GLENS HAVE TOO MUCH FOR CARRICK
Glentoran proved to be too strong for Carrick Rangers at The Oval despite playing the last half-an-hour or so with ten men.
Both sides had chances during the opening exchanges, with Glentoran's Paddy McClean heading wide from a Hrvoje Plum free-kick while, at the other end, Jordan Gibson got on the end of a Lee Chapman cross only to fire wide.
Carrick had the ball in the net on 13 minutes from a Lloyd Anderson pass but the effort was ruled out offside.
After half-an-hour Plum tested Aaron Hogg with a low shot from the edge of the box. Then, not long after that, Ciaran O'Connor was on hand to clear a Chris Rodgers header off the line.
The deadlock was broken in Glentoran's favour five minutes from the break through Jay Donnelly. A Marcus Kane cross deflected off Kyle Cherry with Donnelly on hand to head the ball home from close range.
The Glens were reduced to ten men just before the hour when scorer Donnelly was shown a straight red card by referee Jamie Robinson for a dangerous tackle on Mark Surgenor.
Carrick almost made their numerical advantage count moments later only for Gibson's effort to drift just wide of the near post.
A later Gibson cross then went over while, at the other end, Hogg did well to save from Jamie McDonagh.
Rangers kept pushing for the equaliser and were thwarted on 77 minutes courtesy of a great stop from Dayle Coleing to keep out Caolan Loughran's free-kick.
But Glentoran made sure of the points barely a minute later when Robbie McDaid finished superbly with a thundering effort into the top right corner.
Glentoran: Coleing, Kane, McCullough, R. Donnelly, McDaid, McClean, O'Connor, Marron, Plum, Marshall, J. Donnelly subs Bigirimana (not used), Gallagher (replaced Plum 82), McDonagh (replaced O'Connor 63), Gorman (not used), O'Neill (replaced R. Donnelly 75), Stewart (not used), Brown (not used)
Carrick Rangers: Hogg, Surgenor, Rodgers, Loughran, Chapman, Kelly, Smith, Cherry, Gibson, Anderson, Jenkins subs McKinty (not used), Forsythe (not used), McKenna (not used), Glendinning (replaced Kelly 52), Millar (not used), Storey (replaced Anderson 76), Ramsey (replaced Rodgers 46)
Substitution 
Substitution 
