It is only a short hop from Deramore Park to Shaws Bridge but by the time I’d got parked up and found this match on the lower pitches the game was over as a competition with Cooke 3rds well in command against Carrick 3rds with James Hughes, Ian Patterson, Ciaran Farry, Andrew Blythe and Aaron Hunter all crossing, for the home team, prior to my arrival about 10 minutes into the second half.

As I arrived, Carrick had Cooke under pressure in the Cooke 22 but a length of the field break out from the home side, the ball going through six pairs of hands, gave me a feel of what Carrick had to deal with.