McDowell bags a brace as Carrick bounce back

Banbridge Town 1

KYLE McDowell grabbed two and set up another in Carrick’s 3-1 home win over Banbridge Town on Saturday to send Rangers up to second in the Ladbrokes Championship.

With left winger Paul Heatley among the walking wounded - striker Stephen O’Neill and defender Paul Prenter were other prominent names on the injury list - McDowell deputised with some aplomb.

The return to winning ways after defeat seven days earlier at Harland and Wolff Welders came at a price however as topscorer Nathan McConnell limped off with a knee injury.

Gareth Buchanan was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the opening stages and pulled off a fine fingertip save in the 23rd minute after Ciaran Boyd and Anthony Lagan had combined with purpose for Carrick.

Lagan also sent a towering header inches over from a Ryan Deans cross from the right flank, while Banbridge centre-back Neil King showed great composure to steer a defensive header in the same direction in response to a teasing cross from McDowell on the left.

Banbridge were already living on borrowed time after Buchanan had no option but to scramble Aaron Harman’s cross-cum-shot away for a corner in the 39th minute. There was a degree of good fortune to Carrick’s opener a minute before the interval. McConnell miscued his attempted header in the penalty area from another Harmon cross before the ball fell invitingly for McDowell to lash an unstoppable effort high into the net.

Both sides made substitutions immediately after the interval with Glenn Hand replacing Deans for the hosts and the wily Paul Evans making way for Stefan Campbell for the County Down outfit.

Colin Malone’s charges enjoyed their best spell early in the second-half and Paul Walsh possibly should have done better when a gap opened up in the Carrick back-four but the busy striker pulled his shot on the turn wide of the target.

It was Stephen Small’s side who continued to create the clearer opportunities. McConnell was quickly onto a long throw-in from the left by Boyd but his downward header was straight into the arms of the well placed Buchanan on the goal-line.

Former Cliftonville man McConnell bundled the ball into the net from six-yards in the 61st minute but injured himself in the process and not only was the effort ruled offside he played no further part in the encounter.

McDowell’s pace on the flank cause persistent problems for the Banbridge and Buchanan came to their rescue once more, saving with his legs from the Rangers marauder in the 77th minute.

There was little the netminder could do two minutes later when the winger’s acceleration took him behind the full-back and after the resulting cross was only half cleared, Hand thumped home his team’s second from inside the 18-yard area.

Banbridge were briefly thrown a lifeline after Timmy Grant netted from the 12-yard spot following a handball offence in the Carrick area in the 86th minute.

But McDowell capped his man of the match performance by stabbing the ball home at the far post in injury time after Buchanan had thwarted Harman from the right.

Carrick Rangers: McKane, Murray, Boyd, McClean, Anderson, Deans, Harmon, Taggart, McConnell, Lagan, McDowell. Subs: Toye (Taggart), McAlinden (for McConnell), Hand (for Deans), Stitt (gk).

Banbridge Town: Buchanan, Hall, Brady, Stewart, King, McParland, McCardle, McCartan, Grant, Walsh, Evans. Subs: Campbell (for Evans) Mateer (for McCartan), Wilson (for King)

Referee: Evan Boyce (Ballygowan).