|
Isle of Arran Rugby Club were denied another win on Saturday by the team they had followed into the second division.
Last season both Arran and Carrick were promoted but the visiting team showed that they were the stronger side.
The fans were delighted when Arran appeared to start the game very well but they suffered a dose of stage fright in the second half when it really mattered, with the more experienced Carrick dealing out a lesson in keeping control and turning pressure into points.
Arran could not have wished for a brighter start as stand-off Frazer Barr confidently slotted a simple penalty.
Ben Tattersfield, George de Mendonca and Jamie Picken were all involved in the sequence, which led to number three Niall McMaster plunging over. Jamie nearly cleared the line but it was a final heave from Niall that won Arran the first try of the day.
Frazer Barr converted to give Arran a comfortable 10-point lead.
The strike acted as a wake-up call for the visitors and they tried to seize control of the ball. A penalty was awarded in their favour and minutes later they crossed the try line.
Thankfully for Arran, Carrick missed the conversion to stay two points behind.
After a collision five minutes before half-time, Glenn Stewart was rushed to hospital with a nasty head injury.
Other injuries to Arran’s players, including Kal Masia and Ben Tattersfield, left the side looking bloody and bruised, and more importantly tired.
The referee continually found in Carrick’s favour. The visitors were awarded two successive penalties, one of which they missed to give them a one point lead at half time.
In the second half Carrick continued to hold the upper hand as they banged over more penalties.
Ten minutes in, winger Ben Tattersfield was the man who found the gap to gleefully skid over after a flowing run down field. Arran were in the lead once again.
After this though it was one-way traffic as Arran’s defence repeatedly failed. The referee kept finding in Carrick’s favour and the home team were continually penalised for minor offences.
Carrick secured one more try, a conversion and a penalty to give them 24 points.
The Arran Banner’s man of the match was scrum half Iain Keen who continually kept Arran’s sequences together throughout the whole of the game.
Today (Saturday) Arran are away to Cowal RFC in Dunoon.
