Rangers sidelined by Loughgall cup match

Carrick were set to take on a team smarting from a right old hammering at the hands of Championship 1 favourites Ards. But after they got back to winning ways with the 2-0 defeat of Ballyclare, Rangers will be left kicking their heels.

“Loughgall are playing in the Bob Radcliffe Cup instead on Saturday because, unfortunately, that’s another of those little competitions which takes precedence over league matches in terms of fixture dates,” Haveron explained.

“It’s infuriating, I have to admit, but it seems that we just have to live with it.

“It really is annoying that the league programme is messed about like this, but it happens to every club. The loss of a Saturday at this time of year is concerning because we will then have to travel down there on a Tuesday night at some stage, with all the added inconvenience that brings.

“And, of course, it compounds the problem we already face after the Knockbreda match postponed a few weeks ago.

“The following Saturday we will playing Cliftonville Olympic in the Steel and Sons Cup, on a day when we were scheduled to face PSNI in the league.

“The chances are that we will face a tough test later on with perhaps a string of matches in a short space of time. That will be taxing on the squad with injuries inevitable.

“It really is a problem that has been allowed to run on year after year without anything being done to address it,” added a clearly frustrated Haveron.