The second-half was a non-event after red card in Crusaders defeat, says Carrick Rangers boss Stuart King as he calls on players to avoid picking up suspensions

Carrick Rangers manager Stuart King bemoaned his side's start to the second-half as they were beaten 2-0 by Crusaders at Seaview.

After a goalless first-half in north Belfast, the game would turn on its head within the first 15 minutes of the restart as Paul Heatley prodded home the opener on 49 minutes, before Kurtis Forsythe was dismissed for a second bookable offence on the hour mark.

The hosts would seal all three points on 65 minutes as a Billy Joe Burns' cross was directed into the net by Jordan Owens.

Speaking to Carrick Rangers' media channel after the game, King was less than impressed with his players not following instructions that were given to them at the interval.

"I thought first-half we were decent," he said.

"I thought they created one or two opportunities in the first five or ten minutes but after that we were really good.

"We should have scored one or two goals from set plays as some of our players looked dangerous.

"At half-time we talk about their forward runs, direct play and tracking their runners but four or five minutes into the second-half we haven't dealt with one and people have held their hands up in the changing room but it's not good enough.

"It's unacceptable and we talk about people not getting second yellow cards and that's happened.

"If I'm giving instructions and they're not listening to them, then it's disappointing.

"The game is done then and for us being so competitive in the first-half, the second-half was a non-event after five minutes."

The Amber Army kick-start 2024 with a home clash against Portadown in the Irish Cup next weekend and King has called on his players to stop picking up suspensions.

He commented: “Andy (Mitchell) has come on today which is a big plus and we’re trying to get as many minutes into his legs as we could.

"There’s people out injured and suspended and the suspensions are killing me and it’s stupid but that’s for me to deal with.

"When everyone is fit and available we are a real competitive team in this league and we were competitive today but when people get sent-off, then it’s not great.

"When we went down to ten men the game was done.”