Let's bounce back against Bangor

"It will be a tough game, Bangor are an experienced side which is capable of greater improvement, but it's a match that we feel confident of winning," said Rangers boss Stephen Small. "If we continue to play as well as we have been doing, create the scoring opportunities as we have been doing – and, crucially, take a few of those chances."

"I would like to stress to all supporters interested in coming along to Taylor's Avenue that it's a 2pm kick-off. That's a change for logisitical reasons, because it suits a number of people at the club. And they should note that it will be played to a conclusion, penalty-kicks to decide if required.

"Indeed, we had tried to get the game brought forward to Friday night, but Bangor felt they couldn't facilitate us because they deemed the extra day's preparations would suit them better. But we're obliged to them for agreeing to the earlier start."

Complacency was the enemy that Stephen Small feared as his team squared up to neighbours Larne on Saturday – but, it turned out not to be a problem at all. But that didn't prevent his team from disappointingly exiting the Paddy Power Steel & Sons Cup.

The Carrick Rangers manager was right , however, in warning that this clash could be just the catalyst opposing manager Paul Millar needed for his team to kick-start their season – although he obviously takes no comfort from that.

And Small gave his analysis of what went wrong in the 2-1 loss on Saturday. "We didn't take enough of our chances and we gave away two soft goals. And we're out because you don't get a second bite at the cherry in cup competitions and the sad reality is that we scored fewer goals that the opposition and that's football" explained Small.

"We played well enough and there was certainly no problem with the attitude of the players, and we really should have won the match because we created a number of very good chances. But our finishing was not clinical enough.

"We gifted them two goals, there's no question about that. There was a bit of sloppy defending which I'm not happy about. But I'm not going to get on people's backs abecause they have been very good in the previous five games, so I'm not about to be screaming and shouting.

"The supporters will be disappointed about the defeat because the competition did open out and the Steel & Sons Cup was there for the winning, more so than in recent years. But they will be happy enough that, even in defeat, we were still playing entertaining football, were creative and had enough really good chances to win the match handily."