Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)

Carrick’s Jonny on the spot..

- BY DARREN LEWIS @Mirrordarr­en

JONNY BE GOOD Frazer celebrates after scoring

Crusaders Carrick Rangers

1

3

BY DARREN FULLERTON JONNY FRAZER bagged his first league goals in 834 days as Carrick Rangers rolled back the years to put a dent in Crusaders’ title hopes at Seaview.

Frazer wasn’t born the last time the visitors beat the Crues in the league at their Shore Road home in 1989, when Kenny Thompson scored twice in a 2-0 win.

But the 24-year-old bagged the headlines as his brace, coupled with a late Caolan Loughran penalty, sealed a memorable 3-1 win in North Belfast.

Philip Lowry did pull one back for the Crues after Frazer’s double made it 2-0, but Loughran’s third successful spot kick of the season put the game to bed at the death.

Boss Niall Currie, fresh from an impressive midweek 1-1 draw with Linfield, believes Carrick are carrying an attacking threat with Frazer and Alex Gawne now fully fit.

His attacking options were also boosted with the capture of former Ballymena United striker Cathair Friel plus Jordan Jenkins in the January transfer window.

“When we had to defend we were super, but we also broke with pace and had a real threat in attack,” he said.

“It has taken us a long time this season to get a fully fit Jonny Frazer on the pitch and you saw what he brings to the team.

“Alex Gawne also came on.

“When you add Cathair and Jordan to the mix, it gives us four real threats in the final third and that’s a real positive from our point of view.”

STEVEN DAVIS insists Rangers are fired up for Royal Antwerp after maintainin­g their perfect home record this term.

The Northern Ireland captain produced a man of the match display (above) to help the Light Blues bounce back from a drab draw against Hamilton last week.

Steven Gerrard’s men are now within touching distance of a first top tier title in a decade, with Davis part of the last team to win the league for the Ibrox side in 2011.

Now they turn their attention to the continent and a first leg last-32 Europa League clash with Belgian side Royal Antwerp on Thursday.

Davis said: “We’re looking forward to the Antwerp game. Europe has been enjoyable for us during my time here so we’ll try and kick on. It’s a difficult tie but one we’re looking forward to.”

The 36-year-old added of the Killie win: “We had good control of the game but we had chances to win by more.”

If Arsenal really are in a fortnight that will shape their season, then this demolition of shambolic Leeds was quite the way to start.

Benfica in the Europa League, either side of the Premier League visit of Manchester City, followed by Leicester, will represent a huge step up in class for Mikel Arteta’s men compared to what was on display here.

To call it a St Valentine’s Day massacre is too glib and doesn’t provide the full picture. Marcelo Bielsa’s side turned the guns on themselves with a series of mistakes that saw them gone in 45 first-half minutes.

Pierre-emerick Aubameyang, who – by his imperious standards – has struggled for goals this season, filled his boots to clinch the matchball before some TV viewers had even come back from their half-time cup of tea.

By then the Leeds keeper, Illan Meslier, had giftwrappe­d the points for the Gunners.

It is hard to hammer the boy too much, given he is just 20 – he will learn from his mistakes and Bielsa retains a lot of faith in him.

But this would have been so much closer were it not for Meslier’s performanc­e. His goal kick for the first, after just 13 minutes, was weak and landed at the feet of Hector Bellerin. The Arsenal right-back began a move which ended with Aubameyang cutting in from the left and rifling the ball in at Meslier’s near post.

Then, 12 minutes to turn the game before the break. First, Leeds were lucky to have a penalty shout overturned.

Defender and captain Liam Cooper leaned into the excellent Bukayo Saka as the youngster homed in on goal. Referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot then changed his mind after VAR Andre Marriner intervened.

Enter Meslier. The Leeds keeper shaped as if to pass the ball from his box to Cooper, only to change his mind.

Saka robbed him and Meslier brought him down. Penalty. Aubemayang made it 200 goals in Europe’s top-five leagues, on the way to his first hat-trick in the Premier League for Arsenal.

To be fair, their third goal – on the stroke of half time – was a cracker. Saka, Aubameyang, Martin Odegaard and Dani Ceballos combined for Bellerin (below) to power the ball home at Meslier’s near post.

Bielsa sent on substitute­s Tyler Roberts and Helder Costa for the second half. But, just two minutes later, Costa was caught in possession for the goal that made it 4-0.

Cedric Soares picked his pocket, Emile Smith-rowe curled the ball goalwards and Aubameyang nodded it in at the back post.

That looked pretty much that – except Arsenal know how to shoot themselves in the foot too.

David Luiz went to sleep at a corner to allow Pascal Struijk to head in with just over half an hour left. Then Costa stabbed the ball home from inside the box with 21 minutes left after being set up by Roberts.

Truth be told, however, it could have been worse for Leeds. Much worse. Aubameyang hit the crossbar with a 75th-minute, first-time effort.

Saka then survived an offside shout to curl the ball past Meslier – only to hit the post. Leeds have now lost their last seven Premier League games in London.

After two defeats in their previous three, however, Arsenal are back in business. Particular­ly Aubameyang.

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom