Carrick Rangers 6-2 Glenavon
Danske Bank Premiership
Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena, Saturday 30th November 2019
Match Report by Calum Jones
Photos by Maynard Collins
Glenavon were brought back down to earth with a bang yesterday as they were defeated 6-2 by Carrick Rangers at the Belfast Loughshore Hotel Arena.
Gerard Thompson opened the scoring for the home side in the 14th minute before Aaron Harmon scored an excellent equaliser for Glenavon 11 minutes later.
Stewart Nixon put Rangers back in front on 39 minutes to give them a 2-1 half-time lead.
The hosts doubled that lead just eight seconds into the second half through Guillaume Keke, while James Ferrin made it 4-1 in the 54th minute.
Lee Chapman hit Rangers’ fifth goal on 63 minutes, and the rout was complete in the 77th minute when substitute Michael Smith became the home side’s sixth different goalscorer.
Josh Daniels scored Glenavon’s second goal 10 minutes from time, but by that stage the Lurgan Blues had already been humiliated.
Niall Currie’s men took the lead on 14 minutes. Thompson played a one-two with Nixon on the left flank and he was then allowed to progress into the Glenavon box far too easily, evading tackles from Kyle Beggs and Harmon before slotting a low shot past Jonny Tuffey at the near post.
Harmon scored a superb equaliser in the 25th minute. The full-back picked the ball up close to the halfway line and drove forward, cutting inside, first past Thompson and then Christopher Rodgers, before firing past Aaron Hogg with his left foot.
Glenavon enjoyed some good spells of pressure as the first half wore on, but it was the home side who snatched the lead on 39 minutes. Nixon was given too much time and space and allowed to advance towards the edge of the Glenavon box. He fired a brilliant low shot into the far corner from inside the D to make the half-time score 2-1.
Carrick struck a killer blow just eight seconds after the restart when Keke grabbed their third goal of the afternoon. The striker intercepted Harmon’s attempted clearance, surged into the box and thumped a low shot past Tuffey with his left foot.
It was 4-1 on 54 minutes. Nixon picked Ferrin out with a cross from the left and he directed his header beyond Tuffey and into the bottom corner.
Nixon was the provider again nine minutes later as Carrick scored their fifth goal. This time his cross from the left was a low one and it found Chapman in the six-yard box. He had the easy task of tapping in.
Substitute Smith remarkably became Carrick’s sixth different goalscorer to complete the rout on 77 minutes when he side-footed into the far corner with his left foot.
Daniels grabbed Glenavon’s second when he got on the end of a Jordan Jenkins through-ball and slotted under Hogg, but by that stage it mattered little.
This was a result that was shocking not just because of the scoreline, but also given the recent upturn in the Lurgan Blues’ form.
Glenavon are in action again on Tuesday night (3rd December) as they host Warrenpoint Town in the Mid Ulster Cup semi-final at Mourneview Park (kick-off 7.45pm).
Carrick Rangers: 18. Aaron Hogg (GK), 4. Mark Surgenor (C), 5. Christopher Rodgers, 7. Lee Chapman, 8. William Faulkner, 10. Daniel Kelly, 11. Stewart Nixon, 15. James Ferrin, 21. Gerard Thompson, 24. Guillaume Keke, 42. Lloyd Anderson
Subs: 16. Michael Smith (for 11. Stewart Nixon, 67’), 3. Reece Neale (for 21. Gerard Thompson, 69’), 20. Kyle Cherry (for 15. James Ferrin, 76’); not used: 2. Mark Carson, 6. Caolan Loughran, 26. Ben Nicholl, 27. Liam Hassin
Goals: 21. Gerard Thompson (14’), 11. Stewart Nixon (39’), 24. Guillaume Keke (46’), 15. James Ferrin (54’), 7. Lee Chapman (63’), 16. Michael Smith (77’)
Yellow Cards: None
Glenavon: 1. Jonny Tuffey (C), 2. Daniel Larmour, 4. Caolan Marron, 7. Josh Daniels, 8. Rhys Marshall, 15. Aaron Harmon, 23. Kyle Beggs, 24. Stephen Murray, 27. James Singleton, 28. Robert Garrett, 80. Gary Hamilton
Subs: 30. Jordan Jenkins (for 80. Gary Hamilton, 63’), 11. Andy Hall (for 23. Kyle Beggs, 63’), 45. Eoin Wearen (for 15. Aaron Harmon, 66’); not used: 3. Paddy Burns, 18. James Taylor (GK), 20. Conor McCloskey, 25. Ross Hunter
Goals: 15. Aaron Harmon (25’), 7. Josh Daniels (80’)
Yellow Cards: 28. Robert Garrett (79’), 8. Rhys Marshall (90+1’)
Referee: Keith Kennedy
