It is only a short hop from Deramore Park to Shaws Bridge but by the time I’d got parked up and found this match on the lower pitches the game was over as a competition with Cooke 3rds well in command against Carrick 3rds with James Hughes, Ian Patterson, Ciaran Farry, Andrew Blythe and Aaron Hunter all crossing, for the home team, prior to my arrival about 10 minutes into the second half.

As I arrived, Carrick had Cooke under pressure in the Cooke 22 but a length of the field break out from the home side, the ball going through six pairs of hands, gave me a feel of what Carrick had to deal with.

That move was finished off by Turlough Mac Gowan and though Carrick had their moments, and the lions share of territory and possession, they never really found an answer to the super silky Cooke back line who scored two more triesfrom deep in the time I was there.

Cooke’s Patrick Gruener took on all comers in the middle of the park to scamper over the line from the half way point and Joe McLean finished, another nice breakout, under the posts to wrap up the game.

Veteran Norman McKenzie looked to end the game with the final conversion to give a final score of Cooke III 50 Carrick III 0

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