JBE LEAGUE CUP: Glentoran get the better of Carrick Rangers

A Stephen Gordon double and one from Curtis Allen ensured the east Belfast outfit’s passage to the quarter-final stage.

Substitute Brian McCaul netted Carrick’s only goal and Conor McCloskey saw a penalty saved by Elliott Morris.

Gordon got the ball rolling for Eddie Patterson’s men when he powerfully headed home David Scullion’s textbook cross with just three minutes on the clock.

McCaul, who came on to replace the injured Daniel Kelly, brought Rangers level with a 14th-minute header from Joe McNeill’s corner. It was the former Linfield man’s his first goal for his new club.

Carrick where awarded a penalty when referee Mervyn Smyth adjudged Willie Garrett to have handled the ball in the box. Despite protests from the Glens players that he played the ball with his chest, the spot-kick was awarded.

Up stepped McCloskey but his effort was saved by Morris, making amends for his misjudgement which led to McCaul’s goal six minutes earlier.

The Glens had the better of the second half and on 73 minutes Gordon got on the end of Scullion’s corner, stabbing the ball home for his and Glentoran’s second before Allen bagged number three with the help of the post.

The two sides meet again at The Oval on Saturday afternoon in the Danske Bank Premiership.

Glentoran: Morris, Garrett, Holland, Magee (McMenamin 65), Scullion, Allen, McCaffrey (Smith 74), McAlorum, Addis, Gordon (Gibson 90), McCullough. Subs not used: Elliott, Hogg.

Carrick Rangers: Neeson, Kane, Kelly (McCaul 9), Doyle, Traynor, Taggart, McNeill, McCloskey, Cherry, Roy (Mackie 76), Miskimmin (Dick 74). Subs not used: Johnston, Rice.

Referee: M. Smyth (Belfast).

JBE League Cup results

Annagh Utd 0-2 Ards

Glentoran 3 -1 Carrick Rangers

Limavady Utd 0-1 Ballymena Utd

Linfield 0-1 Ballinamallard Utd

Portadown 1-2 Warrenpoint Town

Crusaders 3-4 Institute (AET)

Dungannon Swifts 3-3 Cliftonville (AET) (Cliftonville win 4-3 on penalties)

Coleraine 1-1 HW Welders (Coleraine win 3-1 on penalties)