Carrick Rangers lift first Shield in over three decades after penalty joy
Stephen Baxter’s Carrick Rangers held their nerve in a dramatic 4-2 penalty shoot-out success against Cliftonville at Seaview to win the ToalsBet Senior Shield.
It’s the first time the club has had it’s hands on the trophy since 1993 – and how they enjoyed the celebrations at the finish.
Ryan Curran shot Cliftonville into an early lead, but substitute Adam Lecky levelled late on for 1-1. It meant the game went to penalties.
Jimmy Callacher, Luke McCullough, Danny Gibson and Aidan Steele were the Carrick scorers, with Jonny Addis and Rory Hale replying for the Reds – Curran and Liam McStravick missing out.
Cliftonville got off to the start they craved, scoring after only three minutes.
The evergreen Joe Gormley was key in the build-up, holding off defender Callacher before finding Curran, who rammed the ball into the bottom corner.
Strangely, the Reds took the foot off the gas after that dream start, but they almost breached the Carrick defence again on 21 minutes.
Hale’s corner-kick found the head of Addis, but Rangers striker Gibson was perfectly positioned at the back post to clear off the line.
Stephen Baxter’s boys were finding it difficult to find rhythm and momentum. They created a half chance just before the half-hour when Billy Joe Burns crossed to Ben Buchanan-Rolleston, whose header inched wide.
But the Reds upped the ante as the interval approached.
They almost scored again when Hale’s corner-kick from the left drifted to the back post where Addis was lurking. His low drive looked to be heading into the bottom corner only for Scott Pengelly to get down to save brilliantly.
Then, seconds before the half-time whistle, another Hale corner-kick picked out defender Shaun Leppard, who got up above everyone else only to direct his header over the crossbar – Carrick were off the hook again.
Cliftonville stormed from the blocks and went looking for a second after the restart. Gormley latched on to a long Addis pass and, after taking a great touch, he could only blast over the top.
Back came Carrick with new boys Mikey Place helping on a Luke McCullough cross
The north Belfast club were gifted another half-chance on the hour when Callacher misjudged Hale’s looping pass, leaving Gormley with a run at goal, but he totally fluffed his lines when it mattered.
Carrick goalkeeper Pengelly then produced the save of the match on 63 minutes, getting down low to his right to keep our a stinging Gormley free kick after Burns had flattened the strong-running Adebayo Fapetu.
The east Antim team began pushing forward and were almost level 17 minutes from time. Gibson flicked on a Burns cross to Lecky, whose shot on the turn was superbly clawed out of the top corner by Peter Morrison.
Carrick did level with 10 minutes remaining. Steele’s cross found Lecky unmarked at the back post and the big man drilled under Morrison.
CARRICK RANGERS: Pengelly, Place, Burns, Callacher, Gibson, McCullough, Steele, Buchanan-Rolleston, Crowe, Heatley, Snoddy (Lecky, 46).
Subs (not used): Donnelly, Boyd, McKay, McCawl, Olosunde, Moore.
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Addis, Wilson, Hale, Curran, Leppard, Jordan, Gormley (Pepper, 76), Kelly, Tooke, Fapetu (McStavick, 83).
Subs (not used): Ridd, Robertson, Hawthorne, Sheridan, McGarry.
Referee: Christopher Morrison.