Carrick Rangers 1
Ballymena United 2
League (NIFL Premiership)

Match Report

Ryan McNickle marked his first Ballymena United start with a winning goal as the Sky Blues came from behind to defeat Carrick Rangers 2-1 in challenging conditions at Taylors Avenue on Saturday.

After last weekend's defeat at home to Dungannon, Jim Ervin made four changes including a couple of notable ones up front as Ben Kennedy and Success Edogun made way for Ryan McNickle and Daire O'Connor, who both made their first starts for the club.

Given the deluge of wind and rain brought by Storm Amy over the last couple of days, conditions were far from ideal as despite a fine playing surface, the wind was causing considerable problems. United had the wind with them in the first half, though it wasn't always a help and six minutes in Carrick had a huge chance with a back post header, but Sean O'Neill saved well. Ballymena had a headed chance of their own shortly afterwards when an out swinging corner that was being held up in the wind found Kym Nelson, but he headed just over.

Sixteen minutes into the game, the wind was the least of the visitors problems as Carrick went ahead. The Braidmen were done from a cross again as Danny Purkis' stood up ball into the six yard box had two waiting for it and it was Nedas Maciulaitis who met it, with his header coming off the crossbar and then back off him before going in.

Just three minutes later the away side spurned a massive chance to level. A ball over the top went over Luke McCullough's head when caught in the wind and it allowed McNickle in, but after turning his man well to leave him just Nathan Gartside to beat, he slotted the ball wide. It was the start of a better period of play for United who were maybe just beginning to adjust to conditions that were not improving and on thirty-eight minutes they levelled. McNickle did brilliantly well to keep a ball in play and eventually win a corner and from the corner Kym Nelson was found again, this time making no mistake as he headed home.

Right on half time, Carrick almost retook the lead in style when Aidan Steele let fly from well out and he hit it well, forcing a top drawer save from O'Neill to see the half end level.

The half time break saw another torrential downpour that thankfully ended just before play resumed and in slightly less windy conditions, Carrick almost led early on. Ryan Waide got in and looked set to score, only for a mammoth last ditch challenge from Stephen O'Donnell to deny the former Sky Blue. The next chance also came Rangers' way a few minutes later, but Jack Scott's hit flew well wide.

The second half, much like the first, became a battle of nutrition the more it went on with managing the conditions more important than the style of play in many ways, but as United just began to ask questions of Carrick's back line, they took the lead on sixty-six minutes through McNickle. A long ball forward from Matthew Clarke was brought down delightfully by Kian Corbally outside the box and after he drove to the byline, he put a ball across and found Ryan McNickle who tapped home to round off a wonderful goal, one McNickle was fully deserving off.

The final twenty minutes yielded very little chances as Ballymena defended their box well and whilst Carrick brought some pressure, the skipper's goal was rarely under serious threat. Success Edogun and Joel Thompson were introduced with a couple of minutes left and the former almost wrapped the points up when he broke on a counter, but he was denied by Gartside.

2-1 it finished in brutal weather in Carrickfergus and whilst the football could've been better, it wasn't a day for pretty play as United ground out an impressive three points.

Match report written by Philip McPeake (www.ballymenaunitedfc.com)