Carrick Rangers’ second successive Irish League win arrived on Saturday thanks to a first-half goal from Danny Gibson over Glenavon.

Here is my pick for the top performer in each side:

Aidan Steele (Carrick Rangers)

In Saturday’s war of attrition, Aidan Steele offered rare glimpses of artistry.

placeholder image — Carrick Rangers' Aidan Steele (left) battling with Paddy Burns in the weekend win over Glenavon at Taylors Avenue. (Photo by Alan Weir/Pacemaker Press)

Time in England on the books at Watford and Crystal Palace serves as a clear indicator of the playmaker’s craft but the 22-year-old most recently enjoyed gains from the graft of lower-level Irish League life at Ards.

Now back under Stephen Baxter, having had two spells at Crusaders when the long-serving boss was in charge of the Seaview club, Steele looks ready for the senior stage.

The weekend clash at Taylors Avenue offered little for the purists, so a platform with limited opportunities for a player of Steele’s key creative attributes.

However, the 22-year-old was most often in control of set-piece scenarios against Glenavon, with Baxter’s post-match praise highlighting not only his ability on the ball but also Steele’s physical development.

Barney McKeown (Glenavon)

The centre-back has developed into one of the Irish League’s most reliable performers, leading by example with the captain’s armband but also his consistency.

Glenavon have yet to find the net over 180-plus minutes of Sports Direct Premiership football, with the current attacking issues increasing pressure on the Lurgan Blues backline in the knowledge that first goal conceded could prove the last in any game.

So it proved on Saturday but the move that finished with Danny Gibson’s match-winning strike featured a key McKeown interception earlier in the attack.

He had left Gibson frustrated across the opening exchanges by showing speed and strength to step across and prevent the striker from taking full advantage of Paul Heatley’s pass into space.

A rare slip on the ball by McKeown late in the game offered Carrick’s Adam Lecky hope of increasing the home lead but the Glenavon skipper showed composure to recover and escape the danger.

With Glenavon struggling to create, one of the most promising attacks started thanks to McKeown’s sweeping angled ball from outside his own box to the edge of the Carrick penalty area which Paul McGovern managed to collect superbly on the run and cut in from the left before the move ended with a Jimmy Callacher block on his own line to deny Michael O’Connor.

A return of zero points from the opening two league games will offer Glenavon little cause for cheer but McKeown continues to impress on an individual level.

CARRICK RANGERS: Nathan Gartside, Jimmy Callacher, Danny Gibson, Adam Lecky, Luke McCullough, Aidan Steele, Joe Crowe, Paul Heatley, Matthew Snoddy, Jack Scott, Luke O’Brien.

Subs: Scott Pengelly, Cian O’Malley, Ryan Waide, Nedas Maciulaitis, Benjamin Buchanan-Rolleston, Joshua Andrews, Kyle Cherry.

GLENAVON: Jacob Carney, Jordan McMullan, Patrick Burns, Barney McKeown, Jack Malone, David McDaid, Stephen Mallon, Kyle McClelland, Kris Lowe, Francely Lomboto, Sean Carlin.

Subs: Mark Byrne, Harry Murphy, Ben Wilson, Michael O’Connor, Carey Smith, Paul McGovern, Niall Quinn.