Carrick’s U18.5 first Division 1 Connacht League Final ended in defeat to a rampant Sligo team on a final score of 43-14. In only Carrick’s second year playing at the U18.5 age grade, reaching a Division 1 final was a major step forward, and underlines the enormous strides made at underage level in the club. However, Carrick can have no complaints on the day, but the score belies the spirited performance of the players, and the fact that injury had shorn the squad of several key players. No doubt about it, top-tier finals are an unforgiving arena, and Carrick’s young squad will have learned a whole lot about what it takes to compete in that lofty environment. Despite this, Carrick started strongly and after 5 mins scored the first try of the game through a tap penalty by Andrew Deegan. This was followed by a penalty scored from the boot of Peter Moran, to leave Carrick with a 10-0 advantage. Sligo struck back with a try, but a significant turning point was the loss of Carrick’s big centre Tristan Hoey to injury. Carrick scored two further penalties to go in at the break trailing 14-19, but still in the game. The second half was one way traffic with Sligo pulling clear despite spirited resistance by Carrick.
The club extends its best wishes to those players graduating to adult rugby next season.
Team: P Moran, C Garavan, R Costello, T Hoey, AW Hewson, R Hanrahan, O Beirne, C McDonagh, M French, E O Reilly, D Keane, P Morohan, A Deegan, AL Hewson, N Stenson, E Costello, Y Siddque, L Creighton, I Martin, C Burke