Tough start to new league season for Carrick RFC

In a match played in ideal conditions, the visitors dominated from early on with their excellent kicking game, their ability to get over the gain line seemingly at will and their use of clever off-loads, particularly the inside pass to a supporting runner.

Apart from a brief period early on, and in isolated periods later, Carrick never really got into the game, with their scrum under pressure and Enniskillen dominating the break-down.

In the circumstances, there were few opportunities to shine for Carrick players although back-rowers Ryan McGonigle and Callum Simms battled hard throughout, David Moore, Alan Whitley and Jack Millar worked hard in defence while there were glimpses of attacking flair from Conor Cambridge, Simon White and stand-in Captain David Carse.

Carrick started strongly and in the first minute David Carse was just beaten to the touch-down after a clever chip into the in-goal area by Simon White. However, Enniskillen soon began to take control, with their kicking game posing problems for Carrick from early on.

Within 12 minutes they were leading by 14 points to nil, with tries from a mid-field break and then a series of picks and drives after they had run back a Carrick clearance kick. Carrick did get on the score-board in the 20th minute with a penalty converted by centre Mike Hansen who unfortunately had to leave the field with a head injury a short time later.

Try Converted

The visitors continued to dominate though and extended their lead in injury time with an excellent try when their left winger made good ground out of his own half and passed inside to his out-half who scored. The try was converted to give the visitors a 24 points to 3 lead at half-time.

Carrick's hopes of a fight-back were briefly raised early in the second half when a charged down kick was well gathered by Conor Cambridge and passed to David Carse who eluded the covering defence to score. Simon White converted to make the score 24 points to 10 in Enniskillen's favour.

However, the visitors hit back in the 50th minute with another pick and drive try and followed this up five minutes later with an excellent individual try by their out-half who beat a couple of defenders on half -way and then gathered his own chip over the defence to score. Both tries were converted to give Enniskillen an unassailable 38 points to 10 lead.

They extended their lead to 45-10 in the 60th minute and completed the scoring with their seventh converted try in the 75th minute.

This was a game Carrick will need to put behind them and move on quickly as this Saturday they are away to Grosvenor who lost by just one point away to Dromore in their season opener.

The Carrick team against Enniskillen was: J. Hutchinson; D. Moore, D.Carse (capt), M. Hansen (H. Norton), K. Topping; S. White, C. Cambridge; K. Bell, A. Whitley, R. Williams (P. Greenaway), R. Gibson, L. Patterson, J. Millar (R. Marsden), C. Simms, R. McGonigle.