This was Rangers’ first outing in a week, as the planned fixture at home to Portadown three days prior was postponed following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 8th September 2022.
As a mark of respect, a minute’s silence was impeccably observed ahead of kick-off.
With the game now underway, Rangers, fielding a full strength side, broke the deadlock after ten minutes.
Emmett McGuckin set-up his strike partner Curtis Allen who composed himself from the edge of the area to curl a side-footed shot into the far corner of the net.
McGuckin got in on the act less than fifteen minutes later. Having crashed a header off the top of the crossbar not longer before, this time he pounced to convert the rebound following a save from Ben Tilney’s shot.
After Kyle Cherry replaced Lloyd Anderson as a precaution after the latter took a knock, Carrick’s dominance continued with a third goal before the break.
Allen found Andy Mitchell on his outside before being fouled, however the referee played advantage and Mitchell took full advantage as his shot from 25 yards sailed over Lewis Hunter’s head and into the top corner.
The fourth came just five minutes into the second half; Mitchell with the corner and McGuckin with the header for his brace.
Following that, Stuart King opted to use his remaining four substitutions as he brought on Alex Gawne, Ronan Kalla, Peter McKiernan and Aodhan Gillen.
And it was Gillen, a summer signing from Newington, who would round off the scoring as the ball fell to him in the box and he shot first time to net with a drilled effort low into the corner - his first senior goal in the Irish League.
Carrick Rangers: Glendinning; Glendinning, Ervin (Gawne, 52), Gordon; Forsythe, Cushley, Mitchell (Kalla, 52), Tilney; Anderson (Cherry, 34); McGuckin (Gillen, 52), Allen (McKiernan, 52).
Unused substitutes: Hogg, Surgenor.
Referee: Michael McKenna
