Carrick take on Killymoon in IRN-BRU Cup

Carrick Rangers will be aiming to book their spot in the third round of the IRN-BRU Cup tonight by seeing off Killymoon Rangers at the Mid-Ulster Sports Arena (8pm).

Manager Michael Hughes is expected to field a youthful team against the Championship 2 outfit - a side Carrick defeated in last season’s Irish Cup.

But, after the exertions of Saturday’s League win over Newry, defender Kyle Owens knows tonight’s game won’t be a walk in the park.

The 20-year-old centre-back featured in the 3-1 win over the Cookstown men in January, and is expecting a tough match this evening.

“It should be a good test at Killymoon. We played down there last year in the Irish Cup and beat them. I think some of the boys on the bench today could be playing in the match,” he told the Times.

The former Crusaders man, younger brother of Seaview striker Jordan, got on the scoresheet with a second-half header in the 3-0 victory over Newry.

Reflecting on the weekend win, he said: “I think it was our best performance of the campaign so far, and I was happy enough with how I played.

“I didn’t think my header was going to go in for the goal; I was looking around to see if it would cross the line.

“We started off a bit rusty in the first 10 minutes but we worked well after that. We listened to what the gaffer had to say at half-time, and I thought we were brilliant in the second half.

It’s the first clean sheet this season and we have been working on our defensive play a lot, to make us stronger.”

After tonight’s Cup match, its back to the bread and butter of the League, away to Coagh United on Saturday.

Owens admitted: “I have never played against Coagh, but I have heard plenty about them. It will be a tough game, but every match in this league is tough because they are all good sides.”

Report by John Gillespie | Twitter: @Times_Sport