‘Existence on the line’ but Carrick protect senior status as boss Stephen Baxter declares ‘the work only starts now’

Friday’s Taylors Avenue home leg kicked off with Carrick halfway home to the goal of staying up in the Irish League top flight thanks to a midweek 5-2 defeat of Championship runners-up Annagh United in Portadown.

Danny Gibson’s treble and a Paul Heatley brace secured success for Carrick on Tuesday and Friday’s second leg featured the same Rangers duo on target as the latter’s double arrived either side of the former’s finish.

James Convie grabbed the Annagh consolation with a memorable free-kick as Ciaran McGurgan’s side suffered a third loss at the Premiership promotion/relegation play-off stage.

Here’s the verdict of Carrick Rangers boss Stephen Rangers (as told to the club’s official social media platforms):

IMPORTANCE OF RESULT...

"I'm so very proud of all the players, the fans who have turned up here, the Board of Directors who have worked tirelessly to try and pull those whole thing together.

"And to get it to culminate into the finish that we've produced over two games is brilliant for the football club.

"Because this wasn't just a football game...this was the weight of a football club with their existence on the line.

"You really have to battle so very, very hard in these games to make sure you stay alive and in the division."

He added: "So that's the pleasing aspect...that we've managed to beat a team on top form and come away with that important victory.

"But the work only starts now.

"This was always going to be about surviving given the position that we were in and we knew that two, three months ago.

"It was important just to get everyone fully-fit, match fit and ready to play with some of the injuries and suspensions and problems that we had around the place.

"And we managed to bring them all together at the right time.”

OVERALL PERFORMANCE...

"It was a tough game we drew...we knew Annagh were on eight games unbeaten coming into this, we knew their strengths.

"We knew that they would play back to front, they would bombard us with the ball in the air...we had to deal with that.

"But I knew if we took our time and passed it in good areas and got into the holes we would hurt them with that little bit of pace in behind.

"We did that really well over the two legs and scored the goals that we scored.

"We scored eight goals and could well have scored another six or seven over the two legs.

"When you've people like (Paul) Heatley and Danny (Gibson) who can put the ball in the back of the net, ably guided by a very, very strong midfield superb in the two legs.

"And then Luke McCullough, Albert (Watson) and then Cian (O'Malley) had to go in there when Albert got hurt...our spine was really, really strong.

"That was good.

"I don't think we felt under lots of pressure in this game, we got a big compliment from their bench saying it was men against boys and that summed it up a little bit.

"We were way ahead in just speed of thought and movement and that's the levels.”

NEXT STEP...

"Listen, we've a lot of catching up to do in the league we're in and we need to work incredibly hard behind the scenes to get to where we need to get to and that starts now.

"It's not going to be easy, it's a very competitive world out there - financially and otherwise.

"Others are moving ahead of us with all of that and we need to find our place in all of this...and we will.

"But it's been brilliant to see so many faithful Carrick supporters out in huge numbers here tonight, supporting the team, roaring the team on to that success we asked for on Tuesday night.

"And I want to pay tribute to them...it was their strength of character and resolve that seen us through tonight and I thank them for it.

"There's lots to do.

"You've always got to assess your squad, all the things that the players can bring to you.

"There's so much goes into all of this, about building a squad capable of competing at the level we're working to, can they cope with the levels?

"And then working with the finances that you have to deal with all of that.

"But it is a serious rebuild for us and it's going to take a lot of thought, a lot of big hearts to move into this new era.

"But we're all behind it, thinking through what we want and need as a football club.

"And we'll get there but by pure hard work.

"We need to have that drive, that determination, that enthusiasm to do that and if we all go together we'll be okay."

CARRICK RANGERS: Ross Glendinning, Kurtis Forsythe, Albert Watson, Nedas Maciulaitis, Luke McCullough, Seanan Clucas, Joe Crowe, Kyle Cherry, Paul Heatley, Danny Gibson, Luke O’Brien.

Subs: Jack McIntyre, David Cushley, Benjamin Buchanan-Rolleston, Reece Glendinning, Jack Hastings, Jack O’Reilly, Cian O’Malley.

ANNAGH UNITED: Joel Little, Nathan Kerr, Kris Calvert, Paul Finnegan, Philip Donnelly, Ryan Swan, Craig Taylor, Lee Upton, Ruairi McDonald, James Convie, Harry Evans.

Subs: Jason Craughwell, Jack Evans, Jack Henderson, Stephen Murray, Eoin Teggart, Aaron Rogers, Scott McCullough.

Referee: Christopher Morrison.