Reaction to Carrick's play-off win over Annagh United
Having won the first leg of their relegation/promotion play-off against Annagh United 5-2, Carrick Rangers ensured their Premiership survival with a 3-1 home win in the second leg on Friday night for an 8-3 aggregate victory.BBC Sport NI spoke to some of the key protagonists after the game:Carrick Rangers manager Stephen Baxter on securing safety:"I thought the game was pretty nervy and then we got the lead and were able to hold onto it for a reasonable time and then they got the equaliser so I said to the team at half-time that we need to see out the first 10 to 15 minutes of the second half and then Danny gets the goal and when that goes in really its plain sailing.""Over the two legs, we were the better team. We had a little bit more than they did, we were able to stretch them in the second half and put them under constant pressure. "We did well tonight, and from my point of view, there's no celebration. It's a situation that when you find yourself in this play-off, you haven't been good enough all season, and you have to find a way to stay in the league. "You're playing in a dogfight to hold your place, and we need to improvise, and we will. There'll be changes, I'll have to make them if we want to compete as the league is getting bigger and stronger."Baxter on Paul Heatley:"Well, Paul Heatley is a class act, and when you work with him on a week-to-week basis, you get to know his personality, you get to know him as a quality person and not just as a quality player.If I had eleven Paul Heatleys you'd win a championship every year. I can't say enough about him, he's a brilliant, brilliant person, and his quality on the pitch is magnificent, and he took his two goals really well and rattled the woodwork. That's just the mark of a brilliant footballer, so we are hoping he might stay on another year."Paul Heatley on potential retirement:"I thought I was finished in May of last year, but I have a personal connection with the club because that's where it all started for me, and then I went to Crusaders. I did agree that it's just a year, and personally, I'll probably go away with the mentality that I'm done. The statement is never to say never, but I'll just go away, enjoy my holidays, and not worry about it."Is that the last time you've kicked a ball in Premiership football?:"Very possibly, but the important thing is the team, not the individual, but I'll back away and let the others get the accolades and let the club get the attention it deserves to push forward."Annagh United manager Ciaran McGurgan on the game:"It was men against boys, and that's me being totally, brutally honest. I think Carrick showed a bit of hunger and a bit of desire, and I think maybe the occasion has got to a few of our players. "They've been super to get in this position, but it's a stretch too far. Carrick had time to replace players, and I think all those bits certainly helped, but they were deserved winners, and credit to them."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Togetherness key to success, says Bath coach Van Graan
LONDON, June 14 - Bath coach Johann van Graan praised the togetherness of his club after they beat Leicester 23-21 to win the Premiership title for the first time since 1996 on Saturday, three years after finishing bottom of the league. The South African oversaw the turnaround that took Bath to the final last year, before finishing the regular season 11 points clear this year and holding off a late fightback from old rivals Leicester to secure a memorable triumph in the final. "It's for every player, every staff member, everyone involved in the club, and especially the supporters," Van Graan said. "We spoke about connection and what I saw before the game when we got off that bus was one of the best experiences I've had in the game." The victory completed a superb treble this season after Bath earlier bagged the Premiership Cup and European Challenge Cup. "Winning the Challenge Cup was brilliant but at the start of the year the goal was to win the Premiership," said flyhalf Finn Russell. "It's special. This group, the city, the club deserves it. The work we've put in over the last few years and then what we do on the pitch is try to represent the city as best we can. "After last year's defeat, we bounced back really quickly and we managed to get the job done." Russell looked certain to score an interception try in the second half but then threw a pass to supporting Max Ojomoh, drawing gasps from the astonished Twickenham crowd. "He's a kid from Bath that grew up watching his dad (England and Bath flanker Steve) lifting this trophy, Russell said. "Giving him a little bit of limelight in the final was nice." Veteran scrumhalf Ben Spencer, a title winner with Saracens, said: "What we've done this year, to win three trophies like we have, is unbelievable. "When Johann came in, he completely turned this place around. We've got a really good group around him in terms of coaches, in terms of staff and we've gone from there and I think we've gone from strength to strength. "I'm not sure there's enough time to say what he brings. He has an unbelievable ability to stay calm at all times. At halftime he's great and we've had a really good ability to start from zero. "His ability to deal with people - 60-odd players who want to play every week - is amazing. The togetherness and strength of this group is just that - the group." Leicester coach Michael Cheika was proud of his team's effort but, not for the first time, was unhappy with the officials, who heavily penalised his team and sent two players to the sin bin. "The calls through the game went against us, the scrum calls were incredible, honestly, and some of the foul play ones. Dominating like that and getting nothing," said the Australian as his one-season stint came to a frustrating end. "Of course I'm slightly biased, but it was frustrating and when you come out of a final having scored more tries than the opposition it says something. "But I love this group of guys, and love the club and I'm so proud of the players for the way they came in there and stayed in it right to the end. We gave ourselves a chance to win it right at the end, but unfortunately it didn't go our way."
Rhyl Journal
5 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Bath's Ben Spencer says ‘the sky's the limit' after they wrap up historic treble
Leicester came up just short of a fairytale farewell for scrum-half Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole, who have both called time on their careers after this season and were introduced after the break. Bath held on after a late Tigers surge narrowed the deficit to two points – despite going down to 14 men after Cole was controversially sent to the sin bin – through a late Emeka Ilione try to raise the Twickenham tension. TREBLE COMPLETE 🏆🏆🏆@BathRugby are #GallagherPrem champions 🎆#GallagherPremFinal — Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) June 14, 2025 'Just relief, pride,' said Spencer, when asked to sum up his feelings. 'This has taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people. Relief not just for me, but for the players, the staff, and the fans. The fans are a massive part of why I joined the club. 'I think the future of this club is unbelievably bright, no matter who pulls on the shirt. I can't speak highly enough of the guys coming through. Their work ethic is second to none, and as long as we keep our feet on the floor and wanting to get better, the sky's the limit for this team.' Bath's tries came from Thomas du Toit and Max Ojomoh on what became a brilliant afternoon for Scotland's Finn Russell, who overcame early frustrations to kick 13 points, also teeing up Ojomoh after snatching an interception from inside his own half. Jack van Poortvliet opened the scoring with a try for Leicester, while second-half tries from Solomone Kata and Ilione nearly sparked a comeback. Handre Pollard added three Leicester conversions but the World Cup-winning South African fly-half will rue what might have been after a rare penalty miss. Bath Rugby are Premiership Champions!! 🔵⚫️⚪️ — Bath Rugby (@BathRugby) June 14, 2025 Tigers twice had men sent to the sin bin – departing captain Julian Montoya late in the first half, while Cole's swansong concluded unceremoniously with a controversial yellow. Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan said: 'Our whole focus this season was on winning the Premiership. We gave ourselves that goal, kept that within the circle.' The South African coach said he would now pause for a moment of reflection before focusing on next season. He added: 'The day you stand still is the day somebody catches you. You must always train like number two because the other guys are coming. The best is yet to come.' A season we will never forget. Fighting until the very end for one another. #COYT 🐯 — Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) June 14, 2025 Leicester head coach Michael Cheika – to be replaced by Geoff Parling – will leave this summer at the end of his one-year contract, in addition to Argentina hooker Montoya, Pollard and former England back Mike Brown. And although he felt he would get himself 'in strife' for disclosing what he felt about some of the decisions that went against his side – vowing to take it up with the RFU's officiating chief Paul Hull as a 'final bit of banter' – Cheika was delighted by his team's resilience and felt the future of the club was bright. He added: 'I feel like if we can take those things that are intangible around belief and the standards you need to have to be able to compete, then it won't be long before they are on that podium themselves.'
South Wales Argus
6 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Bath's Ben Spencer says ‘the sky's the limit' after they wrap up historic treble
Leicester came up just short of a fairytale farewell for scrum-half Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole, who have both called time on their careers after this season and were introduced after the break. Bath held on after a late Tigers surge narrowed the deficit to two points – despite going down to 14 men after Cole was controversially sent to the sin bin – through a late Emeka Ilione try to raise the Twickenham tension. 'Just relief, pride,' said Spencer, when asked to sum up his feelings. 'This has taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people. Relief not just for me, but for the players, the staff, and the fans. The fans are a massive part of why I joined the club. 'I think the future of this club is unbelievably bright, no matter who pulls on the shirt. I can't speak highly enough of the guys coming through. Their work ethic is second to none, and as long as we keep our feet on the floor and wanting to get better, the sky's the limit for this team.' Bath's tries came from Thomas du Toit and Max Ojomoh on what became a brilliant afternoon for Scotland's Finn Russell, who overcame early frustrations to kick 13 points, also teeing up Ojomoh after snatching an interception from inside his own half. Jack van Poortvliet opened the scoring with a try for Leicester, while second-half tries from Solomone Kata and Ilione nearly sparked a comeback. Handre Pollard added three Leicester conversions but the World Cup-winning South African fly-half will rue what might have been after a rare penalty miss. Bath Rugby are Premiership Champions!! 🔵⚫️⚪️ — Bath Rugby (@BathRugby) June 14, 2025 Tigers twice had men sent to the sin bin – departing captain Julian Montoya late in the first half, while Cole's swansong concluded unceremoniously with a controversial yellow. Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan said: 'Our whole focus this season was on winning the Premiership. We gave ourselves that goal, kept that within the circle.' The South African coach said he would now pause for a moment of reflection before focusing on next season. He added: 'The day you stand still is the day somebody catches you. You must always train like number two because the other guys are coming. The best is yet to come.' A season we will never forget. Fighting until the very end for one another. #COYT 🐯 — Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) June 14, 2025 Leicester head coach Michael Cheika – to be replaced by Geoff Parling – will leave this summer at the end of his one-year contract, in addition to Argentina hooker Montoya, Pollard and former England back Mike Brown. And although he felt he would get himself 'in strife' for disclosing what he felt about some of the decisions that went against his side – vowing to take it up with the RFU's officiating chief Paul Hull as a 'final bit of banter' – Cheika was delighted by his team's resilience and felt the future of the club was bright. He added: 'I feel like if we can take those things that are intangible around belief and the standards you need to have to be able to compete, then it won't be long before they are on that podium themselves.'
