’Stute let two goal lead slip

The Waterside men raced into a two goal lead early in the game thanks to Sean Roddy and Ryan Semple, but a super fight-back by the home side saw them earn a share of the spoils.

’Stute got off to the best possible start when on three minutes Kyle Owens brought Ryan Semple down just inside the box and referee Peter McGrath pointed to the spot from where full-back Roddy made no mistake dispatching a no-nonsense spot-kick in off the crossbar.

As Carrick struggled to find their composure, ’Stute took advantage and doubled their lead 10 minutes later when McCrudden flashed the ball across the goalmouth where Semple was on hand to do the necessary with the simplest of tap-ins.

The visitors could - and probably should - have added a third midway though the first-half when Ricky-Lee Dougherty, one-on-one with Robert Robinson, hit his shot straight at the new Carrick goalkeeper.

Rangers weren’t at the races but there was a chink of light close to the interval when Correy Davidson pulled one back after a mistake by ’Stute stopper Alan Ryan.

The keeper misjudged the flight of the ball from a corner and it dropped to Davidson who did the necessary at the back post.

After the break ex-Larne target man Sencer Yilmaz could have scored twice in the space of a minute.

He hit the post with a delicate chip after Ryan parried a McGilloway shot, before tamely side-footing a gilt-edged chance from six yards straight at the stopper.

Dougherty could have extended Paul Kee’s side lead midway through the second-half but was caught off-balance and contrived to send a close-range effort wide.

At the other end, Addis bamboozled the defence with a mazy run; his resultant shot was parried and the ball dropped to Yilmaz who was, again, thwarted by Ryan.

Rangers were themselves awarded a penalty on 76 minutes when McGilloway was felled in the area and Conor McCloskey, the former Portadown youngster, competently guided his spot-kick into the left-hand corner.

Carrick had the chances to take all three points; substitute Josh Cash rattled the upright and, had McGilloway not chosen to get a foot on the end of Addis’ goal-bound effort, his team would have snatched a late winner.

Carrick Rangers: Robinson, Kelly, Murray, Haveron, Owens, Harmon, Addis, McCloskey, McGilloway, Yilmaz, Davidson. Subs: West for Kelly (35); Cash for Yilmaz (75); Steele, Bell & Taggart (not used).

Institute: Ryan, Roddy, Taylor, McLaughlin, Jarvis; Semple, Harkin, McCauley, McKeever McCrudden; Dougherty. Subs: Crown for Taylor (59); Walsh for Harkin (59); McCready, Patterson & Wilson (not used).

Referee: Peter McGrath (Glengormley)