Paul Mcintyre of Back of the Stand reports on CIYMS v Carrick in the Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship Division 1 Match. 

You certainly get your money’s worth at Belmont on a Saturday afternoon. Last week against Portadown CI claimed a narrow win in game that produced nine tries. This week they shared twelve with Carrick in a game that they just hung on to claim the win after being twenty-one points to the good after 67 minutes.

It took two minutes for the first score to arrive. Carrick’s Bradley Luney made a break through the home rear guard and off loaded to Ryan McGonigle who touched down for an unconverted try. The response from CI was swift and decisive. Craig Devlin took a high ball kicked from the Carrick backs and ran through several tackles to set up Scott Dowle. Mark McConkey ran for try number two on 11 minutes and when Centre Matthew Kilgore intercepted a pass on 19 minutes, it looked like CI were on their way to an easy victory leading 21-5.

The East Antrim side hung in and a big hit from second row Chris Rodgers saw David Moore touch down for a try after pouncing on a loose ball. There was still time for another play and replacement Stuart Fergusson pounced at the side of a ruck for a bonus point try and a sixteen-point half time lead.

HT CIYMS 26 Carrick 10

After a good half time talking to from their managers Carrick brought a bit more aggression to their play in the second half and backed by a strong wind they took the game to CI. They got their just rewards for their positive play on 53 minutes when tight-head prop Paul Greenaway scored. Adam White kicked the extras and a comeback was on, or so we thought.

Luney picked up a yellow card for a dangerous tackle and CI made the most of the power play to score two tries through Dowle and Aaron Kilpatrick. Kilgore hit a great conversion from the sideline into the wind, and at 38-17 with 13 minutes left to play CI were looking home and dry.

For a side going through a slump in recent weeks, Carrick showed tremendous character in the last 10 minutes and were rewarded for their effort with three tries. David McKeen got the fourth try on 70 minutes to claim a try scoring bonus point and with two minutes to go Full Back Fionn McCormack scored to reduce the arrears to nine points. Carrick were now only two points from claiming a second point from the game but there was only one minute of playing time left.

From the restart CI were penalised after a forward was found guilty of entering a ruck from the side. White kicked the penalty deep into the CI half and from their lineout the ball eventually found its way to flanker Luney for their sixth try of the game in the 83^rd minute of play.

CIYMS: Aaron Kilpatrick, Scott McNarry, Timothy Acheson, Cory Tipping, David Cobain, Jason Gilliland, Scott Dowle, Mark McConkey, Cameron Stewart, Patrick Beverland, Peter Raine, Matthew Kilgore, Matthew Butler, Craig Devlin, Nathan Burns. Replacements: Stuart Fergusson, Patrick Aiken.

Carrick: David McKeen, Alan Whitley, Paul Greenaway, Stuart Currie, Chris Rodgers, Bradley Luney, Ryan McGonigle, Andy McKeen, Conor Cambridge, David Carse, David Moore, Adam White, Pete Simpson, Simon White, Fionn McCormack. Replacements: Gareth McKeown, Nathan Greenwood.

Referee: Mr Robbie McGreer.

GALLERY BELOW

Photo credit – Ian Humes Photography