EARLY MARSHALL DOUBLE SETS GLENS UP
Two early Rhys Marshall goals set Glentoran up to sweep to a convincing defeat of Carrick Rangers at the Loughview Leisure Arena.
Marshall opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute with a glancing header from a Joe Crowe cross, before doubling his tally nine minutes after that from the rebound of a Jay Donnelly strike that came off defender Mark Surgenor.
James Singleton added a third for the Glens six minutes into the second half from an Aidan Wilson pass.
Rangers pulled one back on the hour courtesy of Lloyd Anderson's volley from an Andy Mitchell free-kick.
But two goals in stoppage time put an extra gloss on the scoreline for the visitors.
Danny Purkis restored their three goal cushion in the 91st minure after racing clear to slot the ball past Ross Glendinning, with Bobby Burns adding a fifth soon after from close range.
Carrick Rangers: Ross Glendinning, Forsythe, Surgenor, Ervin, Mitchell, McGuckin, Cherry, Reece Glendinning, Maciulaitis, Tilney, Anderson subs Hogg, Cushley, Gawne, Kalla, Buchanan-Rolleston, Dupree, McLaughlin
Glentoran: McCarey, McCullough, Wilson, Burns, Marshall, J. Donnelly, Singleton, Devlin, Crowe, McMenamin, Wightman subs Webber, Kane, Murphy, Smith, Purkis, Uzokwe, Boyd