City of Derry go down fighting at Judges Road

City of Derry 13 ... Carrickfergus 29

City of Derry put in their best display of the year so far, but they still await their first Championship Two point of the new season.

The hosts gave everything they had against promotion chasing Carrickfergus at Judges Road on Saturday, but ultimately it wasn't enough.

Empty plaudits are the last thing the 'Green & Black' want to hear after a run of 21 league games without a win across two seasons but this performance provided the clearest evidence yet that things are beginning to take shape under new Head Coach Neil Beddow and Tom Burns.

Fresh from last week's Junior Shield victory over Monaghan - a first victory in 13 months - Derry went into the Saturday's game as big underdogs against the club who, but for Omagh's relegation from the AIL last season, would have been playing Championship One rugby this year.

Carrick are set on correcting that this season and had started with two league wins from two but for 75 minutes Beddow's revamped team looked capable of snatching what would have been a fully deserved victory.

Recovering from the concession of an early try, Derry led 10-5 courtesy of an Alex McDonnell penalty and a try from young full-back Chris McCann.

They should have taken that lead into half-time but a loose line-out gifted Carrick a scrum three minutes into first half injury time and they made it count to go in 10-12 ahead.

City of Derry’s Tiarnan Dillion breaks through the Carrick cover.

McDonnell, who was superb throughout, kicked Derry ahead again five minutes after the restart from a penalty he won himself which put Derry in the driving seat.

Carrick's response was a Peter Corrigan try in the corner with 13 minutes left that took a lengthy discussion between referee and touch judge about whether the winger's foot had passed into touch in the build up but even at 13-17, it was still all to play for.

The next score would decide it and the next score was Carrick's; out-half Simon White - one of the game's outstanding players - getting in for try that visibly deflated Bellow's troops and allowed Daniel Curley grab the bonus point and add some gloss to the scoreboard in injury time.

The finale was harsh on the home side but those are the margins against top sides and no amount of well meaning pats on the back will ever replace winning.

This one will sting for a while precisely because for 75 minutes Derry were excellent.

Led by McDonnell it was another positive step forward even if it won't feel like it for a few days.

The Derry scrum and especially the line-out where Gary McKinley was first class was a superb base with Ryan Higgins another star performer in the second row.

Indeed, despite yielding weight and experience to their Carrick counterparts, Derry's pack was superb while along the back line, McCann's first half try was just reward for a player who is growing in influence week on week.

Carrick’s John Turner tackles City of Derry’s Gary McKinley. 

The game started according to it's pre-match billing with Carrick on the offensive and grabbing a try three minutes in when White's exquisite kick was perfect for the Carrick out-half to regather and feed Curley to put winger Corrigan in at the corner.
If that was expected, Derry's response probably wasn't, the home team pushing Carrick back and getting themselves on the scoreboard just four minuted later though McDonnell's first kick of the day for 3-5.

Carrick's Christopher Rodgers, Matty Hadden and Adam and Simon White gave the visitors plenty of ball carrying threat among the pack and the backs but Derry were coping admirably and carrying the fight to Carrick.
And, just short of the half hour, Derry's pressure paid off.

Again McDonnell was at the heart of the move, his initial break causing chaos in the Carrick cover. He was stopped but it took enough of the visitors' cover to mean Owen Hoyles could release McCann to score out wide after joining the line at full pace.
With McDonnell kicking a superb conversion, the confidence pumped through Derry at 10-5.

And that should have been that for the opening half, the home side perhaps showing a bit of inexperience to continue playing a ball that could have been kicked dead and then allowing Carrick to regain possession and eventually score through winger David Carse, a try that was converted by Curley for a 10-12 interval lead.

McDonnell's second penalty of the day wrestled back the initiative for Derry and from there both side threw everything at it.

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Derry were fortunate to escape when only a forward final pass stopped Carse scoring a second before Curley eventually did cross the white wash for the visitors with 13 to go.At 13-17, it was anyone's game but Carrick's pace told once more when Simon White got in to douse home flames with a try Curley converted before Curley himself extinguished the home fires completely with his injury time effort.

Tough to take undoubtedly but if Derry can replicate this level regularly, and maintain it for 80 minutes, that elusive victory won't be far away.

City of Derry: Matthew McMonagle, Cathal Cregan, Nathan Campbell, Gary McKinley, Tiarnan Dillon, Ryan Higgins, Dara Gill, Isaiah Morris, Andrew Millar, Alex McDonnell, Owen Hoyles, Jack Beattie, David Graham, Sam Milligan, Christopher McCann. (Replacements) David McMahon, Diarmuid O'Kane Shane Beattie.

Carrickfergus: Gareth McKeown, Jonathan Mooney, Robert Williams, Christopher Rodgers, John Turner, Lewis Patterson, Ross Marsden, Matty Hadden, Conor Cambridge, Simon White, Finn Bamber, Adam White, Daniel Curley, Peter Corrigan, David Carse. (Replacements) Ryan McGonigle, Jack Higgins, Shane Kelly.

Referee: Ross Copeland