v’s BHSFP
Carrick win
After three successive defeats in the League, the Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV
got back to winning ways on Saturday 24 November with a well deserved away victory
over Belfast High School Former Pupils(BHSFP).They were more dominant than the 29-24
scoreline would suggest, the last High School score coming deep in injury time. The
foundations for the Carrick win were laid by their pack which quite simply out-played
their opponents in all facets of the game and partially nullified the threat offered
by the strong running High School backs. Forward dominance allowed half-backs Glen
Picken and Karl Wilkinson to dictate play and excellent line kicking by both ensured
that the visitors played the game in their opponents' half for much of the match.Lock
Terry McCracken, who vied with double try-scorer Glen Picken for man of the match,
produced another of his superb line-out performances, virtually closing off this
area as a source of supply of clean ball for the home side. In this he was well aided
and abetted by fellow lock Ian McNeill. The Carrick scrum was on top through-out
and there were fine ball-carrying performances from Glen Baxter, Paul Greenaway and
Paul McIlrath in particular. Michael Nugent, making a welcome return, demonstrated
his usual high work rate in the loose, both in tackling and ball carrying. In the
three-quarters, Darren Wady had another fine match, crossing the gain line on a number
of occasions and providing a target for the forwards.
Carrick, playing with the diagonal breeze in their favour in the first half, started
well. A strong charge by Greenaway ended in a penalty to Carrick and Karl Wilkinson
put the kick over to give the visitors the lead after just three minutes. With Carrick
dominating territory, thanks both to their control of the set pieces and the kicking
of Wilkinson and Picken, it was no surprise that they went further ahead after sixteen
minutes with another Wilkinson penalty from thirty-five metres out and from an awkward
angle. Carrick continued to dominate but, despite getting into good attacking positions
on a number of occasions, it was not until the twenty-seventh minute that Wilkinson
increased the lead with another excellent penalty strike from the High School ten
metre line. Six minutes later the visitors went further ahead with the first try
of the game. This came after a period of Carrick pressure, with Baxter and McIlrath
prominent, when scrum-half Glen Picken picked up at the base of a ruck ten metres
out and twisted and turned past three or four defenders to touch down near the posts.
Karl Wilkinson added the points from the conversion to give Carrick a 16 points to
nill lead. This was to remain the score until half-time despite a dangerous High
School attack towards the end of the half. This was snuffed out when McCracken stole
their line-out throw after the home side had opted to kick a penalty to touch in
the Carrick 22.
The home side demonstarted the attacking threat posed by their backs when, after
five minutes of the second half, their right wing scored a fine try from forty metres
out, beating a couple of Carrick defenders on the way. The try was converted. Then,
five minutes later, High School further reduced the deficit when they converted a
penalty from thirty-five metres out. They missed another penalty opportunity three
minutes later and were made to pay on twenty minutes when Picken got his second try,
touching down after the Carrick pack had shoved their opponents back over the line
from a 5-metre scrum. This had followed some excellent driving work by Carrick, with
McIlrath and Baxter prominent. The try was not converted but Karl Wilkinson extended
the Carrick lead two minutes later with a superb penalty kick into the wind.Things
continued much as before, with Carrick getting the better of territory and possession
but it was the home side which scored next when they forced their way over following
a free kick awarded close to the Carrick line for a scrum offence. This try was converted
to leave Carrick leading by 24 points to 17. The home side then mounted a series
of attacks through their backs but the visitors' defence held and, in the end High
School were made to pay when they lost possession in trying to run from deep. Rab
Hawkins fly-kicked into their 22 and good following up by Hawkins and the other Carrick
backs caused the defenders to lose control of the ball and Darren Wady pounced to
get the touch-down. Again the try was not converted. In the dying minutes, High School
mounted a series of attacks and, three minutes into injury time , finally forced
their way over from a tap penalty. The try was converted to leave the final score
at 29 points to 24 in Carrick's favour.
This was a much improved performance by Carrick and the control exercised by the
pack suggests that the "won five, lost four" League record is not a true reflection
of the quality of this Carrick side. They have no match next Saturday and return
to Junior Cup action , against Ballyclare, at Woodlawn, on Saturday 8 December.
The Carrick team against BHSFP was:
P. Saberton; D. Crothers, D. Wady, R. Hawkins, S. Boyd; K. Wilkinson, G. Picken;
C. Blair, G. Baxter, P. Greenaway, T. McCracken, I. McNeill, M. Nugent, R. Marsden,
P. McIlrath(Capt).
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