SKY BLUES UP AND RUNNING
Ballymena United picked up their first points of the season with victory over Carrick Rangers at the Loughview Leisure Arena.
The sides traded chances during the opening quarter-of-an-hour with Ben Tilney and Nedas Maciulaitis threatening for the home side while Scot Whiteside offered up a couple of headers at the other end.
The deadlock was broken on 26 minutes. Albert Watson conceded the spot-kick after bringing down Isaac Westendorf with the loan signing from Larne stepping up to squeeze the penalty under the body of keeper Ross Glendinning.
Carrick looked to find a way back into the game with Maciulaitis seeing an effort from outside the area punched away by Sean O'Neill, with the United keeper also denying Kyle Cherry and Danny Purkis before the break.
Jim Ervin's side might have extended their lead early in the second half when, from a Donal Rocks free-kick, Kym Nelson could only power a header over from close range.
But, as the game progressed, Rangers continued to search for the equaliser. Cherry saw an inswinging corner beaten away at the near post following quickly by a Curtis Allen snapshot which O'Neill did well to get down low to keep out.
Then, in stoppage time, Watson could only head wide from a Tilney throw-in but despite throwing everything at the defence nothing was going to deny the Sky Blues their first win of the season.
Carrick Rangers: Ross Glendinning, Forsythe, Watson, Cushley, Allen, Maciulaitis, Andrews, Cherry, Reece Glendinning, Purkis, Tilney subs McCauley, Surgenor, Mitchell, McGuckin, Buchanan-Rolleston, Withers, O'Prey
Ballymena United: O'Neill, Nelson, Burns, Rocks, Whiteside, Coates, Gawne, Waide, McCullough, Taylor, Westendorf subs Johnston, Friel, O'Boyle, McGrory, Murray, Tennant, McMurray
Substitution 
Substitution 
