forced a line-out five metres out from the Omagh line; although
the visitors appeared to have taken the ball, they lost control of it and Michael
Irwin gabbed it to dive over. From an awkward angle, Karl Wilkinson put over the
conversion which gave Carrick the lead once again. Thanks to some excellent defensive
work by Ross Crymble, Omagh were denied in their one further assault on the Carrick
line and the home team held on for the 20 points to 19 win.
Next week Carrick face unbeaten Academy away at Roughfort and they will need to reduce
their error count, and improve their concentration if they are to come away with
a win.
The Carrick team against Omagh was:
M. Gilmore; P. Saberton. D. Kirkpatrick, A. McKinney, G.McAuley; K. Wilkinson, M.
Patterson; D. McKeen, G. Baxter, P. Greenaway, S. Currie (Capt), P. McIlrath, R Crymble,
M. Irwin, A. McKeen.
Donaghadee were unable to field a team against carrick IVths so they remain unbeaten.
Similarly, Malone were unable to field a team on Friday night against the Carrick
Under 19s. The Carrick Under 17s beat Coleraine by 36 points to 7, the Under 15s
beat Coleraine by 49 points to 7 but the Under 13s lost by 33 points to 19.
Back
