Stuart King urges Carrick Rangers to carry record-breaking heroics into Europe

Even before Saturday’s 2-1 win over Glenavon, the Taylors Avenue men had exceeded their previous highest points tally for the third successive season and they have now gone from 11th to ninth and now seventh place in the final table in that time, thus securing a place in the European play-offs.

After emulating the Lurgan Blues, who finished seventh in each of the last three seasons, King’s goal is to go one better than they managed and not just take Carrick into Europe for only the second time, but make European history too.

“I love breaking records. The last four weeks, we have broken records,” said King.

“I spoke to (former Glenavon manager) Gary Hamilton after he left. He told me that out of the three leagues across Europe who have a play-off system similar to ours, there has only been one (seventh-placed) team in the last 15 years that has been successful in qualifying for Europe, so that’s in my head.”

A David Cushley penalty after 20 minutes followed by a Curtis Allen strike gave Carrick victory at Mourneview Park with Glenavon, despite creating numerous opportunities in an encouraging performance, only being rewarded when Ben Tilney deflected the ball into his own net five minutes before half-time.

While the Lurgan Blues are set for a summer of transition on and off the pitch, Carrick are now relishing Wednesday’s play-off semi-final against Crusaders, despite the painful memory of a 9-0 thrashing on the Shore Road back in August.

“Stephen Baxter is probably laughing his head off playing Carrick at home after they beat us 9-0 the last time, but I love breaking records and I want to keep on improving and keep driving my club forward and we’ve another one to beat,” said King.

“My lads have been immense. The reaction after that; I asked questions, I asked them to stand up and be counted and they have been unreal.”

Both Sean Ward and Adrian Teer were honoured before the match by the home fans. Ward played the final game of a career that totalled 779 appearances, while Teer stepped down as chairman of the club he has served for 40 years.

Other players will leave Mourneview in a summer of change, but manager Stephen McDonnell insists his job won’t be affected by a reshuffle at boardroom level.

“From the board of directors standpoint, possibly there is a degree of uncertainty but for me, I have been given the green light with our budget and everything else to go and secure players that we need to secure,” said McDonnell.

“For me, it is very much full steam ahead and then when new people come onto the board, we will have to build relationships and drive this club on.”

GLENAVON: Byrne, Toure (Snoddy 65), Haughey, Kerr, Wallace, Ward (Savage 87), Garrett, Teggart (Doona 46), Quinn (Hodgins 76), McCloseky (Campbell 65), Doran. Unused subs: Gracey, Shiel.

CARRICK: Ross Glendinning, MacKinnon, Watson, Crowe, Tilney, Cherry (Withers 90), Cushley (Surgenor 68), Teelan, Maciulaitis (O’Prey 90), Gibson (McGuckin 81), Allen (Graham 90). Unused subs: McCauley, Buchanan-Rolleston.

Referee: Ian McNabb (Coleraine)

Man of the match: David Cushley

Match rating: 6/10.