Despite positive performances in recent games, Carrick had lost their last three coming into this midweek fixture with bottom-of-the-league Portadown and were eager to add more points to the board.
Rangers took charge of the game from the first whistle, creating multiple opportunities in the opening forty-five minutes.
Ben Tilney had two early chances: a shot from a quickly-taken corner that was charged down and another effort from distance that flew over the top of the crossbar.
Lloyd Anderson should have broken the deadlock soon after but from Emmett McGuckin’s flick on off an Andy Mitchell corner, he sent his header over from yards out.
Mitchell’s set-piece deliveries were causing havoc in the Portadown box, next finding McGuckin again in the middle who couldn’t send his headed effort on target.
On the stroke of half-time, the ‘Gers finally made the breakthrough.
McGuckin did superbly well to win a corner-kick for his side that Mitchell delivered to the back post for centre-half Cameron Stewart to get on the end of, visiting ‘keeper Jethren Barr fumbling the ball over the line.
Stuart King’s lads put the game to bed after the interval.
Lee Upton missed a header on the left flank that allowed Anderson to break and slide a pass across the box to Alex Gawne. His shot was saved by Barr, but the rebound was put in off McGuckin’s leg to double Rangers’ advantage.
Tilney then showed some neat feet as he advanced from his full-back position and worked his way to the edge of the area, his resulting shot parried away by Barr.
Substitute Peter McKiernan almost scored with his first touch just seconds after coming on as he was played in by McGuckin’s flick on but he was kept out at close range by a fine reaction save from Barr.
In the end, Carrick comfortably saw out the game to win their sixth match of the season to date.
Carrick Rangers: Glendinning; Glendinning, Ervin, Stewart; Forsythe, Mitchell, Anderson, Tilney; Cushley (Kalla, 86); McGuckin (Gillen, 90+2), Gawne (McKiernan, 80).
Unused substitutes: Hogg, Surgenor, Buchanan-Rolleston, Doyle.
Portadown: Barr; Beverland, McNally (Archer, 46), Upton; Balde (Moore, 70), McKeown, Teggart (Donnellan, 70); Russell; Stedman (Tlou, 70); Moorhouse (Rutkowski, 87), Jenkins.
Unused substitutes: McKenna, Jordan.
Referee: Steven Gregg
