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1XV high scoring for the second week in a row

Posted On: Monday, March 16, 2015

The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV had another overwhelming win at Tom Simms Memorial Park on Saturday 14 March when they beat Holywood by 65 points to nil, the referee again having to call time early. What was already shaping up to be a one-sided contest became even more so after thirty minutes when Holywood went down to fourteen men because of an injury and had no substitute to bring on. The home side were so much on top that had they played with some of the precision of the previous week, they would have added three or four more tries to the eleven they did score. The home side’s pack was completely on top in the set pieces and the loose, with Holywood being regularly shoved off their own ball in the scrum, to such an extent that the referee had to move to uncontested scrums early in the second half. The Carrick defence was again excellent and when Holywood did have periods when they controlled the ball they could make no impression whatsoever. There were again good displays all round from Carrick, with veterans Aaron McKinney and Andy Kinkaid continuing their duel to become the team’s top try-scorer and grabbing two tries apiece on this occasion. In the loose, all of the Carrick forwards carried well, with Andy Kinkaid, Chris Rodgers, Ross Marsden and Ryan McGonigle prominent but well backed up by the rest of the pack including props Adam Gibney, Michae Smyliel and, in the second half, Robbie Williams. The back-line had complete freedom to operate, given the supply of quality ball they had and there were fine performances from Johnny Cullen and Johnny Sheriff in the centre while Ross Crymble once again caused all sorts of problems for the opposing defence with his running back of kicks.
On a cold afternoon, but with the breeze thankfully not a major issue, Carrick started well and took the lead when Aaron McKinney dived over to finish off a move begun by Curtis Rea off the back of a scrum and taken up to the Holywood line by Johny Cullen. The try was not converted but the home side extended their lead a couple of minutes later when Kenny Topping on hand to score after Johnny Cullen had broken through the Holywood defence. Again, the try was not converted but, after fifteen minutes, the home side got their third try when Aaron McKinney ran back a loose Holywood kick to put Andy Kinkaid into a gap and the second row raced in from the 22 to score near the posts. Johnny Sheriff added the conversion points to give Carrick a 17 points to nil lead. With Carrick now completely on top it was just a matter of how many tries they would score -they left a few out there as a result of being a little over-eager at times- and they got the bonus point score just as the match moved into the second quarter when Adam Gibney touched down at the end of a move involving backs and forwards. The conversion was missed and there followed a ten minute period when the visitors managed to get control of the ball for much of the time. However, they could make little impression on the Carrick defence and, with thirty-five minutes gone, Aaron McKinney had a simple step over to finish off another Carrick move involving backs and forwards. Johnny Sheriff put over the conversion and three minutes later found the touch which set Carrick up for their sixth try when Chris Rodgers finished off after a strong run by Ross Marsden. This try was not converted but the home side went into the break leading by 34 points to nil.
Just as they had last week, Carrick scored virtually from the kick-off in the second half. This time it was Andy Kinkaid who showed a fine turn of speed in racing in from the Holywood 22 following an intercept by Ross Marsden and a strong run by Chris Rodgers. The try was not converted but a few minutes later Matt Fisher, who had come on at half-time for Ryan McGonigle, showed his pace in running in from the Holywood 10 metre line after the visitors had been shoved off the ball at a scrum. Johnny Sheriff added the conversion points and then, almost immediately after the re-start, Curtis Rea ran through the Holywood defence from 30 metres out to score, Sheriff again converting to take Carrick past the 50 points mark. With just twelve minutes of the second half gone, the home side scored their third try of the half when Ross Marsden touched down to finish off a line-out catch and drive. The try was not converted but two minutes later Chris Rodgers got his second try when he broke several tackles on his way to the line after picking up a loose ball. The try was converted by Johnny Sheriff to take the score to 65 points to nil and, at this point, with more than twenty minutes remaining, the referee decided that there was no point in subjecting fourteen man Holywood to any further punishment and blew for full time.
Following the victory over Grosvenor, this was another easy match for Carrick against the second bottom side in the League but it will be a tougher test next Saturday when they travel to Roughfort to face Academy.
The Carrick team against Holywood was :-
A. McKinney; R. Crymble, J. Cullen(Capt), J. Sheriff, P. Simpson; L. Whittall, K. Topping; A. Gibney, N. Hanna, M. Smylie(R. Williams), A. Kinkaid, C. Rodgers, C.Rea, R. Marsden, R. McGonigle(M. Fisher).

 

Other results
The 4th XV beat Malone 4s by 20 points to 10.

Next week’s fixtures (Fixtures for Saturday 21st March at 2.30, unless otherwise stated)

1st XV v Academy (a)
2nd XV – No match
3rd XV v Instonians 3s (a)
4th XV v Civil Service, 12.30pm, (NB – This is now an away fixture);
Ladies XV – No match
Under 14s v Larne (a), Cup, 11am
Mini Rugby v Ballymoney (a), 9.45am

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