Agony for Highland as Carrck emerge victorious in National Shield Final
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HEARTBROKEN Highland were left wondering what might have been as Carrick emerged victorious 34-27 in the National Shield Final.
Numerous missed chances came back to haunt the Inverness side and their fate was sealed in agonising fashion in the closing stages, Tam Magowan seeing a pass intercepted and taken all the way for a Carrick try.
It ends an incredible unbeaten record for Highland, dating back to November 2014, and means the prize of league promotion takes on even greater importance next week.
Highland dominated the first half and should have had a greater half-time lead than 12-5. Three tries in the space of 15 minutes at the start of the second half knocked them for six and they were playing catch up until the end.
The vocal travelling support was boisterous throughout and deserved a victorious performance, however they were left cheering off their beaten heroes in a losing effort.
Highland came from behind to edge out East Lothian side North Berwick 25-24 in the semi-finals while Carrick, who sit third in West Division One, caused a major upset in dumping out St Boswells.
The one injury doubt Carson had going into the game was over centre Tam Magowan, who had been battling a knee injury, however he was passed fit to take his place alongside Rory Cross.
Craig Irvine, whose father Brian coached the Highland side that lost the BT Bowl final in 2006, missed the first opportunity for points when his penalty fell short of the posts, but his pick-up and drive helped set up the first try of the game for scrum-half Tom Brogan.
Brogan turned from hero to villain moments after as he was sin-binned and Carrick took full advantage, winger Lewis Clark breaking through to level to get his side on the board. However, Kyle Johnson's missed kick kept Dave Carson's side two points ahead.
Even being a man down, Highland had all the possession but were guilty of squandering chances to add to their lead. Stuart Watson was held up on the Carrick goal-line before Irvine missed his second penalty of the day, allowing their opponents to stay in the game.
Both sides were being let down by their handling and after both Watson and Andrew Findlater were held up at the line, the ball was sprayed left to the lively Richard Sim. With a great opening towards the corner, Sim juggled possession before eventually losing control of the ball as Carrick's desperation to keep Highland out grew.
A scrum on the doorstep of Carrick's try-line could not have given the Canal Park club a better chance to, finally, turn their pressure into points. Paddy Bryden duly obliged and even with Irvine's missed conversion, the greens had a strong half-time advantage.
Carson would have been hoping not to rue their previous spurned chances, as his side dominated the time of possession without racking up the points. Craig Findlater, one of their main attacking threats, had been kept out of the game, and Carrick were still clinging on to the game.
In the opening minutes of the second half, though, the blues gave themselves a shot in the arm. Clark, comfortably Carrick's most dangerous player, tore through the Highland defence and even though he was stopped before the line, Gordon Brown was on hand to plough over.
The momentum had clearly shifted and within 10 minutes of the restart, Carrick were in front. The ball was spread to Johnson in space and he evaded a challenge from Morris Dillon to go over, with his conversion giving the Ayrshire side a five-point cushion.
When Gordon Gregor went over before the hour, Highland were shell-shocked. A 12-7 half-time lead had been turned completely on its head and the underdogs, on the back foot for so much of the first half, were now in control.
Carson needed to see a response from his side and he got it. A scrum under the Carrick posts saw Andrew Findlater fed the ball and after shrugging off two challenges, he went over under the posts. Dillon's conversion reduced the deficit further but a Speirs' penalty took the score to 27-19.
A further penalty by Dillon gave Highland hope but Magowan's interception, leaving Clark with the length of Murrayfield to run, allowed Carrick to re-establish a big lead and despite Craig Little's stoppage-time try, it was not enough to prevent a seven-point defeat.
CARRICK: Johnson, Fulton, Montgomery, E. Alexander, Clark, A. SPiers, Ward; Webster (Brown, 39), Jardine, Raby, McColm (Paton, 39), I. Speirs (Duigan, 80), Kirk, Smith, Gregor. Subs unused: G. Alexander, Festorazzi, Hutton, Wyllie.
HIGHLAND: Dillon, Sim (Rutledge, 73), Magowan, Cross (Titterington, 54), C. Findlater, Irvine (Little, 62), Brogan; Murray (Milton, 54), Brown (A. Macdonald, 78), Milton (Watson, 18), McLaughlan, Baird, A. Findlater, Bryden (Jamieson, 62), S. Macdonald (Gordon, 67). Subs unused: none.
