The Maxol-sponsored Carrick 1st XV suffered their first League defeat of the season at Dromore on Saturday 12th October when they were beaten by 47 points to 19 by the League leaders. This defeat drops Carrick to fifth place in the League and cements Dromore's place at the top although they will be wary of unbeaten Ballyclare who have played fewer matches.
Carrick were very much in the game at half-time, trailing by just 12 points to 7 at the break and for long periods having looked the better side. However, defensive lapses in the second half proved costly and a Dromore try shortly after the break followed by three more in a twelve minute period between the fifty-fourth and sixty-sixth minutes left Carrick well beaten. The visitors did keep plugging away though and got two tries of their own in the last ten minutes but, even then, Dromore managed their seventh try between the two Carrick tries.
This was a very disappointing second half performance from Carrick after they had controlled territory and the ball for long periods in the first half although, even then, they did not make as much of their periods of advantage as they might, their only score coming on the stroke of half-time.Their defence, which has been so good so far this season, let them down quite badly in the second half, including allowing Dromore to score two tries from deep, one from inside their own 22.
The Carrick scorers were: Conor Cambridge ,who darted over just before the break following following a big Carrick shove at a 5-metre scrum, Shane Kelly, who forced his way over the line in the seventieth minute but was injured in the process, an unfortunate end for someone who was probably the pick of Carrick's players on the day: and Ryan McGonigle who touched down in injury time following a series of picks and drives.
This is a game Carrick will want to put behind them quickly and pick themselves up to meet Ballynahinch II in the Conference League at Tom Simms Memorial Park next Saturday . They then have a week off before returning to Championship League action against Grosvenor at Gibson Park on 2nd November.
The Carrick team which faced Dromore was:-
D. Moore; C. Wilson (D. Carse), J. Sheriff (Capt), A. White, S. White; S. Kelly, C. Cambridge; J. Bell, A. Whitley, P. Greenaway, C. Rodgers, C. Rea, M. Hadden, J. Millar, N. Greenwood (R. McGonigle).
