Carrick Rangers manager Stephen Baxter has defended his goalkeeper Nathan Gartside after he made an error that led to Glentoran's late winner. Baxter praised Gartside's performance, saying he had made three brilliant saves. The error occurred when Gartside spilled Aaron McEneff's corner, allowing MJ Kamson Kamara to poke home the loose ball for the only goal of the game. Despite the defeat, Baxter was happy with how his side performed in east Belfast, saying they had matched Glentoran stride for stride defensively and shut down their passing lanes. He also praised the efforts of his players, including Joe Moore, who returned from Scotland after the funeral of his grandfather to play on Tuesday, and defender Billy Joe Burns, who played through injury and after a number of days attending to his sick child. Baxter said he was extremely pleased with the efforts of his team and thanked them for their performances over the last two months with a small squad.