Cathair Friel set for lengthy time out as Carrick Rangers suffer striker crisis

Last Saturday Carrick Rangers produced an excellent performance to beat Crusaders 3-1 at Seaview with Jonny Frazer firing a brace at Seaview.

Fast forward seven days though and two-goal hero Frazer finds himself injured on the sidelines along with fellow attackers Cathair Friel and Alex Gawne, who were both forced off in the defeat to Glenavon.

Gawne tweaked his hamstring and like Frazer faces six to eight weeks out, but there is more concerned for Friel, who only moved to Carrick at the end of January, as he seemed in a lot of pain after damaging his ankle ligaments.

"The biggest sickener for us is the fact we've lost three strikers now in the space of a week," said Currie after the defeat.

"Cathair is going to be out for the foreseeable future as he has damaged his ankle ligaments.

"Jonny has a hamstring problem and he's looking at six to eight weeks.

"Alex did his hamstring today, so he's looking at the same.

"What can you say to that. If there's any luck floating about I certainly haven't seen it...nobody here has.

"We worked really hard to get strikers in during the January transfer window, now Jordan Jenkins is the only striker we have.

"Ultimately we're in trouble now. With two games a week over the next couple of months we have lost these guys for 12 or 14 games.

"It's going to hurt us, but what do you do, you just have to suck it up.

"We were so looking forward to Alex getting games under his belt .

"You lose a lot when you lose a Friel, a Frazer and a Gawne."

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