Carrick Rangers assistant Scott Irvine says Nedas Maciulaitis can "kick on" after netting first goal

The 23-year-old joined from Lough 41 Championship leaders Loughgall in January and has helped Carrick start an unbeaten run of three games in the Danske Bank Premiership, including consecutive wins against Newry City and the Sky Blues on Tuesday.

Maciulaitis has previous top-flight experience having spent the 2019/20 campaign with Coleraine, netting once in 12 appearances, and also scored nine league goals for Loughgall before switching to Stuart King’s side.

Irvine has been impressed with his start to life at the Loughview Leisure Arena and believes he could now get even better after ticking off an important milestone.

"Nedas has been super since he came to the club and I think getting that wee monkey off his back now will help him kick on because he has been fantastic in every game he has played,” he told Carrick’s YouTube channel.

"We're over the moon for Nedas to get off the mark and to get the three points."

While admitting it won’t be remembered as “one of the greatest games”, the result is all that mattered to Carrick, who now sit below seventh-placed Ballymena only on goal difference.

"We're over the moon,” he added. “I don't think it'll go down in history as one of the greatest games - it wasn't pretty at times.

"Tonight was just about getting the result, digging in and making sure the Glenavon game didn't happen again.

"Fair play to the lads – when they needed to they threw their bodies on the line and rode that wave that Ballymena threw at them.

"We probably should have went into half-time two or three goals to the better but that's been the story of the last few games.

"The players were super. They (Ballymena) went three up top and the lads handled it well.

"It was good to get Andy Mitchell back on the pitch and get minutes into his legs again. There are loads of positives and lots of things we can work on, but tonight was all about grinding out those three points."