MATCH PREVIEW: Carrick Rangers v Newry City
Newry make the journey to Taylor’s Avenue on Tuesday evening to face Premiership opposition Carrick Rangers in the first round of the BetMcLean League Cup,
The encounter also marks a return to familiar surroundings for Newry manager Stuart King, who previously spent over three years in charge of the Carrickfergus outfit.
In an intriguing twist, King was in the Carrick dugout when the sides last met in this competition in November 2023, a dramatic encounter that saw Newry progress following a penalty shootout.
With a history of entertaining cup meetings between the clubs, another fascinating evening could be in store.
Recent Form
Newry head into Tuesday’s encounter following Saturday’s 1–1 draw away to Queen’s .
That result extended Newry’s unbeaten run to two matches, following an impressive 3–1 home victory over Dundela the previous weekend.
Carrick Rangers, meanwhile, approach the tie in particularly impressive form — The Premiership outfit held giants Linfield to an entertaining 2–2 draw at Taylor’s Avenue on Saturday, having previously recorded consecutive victories over Dungannon Swifts and Crusaders.
With confidence high in the Carrick camp, Newry will face a difficult assignment against opponents competing a division above them
Head-to-Head
Newry and Carrick Rangers have a long history of competitive meetings,l with 128 encounters between the clubs.
Newry hold the advantage in the overall record, having registered 67 victories, 17 draws and 44 defeats, scoring 263 goals and conceding 209.
Recent meetings, however, have been less favourable for City, with Carrick winning three of the last five encounters between the sides.
The most recent meeting came on 4 January 2025, when Carrick edged a remarkable seven-goal thriller in the fifth round of the Irish Cup.
Newry raced into a two-goal lead inside the opening 17 minutes through Lorcan Forde and Ryan McNickle, but the home side fought back in an extraordinary first half that saw the teams go into the interval level at 3–3.
Luke McCullough struck just four minutes after the restart to secure a dramatic 4–3 victory for Carrick and end Newry’s Irish Cup hopes.
However, Newry will take encouragement from their record against Carrick in the League Cup, having progressed on both previous occasions when the clubs have met in the competition.
From the Archives:
League Cup History
The clubs first crossed paths in the League Cup on 15 November 1989, when Newry Town produced an emphatic 5–0 victory over Carrick Rangers at the Showgrounds with goals from Pat Lundy (2), Mark Feehan, Ollie Ralph and Harry Fay.
It would be almost 34 years before the sides met again in the competition, and their next encounter proved considerably more dramatic.
On 7 November 2023, Newry travelled to Taylor’s Avenue for a League Cup tie that finished 2–2 after extra time.
With neither side able to find a winner, the contest was decided by a penalty shootout, where stand-in goalkeeper Tom Murphy emerged as Newry’s hero.
Murphy produced crucial saves as City prevailed 3–1 on penalties, eliminating their Premiership opponents and booking a place in the next round.
📸 Laura Hillen
Remarkably, there is an intriguing managerial connection between that evening and Tuesday’s encounter.
Stuart King, now in charge of Newry City, was the Carrick Rangers manager on the night Newry knocked his side out of the competition in November 2023.
Almost three years later, King returns to Taylor’s Avenue, but this time he will be in the opposition dugout, hoping to mastermind another Newry victory.
Having managed Carrick between June 2021 and October 2024, King knows the surroundings well, adding an extra dimension to an already intriguing cup tie.
📸 Belfast Telegraph
Looking Ahead
While Carrick will enter the contest as favourites given their Premiership status and impressive recent form, Newry will be hoping to produce another memorable League Cup performance.
City have already demonstrated their ability to overcome top-flight opposition in this competition, having defeated Portadown 1–0 at the Showgrounds in last season’s opening round.
With the visitors hoping to maintain their record of progression against Carrick in the League Cup, and Stuart King returning to his former club, there is plenty of intrigue surrounding Tuesday evening’s encounter.
Recent cup meetings between these sides have certainly not lacked drama, and Newry supporters will be hoping for another memorable night at Taylor’s Avenue.
Can Stuart King guide Newry to another cup upset against his former club and secure a place in the next round of the BetMcLean League Cup?
Match Betting
As expected Carrick are massive favourites and Bet365 have them as short as 1/6. Newry are a huge 12/1 to cause an upset with the draw at 5/1
Match Information
Fixture: Carrick Rangers v Newry City
Competition: BetMcLean Cup – First Round
Date: Tuesday 20 October 2026
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Venue: Taylor’s Avenue, Carrickfergus
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