Scott Irvine encourages Carrick Rangers to push on in search of further club history
Carrick Rangers assistant manager Scott Irvine has encouraged the players to keep pushing for more history with an opportunity to secure a European play-off spot still up for grabs over the coming weeks.
Saturday’s 2-1 win over Ballymena United brought the ‘Gers to 41 points – a new top-flight club record – and clawing back the one-point deficit to seventh-placed Loughgall across the final three matches would also mark a best-ever Premiership finish.
Stuart King’s men travel to the league’s bottom side Newry City this evening, who could be condemned to relegation if they lose and Ballymena United beat Glenavon – unless Dundela win the Championship title, in which case they’d face a play-off, but Portadown are currently four points clear at the second-tier’s summit.
Carrick have lost three of their four meetings against Newry across competitions this season and were the last team to taste league defeat at The Showgrounds in November 2022.
Their away form has generally been solid this season – only Linfield, Crusaders, Larne and Cliftonville can boast a better points return than Carrick’s 25 – and Irvine wants to finish the season by writing another chapter in the club’s history book.
"That's 41 points we're on now and we've beaten the club record with three games to go...I don't think we're finished,” he told the club’s media channel. “I think there's an opportunity for that group to keep delivering and keep breaking records because it's two years in a row now we've done that.
"We want to keep pushing on and keep believing that we can do that because you look around the quality in that changing room and there's no reason why not."
Newry have lost 14 and drawn three of their 17 home matches so far this season, but will be desperate to have something to fight for in this weekend’s trip to nearest rivals Ballymena.
With March’s 1-0 defeat fresh in their mind, Irvine says Carrick need to be fully focused to avoid an upset.
"It'll be a really tough and competitive game,” he added. “We've been on the wrong side of results against Newry this season so we have to be on it.
"Our attitude and professionalism has to be that of today because I think it'll be a similar game and it may take a wee bit of quality to get us over the line. If we show up and aren't on it then we'll end up with egg on our face."