MANAGER'S VIEW: 'Have a look at it and let me know if you're wrong' - Stephen Baxter reacts to late drama in Carrick loss against Portadown
Portadown held the lead twice on the path to three points from a tough test at Carrick Rangers.
Ben Wylie broke the deadlock before a penalty from Jack Scott left the game level, only for Eamon Fyfe’s header to settle the Sports Direct Premiership outcome by 2-1.
Carrick had an injury-time equaliser ruled out off Jimmy Callacher’s header following an offside flag.
Here’s the verdict of Carrick Rangers boss Stephen Baxter:
DISALLOWED GOAL...
“I have to see it back, obviously...you have every player, our goalkeeper included, in the box.
"It's a packed box, there's a ball knocked in and it's off a second ball.
"I would find it hard to see how you would get an offside in that situation, given how many people are in that box.
"So I'll be surprised if that's an offside.
"I've said to them (match officials) in no uncertain terms, have a look at it and let me know if you're wrong.
"We'll see if they have the courtesy to let me know."
OVERALL PERFORMANCE...
"Two teams cancelled each other out, in many ways.
"We had the territory in the first half, they had...certainly for 30 minutes in the second half...more territory down our hill.
"They score on the counter-attack (1-0) breaking down the pitch, it's a disappointment whenever that happens, but it happens.
"It was a good goal...Wylie scores it well, takes it well.
"The disappointment for me is you get back into the game and you've got to be a little bit more structured and not be naive around how you do things.
"Jack Scott has got to deny the cross (for 2-1), Teelan gets a hold of it and he fronts him up.
"You've got to make the tackle and do not let that man past you and get that ball into your box, so it should just never happen.
"So, it's a disappointment from that point of view you concede a goal in that manner.
"We threw the kitchen sink at it, didn't get that goal, it was a scrappy game.”
RESPONSE TO 2-1 DOWN...
"The very last seconds of a game, you're fighting for territory.
"Teams are putting everything in behind it to defend it out of there...I've done that my whole life.
"It can become scrappy because you're just trying to outnumber them and find a way to goal.
"And quickly, when time's running against you.
"I was disappointed with our play in the final third today.
"We created four or five chances here on Tuesday night (Co Antrim Shield win over Larne), scored one and we were very close to scoring two or three others.
"We didn't make chances today in open play, it broke down.
"The best players on the pitch were (defenders) Jimmy (Callacher) and Luke (McCullough) and (Baris) Altintop and (Lewis) MacKinnon...it says a lot about how the game panned out.”
ATTACKING FRUSTRATION...
"These people (Paul Heatley, Ryan Waide, Adam Lecky and Danny Gibson) thrive on service.
"The ball being knocked into your midfield and it's nothing...that's the disappointment.
"For me, in the final third, the quality wasn't as good as I would like.
"We got into really good positions in the game...we just kept moving it around, coming up the pitch at will.
"We were good in the first half but without really, really hurting them in the final third.
“I thought Big Lecks (Lecky) was good in what he'd done and how he'd done it and set it off…we just didn't join well.
"The ball bounced off Danny and Ryan got isolated a little bit and didn't get into the game.
"That can happen...there's no criticism of these players.
"I'm always very honest with players around what I see and how I see it.
"I ask them to work on certain things, we've talked a bit about that...these guys are great individuals.
"They work incredibly hard at their game, they're always wanting to do better.
"That's the standard.
"Seeing the way they played on Tuesday, they were brilliant...just didn't get that today and that can happen."
RESPONSE TO LOSS...
"I think every game we've played, maybe bar the Larne game (September’s 2-0 loss), every other game has been a one-goal deficit either way.
"That maybe shows you how competitive this league is, top to bottom.
"On any given day, anyone will turn each other over, that's how tight and competitive it is...you win two games, you'll be in the top four.
"It's bonkers...but that's okay.
"You just have to get on with it, keep the heads up…this is Irish League football at its best.
"We just have to keep working hard, keep doing our thing and not get too tired.”