Carrick focus switches to cup after CIYMS defeat

This defeat means that Carrick drop to eighth place in the League while CIYMS climb temporarily to fifth as there were no other Section 1 fixtures last Saturday.

While there were some parallels with the previous weekend's encounter, with Carrick going into half-time 15 – 3 down, there was to be no last quarter fight-back on this occasion and the home side remained comfortably in control throughout.

Carrick's indiscipline cost them with two yellow cards and a penalty count which contributed to the home side controlling territory for long periods. Carrick did threaten the CIYMS line from time to time but could not turn their occasional periods of pressure into points.

Like the previous encounter, Carrick conceded an early try when CIYMS went over in the corner after they had gone through a number of phases following a line-out. The try was converted and the home side then added a penalty to lead 10 – 0 after 12 minutes.

The visitors did get onto the scoreboard with a Dan Curley penalty a few minutes later but the home side continued to dominate territory and possession and extended their lead with another try in the corner after 25 minutes. This was not converted but CIYMS remained in control for most of the rest of the half. Carrick did have a few opportunities but lost a line-out in a good attacking position and then lost control of the ball after a tapped penalty inside the home side's 22. Half-time was reached with CIYMS leading by 15 – 3.

At the start of the second-half, Carrick squandered another attacking opportunity when they failed to control the ball on their own throw at a line-out and then, after going down to 14 men as a consequence of a yellow card, conceded another try in the 53rd minute when CIYMS drove over in a line-out catch and drive. This try was not converted but the home side now had a comfortable 20 – 3 lead.

Raise Hopes

Carrick did briefly raise hopes of a fight-back when Kenny Topping went over for a try in the 58th minute following a break down the left wing with Dan Curley and David Carse involved. The try was not converted and the home side hit back almost immediately when they scored their bonus point try off turn-over ball on the Carrick 10-metre line. This try was converted and they completed the scoring with a penalty in the 66th minute.

Carrick did have a lengthy period inside the CIYMS half towards the end of the game but came away with nothing to show for it and the home side ended up comfortable 30 – 8 winners.

There were few memorable performances on the Carrick side although the scrum did have the edge on the home side for most of the game and Ross Marsden and Ryan McGonigle carried and tackled with their usual energy. Carrick badly missed the line-out presence of Cormac McCracken and the midfield power of Adam White although Jordan Garford put in a solid performance on debut in the centre.

Carrick now need to pick themselves up to face Monaghan at Tom Simms Memorial Park this Saturday (November 26) in the second round of the Towns Cup and then City of Derry at home in the league in early December.

The Carrick team at CIYMS was: J. Hutchinson; T. Bailey; D. Carse; J. Garford ( N. Gannon), K. Topping; D. Curley, S. White; G. McKeown (capt) (P.Greenaway), A. Whitley, R. Pruess, C. Taylor, J. Mooney, J. Millar, R. Marsden, R. McGonigle.