Carrick started well and it was Lloyd
Anderson who registered the first chance of the night as his shot from the edge
of the box was held by Ross Glendinning.
At the other end, former Rangers
player Ryan Waide rolled the ball into the path of Paul McElroy whose strike
from inside the box had to be palmed away by Aaron Hogg.
Shay McCartan then had a chance as he
stood over a free-kick twenty-five yards from goal, but it was directed
straight into the hands of Hogg.
A cross into the box by Jordan Gibson
just after the half hour mark picked out Jordan Jenkins, however he headed the
wrong side of the upright.
On 35 minutes, David Jeffrey’s men
broke the deadlock. Paul McElroy got in behind Chris Rodgers on the left and
sent a low delivery across goal which was turned not his own net by the
unfortunate Steven Gordon when attempting to clear.
The visitors had a chance to draw
level just before the break as Anderson pulled the ball back to Gibson in the box
as the former Loughgall man saw his strike saved by Glendinning.
Changes arrived in the second half as
Gerard Storey first replaced Corey McMullan before Jordan Gibson made way for
Michael Smith in attack.
However, as Rangers searched and
searched for a leveller, it was the Sky Blues who struck for the second time in
the 80th minute.
Lee Chapman was disposed by McCartan,
allowing the striker to show his pace as he broke clear of the Rangers backline
before dinking the ball over Hogg for a fine individual effort.
Niall Currie’s men really should have
halved the deficit just minutes later as Reece Neale’s cross to the back post
found Chapman, however the right wing-back somehow struck his shot the wrong
side of the post.
In what proved to be the final
opportunity of the evening, Ryan Harpur couldn’t get the all-important touch on
a Ben Wylie square ball to tap in as United had to settle for a two-goal win.
Ballymena United: Glendinning; Hume,
Addis, Ervin, Redman; Waide (Wylie, 85), Kane, Kelly, McKeown (Harpur, 59);
McElroy, McCartan.
Unused substitutes: Graham, Knowles,
Beattie, McCready, Farquhar.
Carrick Rangers: Hogg; Rodgers,
Gordon, Loughran; Chapman (Forsythe, 84), Kelly, McMullan (Storey, 61), Neale;
Anderson; Gibson (Smith, 67), Jenkins.
Unused substitutes: Connor Friel, Gawne,
Glendinning, Cathair Friel.
Referee: Ross Dunlop
