18s WIN IN NUTTY KRUST FIRST ROUND
Carrickfergus  5  BANBRIDGE Under 18s 24
February 25, 2009

The Gordons Chemist sponsored Under 18’s travelled to Portadown with wing Peter Irvine their only player remaining on the injury list.

The team quickly put the disappointment of losing the league quarter-final against Malone behind them and showed their determination to ensure some silverware is won this season. It didn’t take long to register a score as centre Chris Leathem crashed through to touch down under the posts, with Mark Doherty adding the conversion.

However for the rest of the half Bann were encamped on their own try line as Carrick used their big pack to maintain territorial control. At one point it looked like they had scored but the defence remained solid, the work ethic of the Bann team twinned with their determination to keep their line intact proving the key.

After the interval Bann raised their game to lift the siege on their line. The Carrick defence gave a few penalties away and eventually captain Jonny Weir took a quick tap and dived over the line right in the corner. Doherty superbly added the extras right from the touch line.

Eventually Carrick did register an unconverted try as the pressure finally told. But when they conceded a penalty soon afterwards, Doherty used the wind to slot over another excellent kick.

With Bann firmly in the ascendancy in the final quarter, wing Simon Adamson scored his twelfth try of the season when No 8 Stephen Irvine changed the focus of an attack from a ruck, linking on the blind side with Adamson who sprinted round two defenders from outside the “22”. Doherty kept his 100% record for the day with another long range effort from the touch line, deservedly earning him the Nutty Krust man-of-the-match award.

The team’s defensive credentials received a stern test from a solid Carrick side, but in the end Bann’s greater all-round team quality proved decisive.