City of Derry Under 19s narrowly lose final

Carrick 20

FRANTIC rugby was played in the final of the Ulster Plate at Rainey between City of Derry U19’s and their Carrick counterparts, last Wednesday.

Derry had just returned two days earlier from a very successful tour of Holland and hopes were high that they could carry their excellent form into this match.

Both teams were willing to throw the ball wide as the game opened at a frantic pace. Carrick attacked to within en metres of the Derry line. Derry won the ball and released their backline, Keys, Bratton and Kennedy. This pushed O'Kane into space where he could use his pace. Suddenly Derry were pressing the Carrick line.

At the midpoint of the first half Carrick won a lineout on halfway. Their strong pack mauled the ball deep into the Derry half. Derry infringed and the Carrick out half was allowed to open the scoring with a well taken penalty.

Five minutes later Carrick were ten points up. Their large pack had Derry pinned in their own half. From another mauling drive Carrick attacked the blindside and their winger scored.

Derry needed a score. On thirty Minutes they found themselves with a lineout on the Carrick five metre line. Carrick disrupted well and pushed Derry back to the half way line. Half back David Devine lifted the tempo with a series of tap penalties. Just on the whistle Derry were awarded a penalty. Packie Kennedy scored to make it 10-3 at the break.

Derry were now in the ascendancy as the front row of Ciaran Allen, Mark Boyd and Captain Ryan Spratt dominated in the scrum.

Ian Bratton fielded the ball after a Carrick kick deep into the Derry half . He sprinted to the ten metre line and offloaded to the flying winger Jason McDermott. Jason had lots to do. He weaved past the first defender with ease. With one man to beat, he stepped him on the outside and raced away down the touchline to score a scintillating try just right of the posts. The conversion was missed.

Five minutes later Derry led 11-10 with a penalty by Adam Bratton from the Carrick ten metre line. Carrick fought back and their impressive out half slotted a penalty to take the lead 13-11. Derry failed to retake the lead five minutes later with a penalty attempt at goal.

With four minutes left on the clock Carrick were deep in the Derry half. The Derry back row of Kevin McLaughlin, Danny O’Connor and Cillian Doherty, managed to smuggle the ball into a Derry hand. From in front of their own posts Packie Kennedy and Adam Bratton combined to set substitutes Knox and Dalton up with room to run. Niall O'kane supported and after some good interplay, narrowly missed a score in the corner.

Derry still believed, throwing everything at Carrick to get the winning score. With two minutes left Carrick made the plate theirs intercepting a Derry pass scoring under the posts. The match finished with the score 20-11.