The ‘Gers took control from the outset and were ahead inside 15 minutes. Paul Heatley once again delivered with a moment of quality - cutting in from the right, shifting onto his left foot and curling a superb strike beyond Glenavon goalkeeper Jacob Carney and into the far corner to give Rangers a deserved lead.
Rangers doubled their advantage midway through the first half as Aidan Steele delivered a pinpoint ball into the area. Captain Luke McCullough rose highest to head powerfully home from 12 yards, sending the home support into full voice and giving Carrick a commanding platform.
In the 57th minute, the visitors were reduced to 10 men as Niall Quinn brought Paul Heatley down right on the edge of the penalty area, and was shown a straight red as the last man back.
The 'Gers continued on the front foot and had numerous chances to put the game to bed, but the Glenavon backline stood firm to keep the ball out of the net.
Glenavon pulled one back in the 76th minute when a long clearance wasn't fully dealt with. Paul McGovern collected on the edge of the box and laid the ball off to Peter Campbell, who fired a 20-yard effort past Scott Pengelly to reduce the deficit.
Glenavon pressed to find an equaliser but the 'Gers held on for the win, the biggest concern in the closing stages came when Scott Pengelly appeared to dislocate his shoulder punching a ball clear, before having to be replaced by Lorcan Donnelly.
After the match, Stephen Baxter praised the squad’s excellent run of form - specifically highlighting Joe Crowe’s influence, whose performances have been central to the team’s recent success.
Next up, the 'Gers are back at Taylors Avenue on Saturday 14th February (3:00pm GMT) when Coleraine are the visitors.
