Stuart King calls on Carrick Rangers to continue grinding out positive Premiership results

The Loughview Leisure Arena outfit had won their previous two Premiership matches before Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to defending champions Larne and currently occupy seventh – the final spot for a European play-off – sitting just two points behind Coleraine.

Over the course of the last five league outings, only four teams have picked up more points than King’s men and they’ll meet Crusaders for the second time this month when they travel to Seaview today.

"We have a run of really tough games now,” King told the club’s media channel. “We have a decent amount on the points board at the minute and hopefully we can be competitive and grab as many points as we can.

"We just have to dig out these games now and get as many points from now until the end of February and see where we are.

"We've put ourselves in a really decent position at the moment, but we're not going to get carried away.

"We'll stay level-headed and try to grind out results because that's what we're all about."

Key to their recent results has been a newfound solidity in defence with Carrick keeping two clean sheets in their last three (against Ballymena United and Newry City) after going 18 matches without one.

They’ve conceded 32 in 12 on the road – including nine the last time they visited Seaview earlier this season – and King wants his side to put the fight up to every opposition they face.

"For us to mix it with the top six or seven teams, they can't be passive - we can't afford to do it,” he added. “I could have played around us in the first-half (against Larne) and that's saying something.

"You can't stand off anybody and that's what we did in the first-half.

"That was sorted and they reacted positively in the second-half and that's all you can ask."

Crusaders have picked up 15 points from a possible 30 at home so far this season.

They are about to enter a hectic January which will include two league fixtures against Linfield, further clashes with Larne and Glentoran and an Irish Cup fifth round versus Ards.