Carrick RFC improving defensively despite home defeat to Cooke

However, they were unable to put sustained attacking pressure on their opponents, most of their offensive moves starting from around half-way and ending up in turnovers or penalties to the opposition before they could establish a bridgehead. That said, it is to Carrick's credit that Cooke found it almost equally difficult to mount sustained attacks with two of their tries coming from rare defensive errors by the home side.

For Carrick, the pack once again stood up well, with the scrum only rarely under pressure and the line-out functioning well; indeed they put the Cooke line-out under pressure on more than one occasion with Callum Simms' influence obvious. The Carrick forwards competed well in the loose with Adam Gibney, Gareth McKeown, Chris Rodgers, David Ferris and Ryan McGonigle all providing strong carries.

In the backs, the main attacking threat once again came from outside centre David Carse who made a number of line breaks which unfortunately the team were unable to capitalise on. The backs as well as the forwards put in a strong defensive performance with some powerful tackles going in from Fionn McCormack and Adam White among others.

Carrick began the game with a fairly strong breeze at their backs and took the lead after two minutes when David Carse took advantage of the elements to drop a goal when he fielded a Cook goal-line drop-out. However, the home side were unable to take full advantage of the wind advantage which Cooke countered cleverly by playing ball in hand rugby for most of the half.

They found it very difficult to break down a stubborn Carrick defence though and it was not until the 35th minute that they got onto the board with a midfield break from half-way which was finished off with an arcing run towards the corner around a retreating Carrick defence for a try in the corner. This was converted to give the visitors a 7 – 3 lead which they held until the break.

The third quarter of the game was fairly even in terms of territory and possession with neither side looking as though they would threaten the other's try-line. The deadlock was broken in the 60th minute when Cooke converted a penalty and then a couple of minutes later their hooker picked up the ball from the base of a ruck on the Carrick 22 and raced through unopposed to score under the posts with the Carrick defence seemingly unsighted. This try was converted to give the visitors a 17 – 3 lead.

From then on the game was played almost entirely in the Carrick half with a succession of penalties keeping Carrick penned back. Despite a number of attacking line-outs inside the Carrick 22, Cooke still found it hard to break down the Carrick defence and it was not until injury time that they went over for their third try from a line-out catch and drive.

In an attempt to go for a bonus point try, Cooke opted for a quick drop-goal conversion attempt - which failed - but despite winning another couple of penalties after the re-start, and setting up attacking line-outs, they were unable to breach the strong Carrick defence and the game finished with the visitors victorious by 22 – 3.

Next, Carrick travel to Londonderry to face City of Derry - the only team they have beaten in the league so far this year - and another victory would do much to boost morale if nothing else.

The Carrick team which faced Cooke was: M. Hansen (O. Henry); J. Leatham, D. Carse, A. White (capt), S. White; F. McCormack, C. Cambridge; A. Gibney (D. McArthur), G. McKeown, P.Greenaway, C. Rodgers, D. Ferris (L. Patterson), M. Johnson, C. Simms, R. McGonigle.