The past few months have certainly been eventful at Carrick Rangers, with much occurring both on and off the pitch.
In the summer, the east Antrim club’s recruitment turned heads, signalling their intent to surge up the league table under the watchful eye of impressive manager Stuart King.
Now, after a relatively slow start to this campaign, they have started to pick up a head of steam – and that has coincided with more news to be optimistic about. Namely, they are in line to receive a total of £3.6m of Council funds to improve their Taylors Avenue home, while a new majority investor from across the Atlantic has inspired fresh belief that they can, in time, break through what has become a glass ceiling at the bottom-six summit.
The Amber Army’s form has improved to the point where they recently won four games on the trot, and the best could yet be to come.
In 2022/23, King inspired Carrick to a highly respectable eighth-place finish in the top-flight, delivering on his mission to lead the club away from the relegation mire that they were in the season before.
The former Banbridge Town boss, who was hired following five years with the south Down-based PIL side back in the summer of 2021, forayed into coaching after a distinguished playing career that saw him represent Linfield, Ballymena United and Glenavon in the Premiership.
It was a big leap for the man tasked with building on the foundation Niall Currie had already laid, but he has taken it like a duck to water and helped the Loughview Leisure Arena establishment go from strength to strength in the past two years.
In fitting with his ambitious nature as a top-flight winger, his dealings in the summer reflected an intention to push for a European play-off.
Albert Watson, Joe Crowe and Andy Mitchell – the latter an initial loan made permanent – were all high-profile arrivals from full-time set-ups at Larne and Glentoran, but the marquee name to link up was surely striker Danny Purkis.
The sharp-shooter, who hit a goal-getting vein both as a starter and impact sub with the Glens, has led the line brilliantly since swapping east Belfast green for bright east Antrim orange, with five goals – including two astonishing strikes from the halfway line – that make him the top marksman in the league among bottom-half clubs.
Having also netted a brace against Moyola Park in the BetMcLean Cup and versus Cliftonville in the County Antrim Shield, Purkis sits at a sublime eight finishes in 15 appearances to date.
Should Carrick hold ambitions of a top-half place, be it this term or in the years to come, his form will be pivotal.
So, too, will his link-ups with Irish League veterans Curtis Allen and David Cushley – players with medals of all sorts around their necks, but who aren’t letting themselves be consigned to history by any stretch. Nedas Maciulaitis, a coveted talent by King who has seemed to fly under the radar ever since his January switch from Loughgall, equally possesses the instinct and nous needed to make a game-defining difference.
After businessman Michael Smith took over the club in August, he has already vowed to pour his heart and soul into Carrick and make them a hub of the local community.
With his help, they can take fresh strides in their game and fulfil lofty aims, but the quality at King’s current disposal aren’t far off the mark as it stands.
It was on the day Smith’s incoming was confirmed – Tuesday, August 22 – that Carrick fell flat in a Seaview horror show; a 10-man Rangers shipped nine without reply against Crusaders to suffer one of the Irish League’s heaviest-ever defeats.
That feels a long time ago now, though, and with 13 points accumulated from their first 12 matches, they are targeting seventh spot with Loughgall merely a couple of points ahead.
Their character is admirable, and they have the right personalities in the right places.
28-year-old Purkis, who scored the winner against Glentoran at the end of September, will be fundamental.
It is, as mentioned, a high-quality attacking line-up, showcased yet further when the teak-tough Emmett McGuckin marked the scoresheet in a battling defeat to Linfield last time out, but Purkis looks the glue to hold it all together – and he has a couple of assists to his name to highlight bow his skills extend past putting the ball in the net.
Breaking up the established order is not an easy thing to do, but in Purkis, Carrick have more than a glimmer of hope in doing just that.
Featured image from Matt Mackey/INPHO, via Belfast Live.
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