Good performances by Carrick players making Stephen Baxter's decision for a man-of-the-match winner more difficult
Stephen Baxter has admitted that the recent displays from his Carrick Rangers side have made selecting a man-of-the-match increasingly challenging, with a number of players producing standout performances in recent weeks.
The Amber Army continued their impressive run of form by playing out a 1-1 draw against title challengers Coleraine at Taylors Avenue.
Coleraine flew out of the traps and deservedly took the lead on 25 minutes when Will Patching scored directly from a corner.
The Bannsiders were then punished for not adding to their lead as Carrick equalised on the stroke of half-time when a flick-on landed at the feet of Mikey Place who blasted in.
Carrick looked the more likely to bag all three points as Joe Crowe and Daniel Gibson were guilty of missing big chances after the restart.
They did, however, had young ‘keeper Lorcan Donnelly to thank late on as he dived to his right to keep out Jamie McGonigle’s goalbound header.
Defender Billy-Joe Burns was named as the club’s man-of-the-match – but Baxter had a different viewpoint.
He explained: "Well, I would have said Matthew Snoddy was my man of the match, believe it or not.
"I thought Billy Joe (Burns) was magnificent, by the way, but I thought there were several.
"It's getting hard to choose a man of the match for me every week.
"There's that many good performances, but for me, Matthew Snoddy today cleaned everything up and the amount of ball he won in there today. Joe Crowe, again, magnificent, but for me, Matthew Snoddy.”
The draw meant Carrick retained their spot in sixth place and Baxter knew the importance of weathering the early storm from Ruaidhri Higgins’ men before Place’s well-taken finish.
“Always vital to score,” Baxter said of the timing of the equaliser.
"I said that to the team...the 15 minutes in the first half pre-half-time, was how we should have played the whole half.
"We were second to the ball in the first 30 minutes, and Coleraine dominated that period.
"Once we got the grips, we got the goal, we got back into it, and I thought in the second half we were brilliant.”
Whilst beaming with what he described as “a fabulous result”, Baxter was left with a feeling of what if after seeing his side spurn several chances in the second half.
"You're up against a full-time professional team who are at times a joy to watch, how they knock it around,” he added.
"But on chances created, especially in the second half, we should be taking all three with the two massive chances from Danny (Gibson) and particularly the one from Joe (Crowe), which he should really score
"So that'll please us, knowing that we've got in to create those chances, to maybe get the game and get the three points.
"But we've matched them all the way here in the second half. I thought they were good for 30 minutes in the first half, and in the second half, I thought it was a real ding-dong.”