Leaders inflict more pain

Carrick Rangers...(1) 3Lagan (26); McDowell (69); Long (83)Institute...(0) 0

INSTITUTE’S miserable run of results continued at Ladbrokes.com Championship One leaders Carrick Rangers, on Saturday.

The Drumahoe club’s terrible run of results continued and worringly for them they have now moved into second from bottom in the league.

’Stute gave debuts to goalkeeper Ben Moane and defender Mark Scoltock, while it was Thomas Wray’s final game for the club.

Unfortunately defensive and goalkeeping mistakes again cost the Waterside men and net-minder Moane had a debut to forget.

Despite making a host of good saves, Moane mis-judged Paul McDowell’s free-kick and that goal all but ended the game as a contest.

The match, played in miserable conditions, got off to a slow start but eventually sprung to life after 21 minutes when McDowell unleashed a fierce shot from 25-yards only to be denied by Moane who made a fine diving save.

Five minutes later Carrick broke the deadlock when McDowell played a delightful ball releasing strike partner Anto Lagan. The big centre-forward - Rangers’ top marksman this season - gobbled up the chance with a right-foot drive which nestled in the bottom corner.

Heatley, who was a class apart in terms of his attacking prowess, was unlucky not to score shortly after the half-hour mark when he blazed over the bar having skipped past two defenders having capitalising on a mistake by centre-back Ryan Browne.

The left-wing wizard could have given Carrick a two-goal cushion five minutes from the break when he raced through on goal having latched on to Lagan’s incisive pass. He did everything right, but he was denied by Moane who managed to get a foot to his goal-bound shot.

The second-half got off to a bright start with Institute’s Joe McCready causing a few headaches in the home side’s backline.

Seven minutes in, the visitors came close to drawing level but Eddie McIntyre fired wide when presented with a good opportunity in front of goal.

Back came the home side and it was that man Paul Heatley whose genuine pace and trickery, not to mention his persistence, caused all sorts of problems for ’Stute’s rearguard.

They simply couldn’t deal with his attacking threat and, within the space of two minutes, two defenders found themselves in referee Evan Boyce’s notebook for fouls on Carrick’s number 11.

Browne was cautioned for bringing Heatley’s storming run down the flank to an abrupt end while Scoltock picked up a yellow for pulling his shirt after he had skipped his way past two men.

However, despite their attacking flair and growing possession, Carrick still hadn’t bagged that vital second goal.

But that changed dramatically when McDowell stood over a free-kick on 69 minutes. The former Loughgall man doubled Carrick’s advantage when his 20 yard free-kick curled brilliantly into the net, with Moane incredibly watching the ball fly into his top left hand corner.

McCready could have pulled one back for Paul Kee’s men ten minutes later but, just as he was about to pull the trigger inside the box, centre-back McAlinden made a heroic last-ditch tackle to deny him a chance at goal.

Jason Blackburn also had a fantastic chance but with only McKane to beat the winger’s close range shot sliced off his boot and the Rangers back-line cleared their lines.

Seven minutes from time Carrick wrapped things up when Stephen O’Neill set up fellow sub Andy Long for the simplest of finishes to score his first goal since his recent move from Bangor .

Carrick Rangers: McKane, Prenter, Hogan, McClean, T Anderson; McAlinden, Harmon, Deans, Lagan; McDowell, Heatley. Subs: Long for Harmon (58); O’Neill for McDowell (81); N Anderson for Deans (86); Hand & Stitt (not used).

Institute: Moane, Wray, Scoltock, Browne, Taylor; Semple, McClean, McShane, McIntyre; Divin, McCready. Subs: Clarke for McIntyre (68); Blackburn for Semple (77); Crown & Corry (not used).

Referee: Evan Boyce

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