Stephen Baxter feels the unpredictability of this season's Irish League is great for the fans. It's been a crazy campaign so far with the so-called big guns far from getting things their own way.
Baxter, whose Carrick Rangers side host league leaders Linfield at lunchtime today, puts the competitiveness down to an improvement throughout the league.
“Before I came back in, I was looking at the League in those first six weeks or so and you saw that great improvement in the so-called bottom six from last season,” he said. “It’s been really interesting this year and I think that’s good for the fans as nobody knows how any game is going to go.”
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Baxter is yet to taste defeat since taking over at Taylors Avenue last month with one win and two draws in the three league games to date. The experienced manager feels they are building momentum and he hailed the efforts of his players on the pitch
“Momentum in football is everything, if you can build up wins and some draws, as long as you’re not losing and reverse the trend, it starts to breed confidence in the dressing room that you can get results and points on the board,” said Baxter. “You have to keep that going as best as you can. I’ve been so pleased with the work rate of the team and this never-say-die attitude.
“That pleases me the most when you come away from a game knowing the boys left everything on the football park, that thrills me more than picking up one point or three points. It’s looking your players in the eye and saying, ‘You gave me the lot today’.”
Carrick Rangers certainly gave it all last Saturday as they battled back from Ross Glendinning's first half dismissal to claim a point at Glenavon. Glendinning's replacement, Ben McCauley, saved a late Niall Quinn penalty to earn his side a share of the spoils much to Baxter's delight.
“In football you always have to be alert and ready for your opportunity,” he Baxter. “He bounced onto that pitch on Saturday with no fear, came on two minutes before half-time, warmed up at the break and 20 minutes later was called upon to make one of the biggest saves.
“There’s no pressure put on him by anybody. We encourage him to just go and play and he did the job. He will be fine this weekend and will enjoy it.”
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