Irish League: Gary Haveron admits half-time blast spurred Carrick into action against Glentoran

Haveron’s men were on the back foot for the majority of the opening 45 minutes and the Glens should have been out of sight at the break.

It was Carrick who claimed the lead in the 65th minute when Ben Roy fired home with the help of a deflection.

Glentoran’s Marcus Kane levelled matters with an early contender for goal of the season.

He lofted the ball over Aaron Harmon with his left foot, before unleashing a dipping 25-yard screamer into the net with his right.

“At half-time I would have bitten your hand off for a point,” said Haveron.

“Our second half performance was more like us. It’s a point gained. Anything we take off any of the big teams is a bonus.”

Asked what he told his players at the interval, Haveron replied: “I had to tell them in no uncertain terms what I thought of the first-half performance. The boys know there are no hiding places and I won’t allow them to hide.

“There is an honesty about our group – but I don’t want to go in there and berate anybody or have a go when I don’t think it’s required. I gave them some home truths and we sorted things out. We adjusted things slightly and we were much better organised in the second half.”

It’s four points from a possible nine in their opening three games and Haveron is happy with the start his side have made in the top-flight.

“I don’t think too many people gave us much hope of getting anything really this season, never mind in the first three games,” he said.

“We know how tough it was out there and we’ve seen the level of intensity that we have to put into a game in the Premier League. But at the minute the boys are showing they are more than capable of doing it.”

Glens boss Eddie Patterson admitted the match was a proverbial “game of two halves”.

He added: “In the first half we should have been out of sight, only for their goalkeeper.

“We had a couple of decent chances that we missed. We saw the signs of the second-half coming with about 10 minutes to half-time. We took our foot off the gas and they came into the game.

“Fair play to Carrick, they deservedly took the lead because we didn’t perform at all in the second half.”