Match Photos: Graeme Bolton Photography

Video Highlights: Graeme Bolton

Friday 28th August 2009 - Co-operative Insurance Cup (First Round - First Leg)

Ballyclare Comrades team

Subs: 12.Willie Grattan,14.Kyle Agnew, 15.Darren Munster, 16.Gareth Curlett, 17.Simon McGowan

Carrick Rangers: Shannon, M.Prenter, Watterson, McNamee, Philson, P.Prenter, Rooney, McAlea, O'Hare, McDowell, Murray - Subs: Bowers, Holland, Shimmon, Irwin, Bloomer

Comrades substitutions

Sam McWilliams (46')

Gareth Curlett (46')

Stuart Galbraith (63')

Simon McGowan (63')

Mark McClelland (78')

Willie Grattan (78')

Goals

Chris O'Hare (10')

Ricky Moore (15')

Chris O'Hare (27')

Chris O'Hare (89')

Ricky Moore (90+1')

Comrades bookings

Sam McWilliams (18')

Johnny Gowdy (25')

Andy Forsythe (47')

Mark McClelland (52')

Comrades man of the match

Ricky Moore

Comrades will have to come from behind if they are to win their Co-operative Insurance Cup tie against local rivals Carrick Rangers, after a 2-3 defeat in a Friday night game at Dixon Park. However, a wonder goal in injury-time from Ricky Moore has given them hope for the second leg.

For this match, veteran Allen Huxley came in for the injury troubled Paddy Flood in goals. Andy Long and Ricky Moore, now back to fitness retuned to the starting line-up.

The game started with the visitors in the ascendancy, looking very sharp up front and causing the Comrades defence numerous problems.

In the 8th minute a good run and shot from the edge of the box by McDowell forced a save from Allen Huxley, who turned the ball past the post. However, there was nothing the Comrades keeper could do to stop Carrick taking the lead two minutes later. A corner from the left broke to the back post area where O’Hare was waiting to slam a superb volley into the net from the edge of the 6 yard box.

Carrick’s lead was deserved, but it was to be short-lived as Comrades grabbed an equaliser out of the blue on 15 minutes. Ricky Moore picked the ball up 25 yards out and struck a speculative low shot which went into the net, just inside the post, past the despairing dive of Shannon.

Comrades were obviously buoyed by getting back on terms and could have grabbed the lead from the re-start when Mark McClelland fed Johnny Gowdy on the right side of the box and the new-signing from Newry City, making his home debut, hit a fierce shot from 12 yards across the face of the goal and just wide of the far post.

Despite Comrades now being much more in the game, Carrick still looked a potent force in attack and they restored their lead on 27 minutes. McDowell, not for the first time, gave Comrades defence the run around and got into a dangerous position on the right of the 6 yard box, before sending a dangerous low ball in. This caused confusion in the packed box and the ball eventually ricocheted from an attempted clearance off the leg of O’Hare, 2 yards from goal, and crossed the line.

Carrick were now on top again and Comrades were glad to survive a number of corners forced by the visitors as they kept up the pressure.

At the other end Comrades were doing all they could to try to penetrate a resolute defence. They had a half chance on 40 minutes when a long throw into the box from Andy Forsythe was flicked on by Ricky Moore and the ball fell to David Officer 8 yards out. He stabbed the ball towards goal, under some pressure, but it was cleared from in front of the line.

A minute later however, ex-Comrades hero Ryan Murray, almost grabbed a third for Carrick, but his shot from 19 yards went narrowly over the bar.

On the stroke of half-time, another player who switched clubs during the summer might have got the goal to send the home side in on level terms. Mark McClelland received a ball from Johnny Gowdy on the right of the box, before turning his marker and then shooting just wide of the base of the far post from 10 yards.

Gordon Chambers made a half-time switch to his personnel, with Gareth Curlett coming on at the back for Sam McWilliams, but it was Carrick who started the half the better. Three minutes in and they were unlucky not to increase the lead. A free-kick was won 20 yards from goal and O’Hare stepped up to smack a great effort off the bar, with Allen Huxley beaten. Then, two minutes later, the dangerous O’Hare saw a low shot from 10 yards well saved by Huxley after Comrades had failed to properly clear a corner.

Another chance fell to Carrick on 54 minutes when a free-kick into the box from the left found the head of Rooney whose effort from 8 yards fell just past the base of the post.

As the half progressed Carrick’s dominance faded as Comrades began to force them back, searching for an equaliser. However, despite having a lot of attacking possession the home side was finding the Carrick defence a hard but to crack, with few real chances created.

On 63 minutes a good run by Stuart Galbraith saw him link up with David Officer just outside the box. Officer then fed the ball to Ricky Moore, surging into the right side of the penalty area, but the striker’s resulting effort fizzed wide of the near post from 14 yards out.

Although Carrick had seemed content, from about the hour mark, to sit on their lead, they still looked dangerous on the break and on 79 minutes they could easily have went two goals ahead, with Allen Huxley brilliantly denying McDowell and then O’Hare with a double save as the Carrick strikers pounced in the box.

Ten minutes later Huxley, despite another great save, could not deny the visitors a third goal. After denying McDowell from a shot from 8 yards out, he saw the loose ball fall to O’Hare, who had the easy task of completing his hat-trick from close range.

Comrades were now really up against it in the tie, but a minute into injury-time they grabbed a lifeline with a spectacular goal. Substitute and new loan signing from Ballymena United, Willie Grattan, did well to win the ball on the right and then played the ball back to Ricky Moore, who looked up and saw Shannon off his line, before sending an audacious curling effort over the stranded keeper and into the net from 20 yards out on the touch-line.

The remaining few minutes of injury-time were action packed and Comrades might have grabbed an unlikely equaliser. First, Johnny Gowdy saw a well struck effort from 14 yards well saved by Shannon and then, three minutes into added time, a huge scramble in the Carrick box looked certain to end with a Comrades goal, but Andy Simms and David Officer both saw efforts cleared off the line.

There was still time for more goalmouth action as Carrick broke up-field and should have restored their two goal advantage with almost the last kick of the game, when McDowell slid the ball wide of the post from 9 yards, as Allen Huxley advanced on him.

Despite defeat in this game, some goalkeeping heroics by Allen Huxley and spectacular marksmanship by Ricky Moore has ensured Comrades are still in with a shout in the second leg to be played on Monday 8th September at Taylor’s Avenue. Carrick deserved the win on the night; with Comrades new look defence given a torrid time by the visiting strikers. However, Comrades battled well and did not fold, which must have given at least some pleasure to their manager and supporters.