Rangers came into this encounter in good form, unbeaten in their last four fixtures across league and cup.
It was the hosts, however, who got off to the better start as after Steven Gordon made a vital block to deny David McDaid, the same player was fouled in the box by Jim Ervin and a penalty awarded.
Paul McElroy donned the responsibility of taking the spot-kick but could not convert, Ross Glendinning diving low to his right to gather the ball.
Stuart King’s men then began to grow more into the game, with David Cushley unable to stretch far enough to connect with Emmett McGuckin’s header.
Alex Gawne, who came into the side in place of the ill Curtis Allen, cut in from the left and saw a curled effort towards the far corner held by Sean O’Neill.
The breakthrough came just over five minutes into the second half.
A Reece Glendinning free-kick found Emmett McGuckin who flicked the ball into the middle of the box. Alex Gawne shielded it to allow David Cushley a strike which rippled the corner of the net.
It was Rangers who looked more likely to score again; Lloyd Anderson seeing a near post attempt blocked by Connor Keeley before Gawne’s back post header from a Ben Tilney cross went wide.
McDaid had a last gasp opportunity to equalise but he headed over the bar as the 'Gers held onto a victory that brought their first clean sheet in the league as well as putting three more points on the board.
Ballymena United: Williamson (O'Neill, 19); Place, Keeley, Whiteside, Graham (Redman, 76); McElroy (Waide, 76), Kelly, Gibson, Kane; McDaid, Parkhouse (McCullough, 52).
Unused substitutes: Loughran, Corbett, Tipton.
Carrick Rangers: Glendinning; Glendinning, Ervin, Gordon; Forsythe, Cushley (Cherry, 65), Mitchell, Tilney; Anderson (Kalla, 90+3); McGuckin, Gawne (McKiernan, 89).
Unused substitutes: Hogg, Surgenor Waite, Gillen.
Referee: Steven Gregg
