Gibson Treble Helps Carrick To Play-off Advantage

A hat-trick from Danny Gibson has Carrick Rangers 5-2 up aft nan first limb of nan Irish Premiership promotion/relegation play-off.

The visitors raced retired of nan blocks and ne'er looked back, pinch Carrick's apical scorer Gibson uncovering nan nett for nan first clip aft 11 minutes.

A perfectly placed header from Luke McCullough fell invitingly astatine Gibson's feet pursuing a corner, and nan erstwhile Glentoran guardant made nary mistake, dispatching confidently astatine nan adjacent station to group nan Gers connected their way.

Carrick quickly doubled their advantage conscionable six minutes later. Gibson turned supplier this time, slipping a clever through-ball beyond defender Lee Upton. Paul Heatley sprinted clear, keeping his composure brilliantly to descent a cool decorativeness debased and wrong nan adjacent post.

Stephen Baxter's men weren't vanished there. On nan half-hour mark, a trademark agelong propulsion from Joe Crowe caused chaos for Annagh's defenders who struggled desperately to clear their lines.

Nedas Maciulaitis reacted quickest, heading nan loose shot towards Gibson, who fired powerfully past goalkeeper Joel Little from adjacent scope for his 2nd extremity of a relentless opening half.

With nan hosts still reeling, Gibson completed his hat-trick 4 minutes earlier nan interval. Crowe erstwhile again played a pivotal role, flicking Little's agelong extremity footwear perfectly into Gibson's path.

The frontman raced clear and drilled a precise debased changeable wrong nan adjacent station to crown a ruthless first-half capacity from nan Premiership side.

After nan break, Ciaran McGurgan's broadside emerged wished to salvage thing and managed to trim nan shortage connected 49 minutes. Half-time substitute Craig Taylor's agelong propulsion soared into nan area, wherever Upton roseate highest, planting a patient header into nan nett from six yards to connection nan Championship outfit little dream of a comeback.

But Carrick soon regained their patient grip connected nan game, striking their 5th extremity conscionable earlier nan hour.

The awesome Gibson was erstwhile again influential, nodding Crowe's agelong free-kick into a crowded punishment area.

A fortunate deflection disconnected Maciulaitis guided nan shot consecutive into nan way of Heatley, who clinically fired location his 2nd of nan night.

Gibson almost grabbed his 4th soon afterwards, brilliantly rounding Nathan Kerr, but nether pressure, dragged his effort narrowly wide.

However, nan Mid-Ulster outfit had nan last connection heavy into stoppage time, arsenic substitute Taylor coiled a magnificent free-kick into nan apical corner, offering a glimmer of optimism heading into nan 2nd leg.