Stephen Baxter remains 'confident in what we're doing' and insists Carrick Rangers 'will fight to the bitter end' to preserve Premiership status

After Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat to Cliftonville, Carrick are now all but guaranteed to finish in the top-flight’s bottom two, sitting 12 points behind and holding a worse goal difference than Glenavon with only four matches left, but still nine better off than basement club Loughgall.

It means Carrick are overwhelming favourites to enter a relegation/promotion play-off against the Championship’s second-placed side – one of Limavady United, H&W Welders or Annagh United – for a spot in Northern Ireland’s top-tier next season.

Baxter’s men have endured a difficult campaign, winning only one match since November 30 and have netted the Premiership’s fewest goals (25), which will be cause for concern heading into a must-win showdown.

Former Crusaders chief Baxter could soon be set to welcome back Paul Heatley, who hasn’t featured since February, while midfielders Kyle Cherry and Reece Glendinning are also nearing returns – the latter hasn’t made a senior appearance in six months due to injury.

"You've programmes going on for all the different injured players who have not been available over the last few months,” Baxter told the club’s media channel. “These guys are all building up towards a comeback and we need those guys showing up in the next few weeks.

"We're hoping to get Kyle Cherry back this weekend, Paul Heatley maybe the following weekend.

"Reece Glendinning has now played two 45 minutes for the U20s after a really long lay-off.

"You need the reinforcements coming in for the big games. There's still a lot of hard work to do, we're not even in the play-off yet so have to secure that first and foremost, so there's a lot to fight for. We need to score more goals."

Carrick took an early lead at Taylors Avenue through Danny Gibson before Luke Conlan, Eric McWoods and Joe Gormley helped the Reds maintain seventh – the final European play-off berth.

"It becomes one of huge disappointment having started the game so well,” added Baxter. “For 30 minutes I thought we were great.

"Danny gets the goal, we have two or three other chances, we're peppering their goal really and had a lot of pressure, which is what we were looking for.

"I thought we ran out of gas for 15 minutes prior to half-time when Cliftonville dominated the ball, started passing and there were runners from all sides.

"It's disappointing when you concede from a corner, you have to defend those better.

"At half-time you're asking them to give you everything they have in the tank, to go hard at it, get back to marking people and closing spaces quickly...they've done that exceptionally well again, then from your own corner the ball is in your net within 30 seconds.

"Those are the disappointments.

"The team has played well, competed exceptionally hard, are fighting hard, but we are committing cardinal sins at this level of the game in our defending as a team.

"We've some experienced players, younger players who are learning all the time, and they will understand what we are looking for because there's a long way to go.

"We know our position, know what we have to do and we will fight to the bitter end. I'm confident in what we're doing."