FOOTBALL: Carrick enjoy win over Lisburn Distillery

Carrick Rangers continued their pre-season preparations with a fine 3-1 win over Lisburn Distillery at New Grosvenor Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It was the Premier League side who started the better as Eamon McAllister was denied inside two minutes as his low free kick was well kept out by Whites keeper Patrick Saunders. However, Saunders was beaten on six minutes as McAllister floated in a corner for former Ards centre back Denver Gage to head into the back of the Whites net. Distillery created their first chance of note inside ten minutes as Timmy Clarkes cross couldn’t find anyone and the ball rolled behind. The game slowed down slightly with the next opening not coming until thirty-three minutes when former Blackburn Rovers man Mark Edgar crossed for on loan Crusaders striker Mikel Suarez he headed he ball back across goal aiming for Martin Maybin however he couldn’t get a clear shot off on goal. Edgar had a good chance a few minutes later to double Rangers lead as he drilled a shot high and over from range when he really should have tested Saunders. Distillery would then punish their opponents as new signing Matthew Ferguson headed past Carrick’s Trialist goalkeeper. Rangers could have been ahead at the break as Suarez turned the Whites defence before his dangerous cross was cleared by George Douglas at the heart of the Whites defence. David McAlinden’s side started the second half the way they had finished the first on top as McAllister let fly from thirty yards but his effort was well dealt with by Jonah Nicholl who came on at the break. The Whites stopper had to alert once again on fifty-nine minutes as Aaron Smyth’s cross was well collected. Rangers did grab their second on sixty-eight minutes as a poor Phillip Gordon back pass was capitalised on by a Tralist and he tucked the ball away into the net. Distillery should have been level on seventy-four minutes as a loose ball broke to Gary Workman on the edge of the box before he ballooned the ball over the top of the bar. As the game neared the close Nicholl made an impressive save to keep out Edgars rasping free kick, however with the last kick of the ball Carrick did make it three when Dale Malone’s corner was headed in by another new signing Michael Smith. Teams Lisburn Distilery Saunders (GK), Corry, Douglas, Curley, Docherty, McMurty, Ferguson, Harris, Workman,Clarke,Beta. Carrick Rangers Trialist A, Smyth, Gage, Surgenor, Edgar, Chapman, Trialist B, Taggart, McAllister, Maybin, Suarez