'Master craftsman' example to Irish League young players setting standard over 'outstanding' 2026 run
Carrick Rangers visit Portadown tonight bolstered by a 6-1 success over Crusaders but with boss Stephen Baxter drawing on another high-scoring home game as surprisingly significant in his side’s strong finish to the season.
Although full of praise for the performances, individual and collective, across that most recent Taylors Avenue display, Baxter – when asked to reflect on such impressive form - turned the clock back to the start of 2026 and January’s 7-0 loss at home to Glentoran.
That setback sparked a sequence of eight wins and three draws from the subsequent 13 league tests.
“We have won 6-1 here...whenever Glentoran beat us by seven you thought it was like everybody's Christmases had come at once,” said Baxter. "You always have to know what the vibe is in your own camp, where you're going and how you're doing it.
"I knew how well we were playing as a team leading up to that game (against Glentoran)...we had two or three injuries, we played a few too many games at that time and went down to 10 men very quickly.
"But our response from that game has been incredible…we've been amazing.
"The mark of a team that is doing really, really well and I'm extra pleased."
Baxter turned the spotlight on some stand-out performers across that run which has pushed Carrick to the peak of the Section B post-split standings.
"I say to all the young players...watch Paul Heatley - watch his movement, watch his quality, watch where he drops in whenever he's defending for the team and stuff he does off the ball,” said Baxter. “That's a master craftsman at work and you need to mirror that, you need that work-rate, that desire, that fight.
“The performances of Luke McCullough and Billy Joe Burns, particularly, have been outstanding.
"The return to form of BBR (Benjamin Buchanan-Rolleston) has been incredible, Joe (Crowe) is playing the football of his life at the moment, Matthew Snoddy is the man that doesn't get the praise that he deserves because he's been brilliant.
"So when you have that – and then you've got the Adams (Lecky) and the Dannys (Gibson), Joseph Moore, all these people...then you've got a team functioning and working hard for each other.”