CARRICK AND PORTS SERVE UP EIGHT GOAL THRILLER
Carrick Rangers stormed back from going behind to two early goals to defeat Portadown at the Loughshore Hotel Arena.
The game got off to a blistering start when Ben Guy fired the Ports in front as early as the third minute with a curling effort past Aaron Hogg from the edge of the area into the far corner.
It was 2-0 on 11 minutes with Lee Bonis finding the net after pouncing on a loose ball after the home defence failed to clear a Sam Warde free-kick.
But Carrick responded almost immediately through Daniel Kelly with a half volley from the edge of the box.
And they got back on level terms on 22 minutes courtesy of Cathair Friel after he got free of the defence to squeeze the finish past Jacob Carney.
Remarkably, Carrick then edged in front themselves just after the half-hour mark. Ports defender Paul Finnegan was adjudged to have fouled Lloyd Anderson and from the spot-kick that followed Caolan Loughran stepped up to convert.
The scoring continued on 63 minutes when Friel bagged his second of the evening after he found some space in the box from a free-kick and controlled the ball to send a decisive finish beyond Carney.
Carrick extended their lead further still eight minutes after that with Kyle Cherry becoming the latest player to get his name on the scoresheet after getting a slight touch to direct home Lee Chapman's delivery into the bottom corner.
The visitors pulled one back with five minutes remaining to cap a memorable evening when Guy touched the ball off for Adam Salley to convert from close range.
Carrick Rangers: Hogg, Neale, Rodgers, Loughran, Chapman, Kelly, Gordon, Cherry, Gibson, Anderson, Friel subs McKinty (not used), Forsythe (not used), Glendinning (replaced Cherry 75), Millar (not used), Jenkins (replaced Gibson 77), McMullan (not used), Storey (replaced Anderson 75)
Portadown: Carney, McCallum, Finnegan, Bonis, Murray, Wilson, Guy, Kerr, Warde, Healy, Tilney subs Buchanan (not used), Hall (not used), McKeown (replaced Warde 65), Tipton (not used), Salley (replaced Finnegan 69), Croskery (replaced Bonis 72), Jordan (not used)
Substitution 
Substitution 
