Mixed Results for Carrick Sides
The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV comprehensively beat near neighbours Belfast High
School FP by 53 points to 12 on Saturday 24 October, running in eight tries in the
process. Full-back Aaron Mckinney got a hat-trick and centre Jason Wady scored two.
Although McKinney and scrum-half Michael Patterson were deservedly named as "men
of the match" for their attacking threat and the excellence of their tactical kicking,
there were very good performances throughout the side. There were storming performances
in the loose from front row trio Paul Greenaway, Glen Baxter and David McKeen as
well as some great line-out work from Terry McCracken and Stuart Currie. The Carrick
scrum was on top throughout and the back row trio of Matt Hadden, Ross Crymble and
Andy McKeen dominated the break-down as well as making a lot of yards with ball in
hand. In the backs, Karl Wilkinson kicked intelligently, especially with the wind
behind in the first half, and produced a sublime pass to set up Carrick's second
try. Jason Wady had a great game in the centre, getting two tries and making another,
and he and debutant Jim Neill combined to make a very effective centre partnership.
Wingers Karl Quinn and Michael Gilmore were busy throughout and, together with Aaron
McKinney, chased kicks very effectively, a facet of the game in which Carrick had
been poor against Academy the previous week.
The home side, playing with a strong wind behind them, got off to a great start when,
after just two minutes, Jason Wady opened up the High School defence on the blind
side and fed Karl Quinn to allow the left wing to touch down under the posts. Karl
Wilkinson added the conversion and then put over a penalty after ten minutes to increase
Carrick's lead. Just three minutes later, Aaron McKinney got the first of his three
tries. Strong carries by Crymble and Baxter set up quick ruck ball and a beautifully
timed miss pass by Wilkinson allowed Wady into space and he passed to McKinney who
beat the remaining defender to score. Again, Wilkinson added the points to give Carrick
a 17 ponts to nil lead. With Carrick now dominating set piece situations, and gaining
control in the loose, it was no surprise when they went further ahead on twenty-three
minutes, again courtesy of an Aaron Mckinney try. This time, High School failed to
deal with a high kick and McKinney gathered, dodged a defender and ran in from the
visitors' 10 metre line. This time, Karl Wilkison was unable to convert. Ten minutes
later, good kick chasing by McKinney and Quinn forced the High School full-back to
take the tackle and turn over the ball; scrum-half Michael Patterson took full advantage
to gather,step a defender and run in from the visitors' 10 metre line. Karl Wilkinson
put over the conversion.On the stroke of half-time, the High School left winger broke
a tackle inside his own half and made ground into the Carrick 22 where he fed a supporting
player who dived over. The try was not converted to leave Carrick leading by 29 points
to 5 at half-time.
The question early on in the second half was whether High School could make use of
the breeze at their backs to get back into the game. This was effectively answered
after ten minutes of the half when a great chip by Michael Patterson allowed Aaron
McKinney to gather and trot in under the posts for his third try.Karl Wilkinson again
converted. The attacking position had set up by Paul Greenaway and David McKeen carrying
the ball strongly into their opponents' half. The same two forwards again set up
an attacking platform after fifteen minutes and, this time, No 8, Andy McKeen, took
advantage to chip over the defence and win the race to the touch-down. The try was
not converted. The visitors, to their credit, kept trying, despite now being down
to fourteen men because of injury, and got their reward when they forced their way
over following a line-out catch and drive. The try was converted from close to the
touch-line. Three minutes later though Carrick added their seventh try when Jason
Wady gathered a loose ball and out-paced the defence to the line. This try was not
converted into the strong breeze but Carrick added another score when Wady got his
second try on the half hour. This time, the work of breaching the defence, and making
ground, was done by full-back McKinney who gave the scoring pass to Wady. The last
Carrick try was converted by Karl Wilkinson who put over an excellent conversion
from a wide angle into a stiff breeze..
For the last ten minutes, High School battered away at the Carrick line, aided by
a series of penalties, but could not breach the home side's defence and the game
finished with the score at 53 points to 12 in Carrick's favour.
This week( 31 October), Carrick travel to University of Ulster, Coleraine and will
be hoping to re-produce most of the good things evident in their play against High
School.
The Carrick team against High School was:
A. McKinney; M. Gilmore, J. Neill, J. Wady, K. Quinn; K. Wilkinson, M. Patterson;
D. McKeen, G. Baxter, P.Greenaway, S. Currie(Capt), T. McCracken, M. Hadden, R. Crymble,
A. McKeen.
Also at Woodlawn on Saturday 24 October, the Carrick under -19s lost their unbeaten
record, going down to local rivals Larne by 13 points to 8. This was a full-blooded
affair in which red cards were issed to players from both sides. David Moore got
the Carrick try and Luke Whitall kicked a penalty.
The 3rd XV's good run came to an end when they were beaten by 12 points to 5 by an
experienced Malone IV team. Neil Snowling got the Carrick try in a match which saw
Club Captain Glen Picken make his return from injury.
The 4th XV had yet another "rollover" when opponents Holywood could not field a team
but will face tough opposition on 31 October when they face Bangor III.
The youth section completed the fifth, and longest, leg of their "tour of the Province"
with a visit to City of Derry. The Under 17s lost narrowly but the Under 15s won
by 10 points to 7 and the Under 13s did better than the 1st XV, winning their game
by 73 points to 10!
The Minis were at Instonians and acquitted themselves very well in horrendous conditions.
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