Valuable veterans, Carrick's climb and Haveron's audition - Premiership takeaways

The latest weekend of matches in the Irish Premiership saw Glentoran and Carrick Rangers maintain their unbeaten starts to the season but lose their 100% records thanks to a 1-1 draw between the sides at the Oval.

Cliftonville recorded their first win of the season at Solitude, and there were also home victories for Larne, Bangor and Portadown.

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Defeats for Glenavon and Dungannon Swifts saw them remain without a point after five league outings apiece.

BBC Sport NI takes a look at some of the talking points from the games.

Veterans' goalscoring contributions

The Irish Premiership is very cosmopolitan in terms of playing personnel these days, but this was a weekend when some long-established homegrown players made crucial contributions by getting their names on the scoresheet.

In the 'match of the day' at the Oval, 38-year-old Paul Heatley showed he retains a sharp turn of pace by racing clear and firing home the opener for Carrick Rangers, the first goal that Glentoran have conceded this season.

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Jordan Stewart replied to ensure that the hosts secured a point from the top-of-the-table encounter.

The Glens' aspirations as potential title contenders should be tested in the coming weeks with fixtures against Ballymena United, derby rivals Linfield, Coleraine and Larne.

Meanwhile Cliftonville's 3-1 win over Glenavon included strikes from vastly experienced pair Joe Gormley and Jonny Addis.

However, Jordan Forsythe's goal for Crusaders proved to be a consolation in his team's 2-1 loss to Portadown on Friday night, while it was the same story for Andrew Mitchell, who netted the opener in Dungannon's reverse at the hands of Bangor by the same scoreline.

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Can Carrick be this year's Dungannon?

It's exceptionally early days and no-one at Taylors Avenue will be getting remotely carried away at this stage, but, whisper it quietly, could Carrick Rangers turn out to be the surprise package of this season in something of the same manner in which Dungannon Swifts upset the odds last term?

Many observers expected the Swifts' bubble to burst after their impressive start to the season 12 months ago, but Rodney McAree's side stayed the course to seal fourth place in the top flight, European football, and a memorable Irish Cup success.

Under the stewardship of highly decorated manager Stephen Baxter, Carrick have now won three and drawn one of their first four league outings and looked well organised, composed and dangerous on the break in their draw with the Glens on Saturday.

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Their promising start to the campaign is all the more notable given they only retained their top division status through a play-off win over Annagh United in May, but the experience in their ranks, including several of Baxter's former charges at Crusaders, should ensure some steady hands at the tiller and plenty of 'know-how' to grind out results.

"Carrick were well organised and in control but always looked a threat," former Coleraine manager Oran Kearney said in summing up the Taylors Avenue side's gameplan and performance.

"Glentoran dominated without creating a lot of great chances while Carrick were very strong, disciplined in how they set up, and deserved a point," he added.

Larne on form under Haveron

As auditions go for the role of permanent manager at Inver Park, interim boss Gary Haveron continues to put his hand up, if indeed he is interested in the position.

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Haveron made it seven points from a possible nine during his time at the helm since the sudden departure of Nathan Rooney by guiding his side to a 2-0 win over a Ballymena United side who had won their first three games without conceding.

Larne's new owners have indicated that they will carry out an extensive trawl for Rooney's successor, but could it be that their search should start closer to home in the form of the man who helped secure a second-place league finish and a first victory in the league stage of the Uefa Conference League while occupying the post for much of last term.

Certainly, the east Antrim club's recent form points to them as possible title challengers once again, emphasising that despite some turbulent times off the pitch over the last 12 months, they remain a force to be reckoned with on it.

Solid in defence and dangerous in attack, a second victory in a row on their home patch without conceding should provide a platform for the Invermen to make their home ground a fortress once again.

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Ports' home comfort in win over Crues

Goals from former Dundela players Rhys Annett and Eamon Fyfe earned a crucial home three points for Portadown in a 2-1 win over Crusaders at Shamrock Park on Friday night.

Niall Currie's side boasted the second-best home record in the Premiership last season but had suffered reverses in their first two fixtures on their own patch this season, coming out on the wrong side of the scoreline against Glentoran and Ballymena.

An important victory for the Ports to pull them away from the lower reaches of the table and in light of the fact that they must face highly fancied Linfield and Coleraine in their next two games.

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Currie will hope that in on-loan addition Annett he has found the regular goalscorer who could help keep his side clear of the drop zone.

More woe for Crusaders and their manager Declan Caddell though as the former Crues midfielder was again left to lament defensive lapses by his side in their third defeat from four outings.

Can Swifts and Glenavon turn it around?

Five matches played, five defeats. Their early-season form makes identically depressing reading for supporters of both Glenavon and Dungannon.

A first win of the season for Cliftonville condemned the Lurgan Blues to their latest loss on Saturday, while Dungannon scored their first goal from open play but were edged out by Bangor, who clinched their second home win during August on their return to the top flight.

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The change in fortunes will come as a particular shock to Swifts fans given the heights that they scaled last season and Rodney McAree's side next face a key early-season basement battle against Paddy McLaughlin's team at Mourneview Park next Saturday.

"We want to get our season up and running. I feel that we are lacking confidence and belief," McAree said in a post-match interview on Sportsound.

"We have to be better in both 18-yard boxes. For us to turn it around we have to believe in what we did last season, which is the same as what we want to achieve this season."

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