Stephen Baxter felt Carrick Rangers “worked them hard and created the better chances” as his side enjoyed a dream start to the new Premiership season by beating Portadown 1-0 at Taylors Avenue.

Baxter’s men are looking to build on last term’s record-breaking campaign, where they secured a seventh-placed finish alongside collecting their first senior trophy in 33 years.

Irish League legend Paul Heatley, who shelved retirement plans to extend his glittering career, scored a second half winner against the Ports.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men after only 26 minutes when Gibraltar international Liam Jessop was given his marching orders on debut.

placeholder image — Paul Heatley celebrates scoring Carrick Rangers' winner against Portadown. (Photo by Pacemaker)

"It’s a very pleasing three points,” Baxter told the club’s media channel. “We were hot out of the blocks, the first 30 minutes I thought we were excellent.

"We created two or three really big chances to score, have hit the post, Paul Heatley has broke the line once in the first half and then again in the second half where they should have had a couple of men sent off, and then they did get a man sent off.

"We have worked them hard and created the better chances – they have had to defend for their lives.

"Our goalkeeper hasn’t had a lot to do in regards to big saves, whereas their keeper makes a huge save from Jordan Forsythe, we hit the post, we score a goal, and probably should have scored three more.

"We had piles of pressure. It’s a good showing from us on day one, there’s lots still to do.

"We over-hit our corners dreadfully and that’s just sluggish from us, but we will get better.

"A good showing in a tough game, they have quality players with a bit of pace up front that we had to deal with, but I thought our back-line in the last 20 minutes when they had to dig it out because the ball was coming down our necks did it really well.

"We stuck to the task, Jimmy (Callacher), Luke (McCullough), BBR (Ben Buchanan-Rolleston), Mikey Place but their heads on balls, cleared the danger and we seen the game through.

"Three points is massive at any stage of the season so we will be really pleased with our day’s work and pleased with what the players have done.”

Saturday marked David Jeffrey’s first game back in Irish League management since May 2023, when he departed Ballymena United.

"This was very much going to be our acid test,” Jeffrey told the PortsTV. “We’ve done a tremendous amount of work in pre-season in terms of retaining players and signing new players.

"We had six debutants, pre-season itself was positive, but you only really begin to get a proper measure when the real stuff starts.

"Carrick are a side who have done tremendously well under Stephen Baxter and made this place a bit of a fortress.

"The message to the players was very simple, I just wanted them to give it their very best and see where that takes us.

"The game was very even and then unfortunately Liam gets sent off. There’s not a malicious bone in Liam’s body, there was absolutely no intent, no desire to hurt anybody, but his foot was high and with the laws of the game, the referee has viewed it as overly aggressive.”