The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV bounced back from their dismal performance against Grosvenor last week in the best possible way with a 55 points to nil demolition of University of Ulster, Coleraine (UUC) at Tom Simms Memorial Park on Saturday 11th October. Early in the first half, one of the UUC coaching team was heard to remark that he could see why Carrick hadn’t scored many tries so far this season; it would have been interesting to get his views sixty minutes and eight tries later!
As with previous matches, Carrick had a fairly quiet first half and UUC had a lot of ball in opposition teritory but the home side’s defence was resolute. By the end of the half there were signs that the previous week’s inability to convert possession into points was not going to be a problemt his week. And so it proved. Carrick totally dominated the second half and ran in seven unanswered tries to add to Andy Kincaid’s first half effort. The visitors scarcely got out of their own half throughout the second period .Even when Carrick were down to fourteen men half way through the second half because of a yellow card, it didn’t make any difference; the home side simply continued their blitz and added two tries during the sin-binning. The Carrick scrum was completely dominant and they made very good use of the “choke” tackle to hold UUC ball carriers up and engineer turn-overs. Indeed, several of the Carrick tries came from turn-over ball.
For Carrick there were very good performances throughout the team and the front five again deserve credit for the dominance of the scrum. Matt Hadden and Ryan McGonigle made a lot of ground as ball carriers and Andy Kincaid put in a strong performance both in attack and defence. Apart from his try in the first half, he had a hand in several others, including an excellent pass from the base of a ruck which set up Michael Gilmore’s try. Kincaid’s second row partner Chris Rodgers was also prominent as was back rower Ross Crymble. The backs were much more threatening in attack than they were in previous matches, largely because they kept it simple and passes went to hand. Aaron McKinney had a good game as stand-in scrum-half – some of his box kicking was little short of brilliant and he punished virtually every loose kick out of defence by UUC. Johnny Sheriff and his three-quarters colleagues all made telling line breaks, with Captain Johnny Cullen particularly prominent and full-back Michael Gilmore made a number of decisive, incursions into the line.
In almost pefect conditions, Carrick went on the attack from the kick-off and were rewarded with a penalty straight in front which Johnny Sheriff duly converted. UUC dominated possession for most of the first quarter but could do little with it against a well organised Carrick defence. Around the twenty minute mark, the game began to turn in Carrick’s favour. An excellent run by Peter Simpson set up ruck ball close in and, after Carrick had gone through several phases, UUC simply ran out of defenders and Andy Kincaid went over close to the posts. Johnny Sheriff added the points to give Carrick a 10 points to nil lead. Although the visitors continued to enjoy possession and had a five minute spell in and around thev Carrick 22, they could not break down the home side’s defence and Carrick went into half-time with their 10 points to nil lead intact.
Any thoughts that this was going to be a close game were dispelled quickly in the early stages of the second half as Carrick scored three tries in the first twelve minutes. The first was as an indirect result of some excellent line kicks by Sheriff and McKinney and poor responses by UUC. McKinney ran back a clearance kick and Cullen split the students’ defence to set up an attacking ruck on the 22. The ball was moved quickly to the left and Jason Wady brushed aside the defence to score. Johnny Sheriff added the conversion points. Carrick scored again virtually from the kick-off, with Peter Simpson making good yards down the left hand touch-line before Matt Hadden burst through the UUC defence to score. Again Sheriff added the extras and then helped himself to a try, stepping the defence neatly after Carrick had won quick ruck ball. The out-half again converted to make the score 31 points to nil in Carrick’s favour. No 8 Ryan McGonigle then breached the defence to score following good inter-passing between McKinney and Simpson. This try was not converted but the home side continued to dominate and after twenty-fuve minutes of the half, got their sixth try, again from turn-over ball; a long and accurate pass from Kincaid from the base of a ruck set up a move down the left wing which put Michael Gilmore in space and the full-back took advantage to out-pace the defence and score. With Johnny Sheriff receiving attention for an injury, Aaron McKinney put over the conversion. Virtually from the kick-off, the home side scored again with Ross Crymble, now moved into the backs, beating several defenders on his way to the line. This try was not converted. Carrick completed the scoring with a deserved try by Johnny Cullen following good work by Matt Hadden and Michael Smiley. The try was converted by Johnny Sheriff to give the home team a 55 points to nil lead which the held onto comfortably until the final whistle despite a late flurry by the visitors who, to their credit, never stopped trying despite being totally outclassed.
Carrick face a much tougher test next Saturday when they travel to Omagh for a second round Junior Cup match. As well as being important in itself, this game will be a good test of whether Carrick can compete for League honours. They will need to be at their very best if they want to come away with the spoils.
The Carrick team against UUC was:-
M. Gilmore; N. Hastings, J. Cullen(Capt), J. Wady, P. Simpson; J. Sheriff, A. McKinney; A. Gibney, R. Higgins, R. Williams( M. Smiley), A. Kincaid, C. Rodgers, R. Crymble( C. Ferris), M. Hadden, R. McGonigle.
