Chines nets hat-trick in Steel Cup

Ben Roy’s late strike made it 4-2 to Rangers against a Lisburn Distillery side who were reduced to nine men after referee Stephen Gregg gave Joe McDonnell and Peter Sargeant their marching orders.

William Bingham put the Whites in front when he fired low past Brian Neeson with 12 minutes on the clock before Darren Smyth doubled their advantage when he found the bottom corner just before the half-hour mark.

Carrick looked to be heading into the break with a mountain to climb but Chines gave them the boost they needed when he won a penalty and stepped up to angle the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.

Eight minutes after the break McDonnell saw red after a coming together and Rangers seized the initiative.

Referee Gregg pointed the spot for a second time when Darren Nixon was adjudged to have fouled Aaron Smyth. Nixon appeared to have won the ball cleanly but the spot-kick was awarded and Distillery remonstrations fell on deaf ears. Chines did the needful from 12 yards and Carrick were back in the hunt.

Six minutes from time Ben Roy’s blistering volley was palmed away on the line by defender Sargeant. Off he trudged for an early shower and Chines - cool, calm and collected - netted his third penalty of the afternoon.

Deep into time added on, Smyth set up Roy whose deflected shot zipped past Ryan McBride to keep Carrick’s hopes of a Christmas Day final alive.

Carrick Rangers: Neeson, Smyth, O’Kane, Donaghy, Kelly, Kane (McKenna), McCloskey, Cherry (Taggart), Roy, Chines, Lynch. Subs: Browne, Arthur, McConnell.