Wilson nets hat-trick in Colts’ defeat

Carrick dominated the opening quarter and were rewarded when Man of the Match Owen Barrons pounced on a rebound to make it 1-0.

Ballymena equalised after the Colts failed several times to clear a corner but Carrick bounced back immediately when Nathan Swain’s perfect ball was flicked on by McKee for Scott Wilson to dummy the keeper and move his side 2-1 ahead.

Despite having the bulk of the play the Colts again conceded when a lob gave Cameron Long no chance before they scored again to move 3-2 ahead at the break.

Early in the second-half Gavin Anderson supplied the pass for McKee to flick on to Wilson who somehow stabbed home past an unsuspecting keeper.

More hesitancy in the Colts’ defence saw Ballymena go straight down the other end and move 4-3 ahead. Carrick heads dropped for a period and while Cameron Long pulled off a couple of terrific reaction saves, United capitalised on slack marking, adding two more to go 6-3 up.

A 25-yard Lewis Patterson free-kick was parried and the ever-alert Wilson knocked in the rebound for his hat trick – his fifth of the season.

Squad: Cameron Long, Nathan Swain, Lewis Patterson, Andrew Long, Ethan Hall, Michael McMillan, Owen Barrons, Marcus Baird, Gavin Anderson, Scott Wilson, Dara Devine Subs: Scott Gardner, Nicholas Mulholland, Gareth Rees, Chris McKee.