“I went to the harbour venue mustard keen to get the result and was delighted with it, but I must say that this weekend it’s a whole new situation and they will be even more determined to exact revenge and it is going to be very difficult for us,” explained the Carrick Rangers manager, who admits he was caught on the hop when Anto Lagan appeared in the Larne line-up.

“I have to confess I didn’t expect him to be playing, but it’s not something that I had given much thought. Because I had personnel problems of my own, I wasn’t really concerned about their team,” said Small. Lagan had been out of action following Larne’s decision to suspend him pending the investigation into the controversial abandoned JJB Irish Cup match in Newry.

“But I am not surprised at Lagan being called in again because he’s a very good player, a big strong midfielder who could do a good job for any team in this division. I don’t know what the reasoning behind the Larne decision is to lift their own suspension on him, but it’s none of my business in any case,” added Small.

As Small explained, Rangers had to call in some new faces for Saturday’s trip to Inver.

“We had three players unavailable because of having appeared for other teams in earlier round of the competition – plus I was without my two regular centre backs, James Braniff having been injured the previous week and Paul Prenter being unavailable.

“Aaron Holland has waited ever so patiently for his chance and I can’t praise him enough for the way he came in and played so well, shackling Davy Larmour who is one of the top scorers in the division and showing incredible fitness to fully last out the ninety minutes.

“Ryan Murray, who was signed from Ballyclare and was being used as a midfielder, proved that he’s every bit as effective as well as a centre back, so that also pleased me greatly.

“The forwards were very much up to the job, too, and I was especially pleased for Barry Bloomer who gave an exceptional performance as well as scoring the goals. He was all over the park, winning headers all over the place – at times in their six yard box and other times with clearances off our goal-line when they sent long balls in near the finish.

“It was a hard game and it will be more of the same on Saturday, 2pm kick-off, and now I have to think about picking a team to repeat the feat, because I really do feel it’s very important for us to win this league game.

“With a host of players available again, I have to feel now whether there’s a need to change anything and that’s something I will have to seriously think about ahead of the second big derby clash in a week,” admitted Small.

Meanwhile Small said there has been a couple of enquiries about transfer-listed defender Graeme Philson.

“I had a couple of initial interests about Graeme, one from a Championship One club and another from a Championship Two side.