BT Regional Shield Final

IRVINE 20

CARRICK 27

by Derek Murdoch

IRVINE's Murrayfield dream is over after holders Carrick deservedly edged them out at Marress.

Tries from number eight Calum Smith and ex-Irvinite Blair Jardine, plus 17 points from the boot of fly-half Kyle Johnston, ensured that the BT West Regional Shield will be staying in Maybole for another year.

Siya Moabi, who scored the winning try against Newton Stewart in the semi-final, kicked Irvine into an early lead with a penalty but once Smith scored the hosts never regained the lead and found themselves on the wrong side of the final scoreline despite adding tries through Robbie McVey, Neil McMillan and Andrew Lang, the last of these converted by Jake Cresswell.

Carrick will now entertain Hawick Harlequins – who sit second in BT East 1 – in the National Shield semi-final on March 25 as they bid to defend the trophy they won at Murrayfield a year ago.

Irvine meanwhile travel to Annan on the same day, before rounding off their league campaign at home to Oban a week later.

The visitors had served due notice of what was to come before Smith scored in 15 minutes, when flanker Gordon Gregor found himself in acres of space in the Irvine half and the home side had to look lively to get bodies back.

They failed to heed the warning though, and could have no complaints when Smith barged his way over from a subsequent penalty lineout.

Johnston missed the conversion on this occasion, but this scarcely mattered as Carrick continued to make the running, and just before the half hour he made it 8-3 from the kicking tee after the Irvine defence were ruled to have illegally halted his progress as he looked set to score.

Gregor went close again for the visitors five minutes later before the hosts squared it up after Moabi made an enterprising run deep into the Carrick 22 and fed the supporting McVey.

He was unable to add the conversion however, and Irvine were only on level pegging for five minutes. They thought they had escaped when full back Greg Montgomery’s attempted scoring pass was knocked on and they cleared their lines from the resulting scrum, but Carrick were not to be denied and Jardine barrelled over in the corner from the lineout possession.

Johnston converted to ensure his side turned around with a 15-8 lead.

Irvine tried to respond as the second half got underway, and a promising move broke down five minutes in when Moabi made another dangerous run down the right but found himself lacking support. But they made sure of the score on their next possession when McMillan put himself in position to take Moabi’s pass.

Jake Cresswell took over the kicking duties but was unable to convert, and Johnston added insult to injury in the ensuing minutes with two penalties to put the visitors 21-13 ahead.

Andrew Lang raced clear for Irvine’s third try on the hour, Cresswell converting this time to narrow the deficit to a point, but they were unable to score again as the Carrick defence turned up the heat, and Johnston scored two further penalties – either side of Ruchin Filander’s yellow card for a dangerous high tackle – to round off the scoring in the closing minutes.

IRVINE: Jama Ntenga; Siya Moabi, Neil McMillan, Jake Cresswell, Craig Lang; Ryan Elliston, Robbie McVey; Craig Stevenson, Ross Campbell, Ewan Callaghan (capt), Alan Nugent, Jonathan Goodlet, Alistair Maxwell, Andrew Lang, Ruchin Filander. Replacements: David Kirkwood, Allan Thomson, John Carson, Christopher Hobson.

Tries: McVey, McMillan, A Lang. Con: Cresswell. Pen: Moabi.

CARRICK: Greg Montgomery; Sean Young, John Fulton, Allan Speirs, Ross McCulloch; Kyle Johnston, Grant Ward; Graeme Dick, Blair Jardine, Stephen Raby, Iain Speirs, David Brown, Michael Kirk (capt), Gordon Gregor, Calum Smith. Replacements: Jonny Webster, Joe Connon, Connor Wyllie, John Dewar.

Tries: Smith, Jardine. Con: Johnston. Pen: Johnston (5).

*Carrick will now entertain Hawick Harlequins – who sit second in BT East 1 – in the National Shield semi-final on March 25 as they bid to defend the trophy they won at Murrayfield a year ago.

Irvine meanwhile travel to Annan on the same day, before rounding off their league campaign at home to Oban a week later.