Rainey U18s 14–34 Carrick U18s
U18 Division 2 League
Saturday 3rd October 2026
Try Scorers: S. Loughran, D. McIvor
Conversions: S. Loughran (2)
Rainey U18s welcomed Carrick U18s to the club on Saturday for their third game of the U18 Division 2 League campaign, with both sides looking to build momentum in the early stages of the season.
Rainey started brightly and, after winning a penalty inside their own half, opted to kick for the corner. The kick found touch between the 10-metre line and the 22, but Carrick managed to steal the resulting lineout and launch an attack.
Rainey responded immediately, however, turning the ball over and producing an excellent team try. The move was started deep inside Rainey’s half by back-rower Seth Harkness, who made a break before offloading to fellow back-rower Ruairi Larkin just before halfway. Larkin continued the break as the Carrick defence scrambled back before finding centre Matthew Linton. Linton put the ball through the hands to out-half Shea Loughran, who had continued his support run on the outside and raced in to finish an excellent flowing move. Loughran added the conversion to put Rainey 7–0 ahead.
Carrick responded with two tries of their own. Their first came after a series of powerful forward carries and phases, eventually allowing them to break through the Rainey defence. Their second followed a quick-tap penalty five metres from the Rainey line, with the visitors moving the ball quickly through the hands before jinking their way over.
Rainey trailed 7–10, but continued to create opportunities. Two promising attacks inside the Carrick 22 unfortunately broke down at crucial moments, with one coming from a scrum and another following a lineout after Rainey had kicked into the corner.
The home side eventually regained the lead with another well-worked score. Following a Carrick clearance, fullback Joe Doyle produced a jinking run and was eventually stopped just short of the five-metre line. Scrum-half Daniel McIvor spotted the opportunity, dummied his way through the defence and crossed for Rainey’s second try. Loughran again added the extras to put Rainey 14–10 ahead.
Half-Time: Rainey U18s 14–10 Carrick U18s
Carrick came out strongly after the interval and were first to score in the second half. A break down the blind side, combined with a number of Rainey indiscretions, allowed the visitors to make several charges towards the line before eventually crashing over. The conversion was successful, putting Carrick ahead 17–14.
The visitors continued to apply pressure and worked their way close to the Rainey line once again. Carrick’s forwards powered over for their second try of the half, although the conversion was missed, leaving the score 24–14.
Carrick’s attacking pressure continued, and another spell inside the Rainey 22 produced their next score. The visitors kicked over the Rainey defensive line and managed to break through to pounce on the loose ball in the try zone. The conversion was successful, extending Carrick’s advantage to 29–14.
There was no let-up from the visitors as they returned to the Rainey 22 once more. This time they moved the ball quickly and spread it wide, eventually finding space in the corner for their fifth try of the afternoon. The conversion was unsuccessful.
Despite Rainey’s best efforts, Carrick’s second-half pressure ultimately proved decisive, with the visitors taking the points in a 34–14 victory.
Rainey can take encouragement from an impressive first-half display, particularly the quality of their two tries and the attacking opportunities they created. However, Carrick’s sustained pressure after the interval saw them pull away and secure the league victory.
