SURGENOR SPOT-KICK ENOUGH FOR CARRICK
Carrick Rangers moved up to fourth spot in the standings thanks to a single goal victory over Portadown at the Loughshore Hotel Arena.
The Ports might have opened the scoring as early as the ninth but Stephen Teggart's thunderous volley on the edge of the area came back off the crossbar.
The woodwork denied the visitors again later in the first half after Oisin Conaty laid the ball off to Lee Bonis but he could only strike the post as keeper Matthew Skeet advanced.
However, what proved to be the only goal of the game came six minutes into the second. Carrick's Jordan Gibson raced into the box in pursuit of a through ball but was brought down by Ports keeper Jethren Barr. Referee Steven Gregg duly pointed to the spot with Carrick skipper Mark Surgenor stepping up to successfully convert.
Portadown had an opportunity to level midway through the half but Sammie McLeod's strike was well blocked by Jim Ervin while, for Carrick, Stewart Nixon had a chance to make sure late on only to fire over.
Carrick Rangers: Skeet, Surgenor, Ervin, Forsythe, E. Kelly, Cherry, Nixon, Glendinning, Gibson, Tilney, Anderson subs Shields (not used), Doyle (not used), Kalla (replaced Cherry 90+3), Mulholland (replaced Nixon 90+2), McGimpsey (not used), Millar (replaced E. Kelly 89), Buchanan-Rolleston (not used)
Portadown: Barr, Hall, Ruddy, McCallum, Finnegan, Tipton, Bonis, Conaty, Teggart, McLeod, Warde subs Doherty (not used), Salley (replaced Tipton 59), Anderson (replaced Conaty 74), Jackson (replaced McCallum 46), Kerr (not used), Glenfield (replaced McLeod 85), Murphy (not used)
Substitution 
Substitution 
