Limavady United’s first home game of the Premiership season ended in a 1–2 defeat to Carrick Rangers, despite a spirited second-half comeback in front of their own supporters at The Showgrounds.
The Roesiders started the brighter of the two sides, with Alfie Gaston’s early effort — set up by a Rodney Brown cross — blocked by the Carrick defence. But the visitors took control either side of the half-hour mark. Paul Heatley timed his run to latch onto a Jimmy Callacher through ball and lift a finish over Marty Gallagher on 38 minutes, before Daire O’Connor’s creativity teed up Aidan Steele to tap in a second four minutes later.
Limavady got themselves back into it early in the second half, Gaston turning home a Philip Lowry cut-back to halve the deficit. It sparked a grandstand finish: John Butcher saw an effort deflected behind, Sean Carlin blazed over from the resulting scramble, and Lowry’s curling effort crashed off the crossbar with Carrick keeper Nathan Gartside beaten. Gartside then did well to deny Oisin Duffy, while Gallagher kept out a powerful Heatley effort at the other end to keep the score respectable.
Butcher had one last chance to snatch a point, but his effort curled just wide as Carrick Rangers saw out the win — their second victory from two league games to start the season.
It was a big afternoon individually for Alfie Gaston, whose second-half goal was his contribution to a promising start to life at The Showgrounds. The 18-year-old midfielder, signed from Coleraine, wore the number 20 shirt and looks set to be a regular feature in Limavady’s engine room this season.
Referee Tim Marshall took charge of the match. Limavady United’s next fixture is away to Larne, currently postponed with a new date to be confirmed, before a home game against Linfield on 29 August — see the Match Centre for the latest.