Emmett ​McGuckin bags brace as Carrick return to form

The hosts were the much brighter team for the first half-hour and had two huge chances to take the lead, but both went begging.

After some great work down the left, Thomas Lockhart crossed a pin-point delivery for Philip Donnelly, who made a surging run from midfield unmarked but blasted over from yards out when it looked easier to score than miss.

Minutes later, the home team were in again when livewire James Teelan - fresh off scoring in Tuesday's Mid-Ulster Cup final victory - went on a mazing run before sending Donal Scullion through on goal, who sent his effort wide of Ross Glendinning's right-hand post.

Carrick boss Stuart King - watching from the stands after being sent off against Glenavon last weekend - would have been furious with his side's start and the ease at which Newry were cutting through.

But he was leaping with joy on the 26th minute when McGuckin made Newry pay the ultimate price for their inefficiency.

Alexander Gawne, drafted into the starting line-up for the suspended Kyle Cherry, drifted a ball in from the right which the striker controlled beautifully to rifle home emphatically against the run of play.

Newry boss Darren Mullen was left scratching his head walking down the tunnel at half-time, wondering how his side hadn't scored.

But it would get worse as they were dealt a hammer blow moments after the restart.

Carrick's Ben Tilney, who looked dangerous throughout on the left wing, found his way into the Newry box before a smart nutmeg followed by a clinical cross was finished off by McGuckin.

The 31-year-old nipped in front of his opposite number to poke home at the near post - his fifth league goal of the season - much to the delight of the travelling supporters sitting metres away.

That left Newry chasing the game, with Mullen throwing both John McGovern and Olajuwon Adeyemo into the mix to try and make something happen.

The situation also meant Carrick could sit back and counter-attack, which almost produced a third but for a good diving Steven Maguire save from a Tilney strike after also denying Nedas Maciulaitis his first Rangers goal.

Maguire was forced into action again soon after, tipping away yet another Tilney effort and watching on as a cross from the right struck his crossbar.

Any hope of a late Newry comeback dwindled away in the 80th minute when referee Raymond Crangle showed striker Daniel Hughes a red card after a collision with Tilney.

The result will be a tough one for Mullen to take due to his side showing so much promise, but they lacked the cutting edge.

Carrick now climb above Glenavon into eighth place.

PREMIERSHIP (Saturday’s fixtures): Ballymena United v Portadown, Coleraine v Glentoran, Crusaders v Dungannon Swifts, Linfield v Cliftonville