Stuart King insists Carrick Rangers 'need bodies back' as they look to turn Premiership fortunes around

The County Antrim came seventh last season – the club’s highest-ever top-flight finish – to earn the final European play-off spot and picked up more points and victories than before in the process.

They also started the new campaign with a 2-0 win over Glenavon, but since then have lost out to Loughgall, Glentoran, Crusaders and the Ports with Eamon Fyfe’s second-half strike proving the difference at Taylor’s Avenue.

The result leaves King’s men sitting 11th – they’ve played three games more than Larne and one less than Glenavon who are 10th – ahead of next weekend’s trip to Coleraine and the Carrick chief is desperate to welcome key players back into the fold.

"It's not an excuse but I need bodies back - I'm so, so short,” he told the club’s media channel. “Ben Tilney, David Cushley, Albert Watson, Curtis Allen, it was Cameron Stewart's first game today, Joe Crowe's first game today, Andrew Mitchell, Stevie Gordon - it goes on.

"They are all top drawer Irish League players that I need fit and available. I need a lift. If it's one of them coming back next week or if it's someone stepping up and delivering, that's what we need because it can be a wee bit lonely when you're getting beat every week."

King has previously displayed an ability to turn Carrick’s fortunes around – they only won two of their opening nine league matches last season before going on to create club history – while their infamous 9-0 defeat to Crusaders was followed up with a point against Linfield and victory over Dungannon Swifts.

He’ll be looking for a similar reaction this time around as they aim to climb the table and admits “we should be doing better”.

"We've had a lot of possession but then you expect the players who get all the credit to step up and deliver and it didn't happen today,” he added. “We got ourselves in really good positions but the final cross - some of the final crosses were poor - we didn't get shots away, so it's really disappointing and a horrible result.

"We haven't closed the ball down (for the goal), the centre-half has kicked the ball 60 yards up the pitch, we've been caught the wrong side and haven't dealt with it.

"Some guys need to be brutally honest with themselves...I'm always honest, to my detriment sometimes, but it's disappointing. I'm not going to hang people out to dry - I'm the boss and will accept it, but I genuinely think as a group we should be doing better."