Glentoran bowed out of the Irn Bru League Cup at the Oval on Wednesday night after losing 2-1 to Coleraine. Both teams struggled to find any sort of rhythm during a disappointing first half;

the extremely wet conditions not helping things. Coleraine’s Leon Knight had a half chance on 23 minutes but Elliott Morris dealt with it comfortably. On the half hour mark Martin Murray went on a run down the right but tried to take on one man too many and lost possession. 5 minutes later Andy Waterworth broke away on the left. He knocked the ball past Ogilvy but was floored as he looked to race clear on goal. Surprisingly Ogilvy escaped with just a talking to from referee Burns. Hill and Carson worked a quick set piece and the latter’s ball to the back post was smashed home by Colin Nixon. A linesman’s flag (offside) cut short the celebrations. On 41 minutes a misplaced clearance from Nixon fell to Knight but his volley was woefully off target. A minute later Glentoran went in front with a great goal from Murray. Carson picked up the ball from a throw in on the left and cut inside before threading a sublime, defence splitting ball through to Murray on the edge of the area. Murray controlled it before lifting it over the advancing Michael Doherty in the City End goal. Nixon’s header from a Carson corner two minutes later was just over the crossbar whilst at the other end a long range effort from ex-Glentoran player, Johnny Black was off target.

Richard Clarke replaced the injured Ciaran Martyn (hamstring) for the second half and just 5 minutes later Andy Waterworth limped off with a similar injury. On 58 minutes a neat turn and shot by Knight was well saved by Morris and the keeper had to be quickly off his line minutes later to deny Shane Jennings. On 65 minutes the Glentoran keeper was again at his best, turning a 20 yard effort from Curtis Allen around the post from a corner. The corner was cleared but fell to Stephen Lowry 30 yards from goal. His superb strike looked goal bound but Morris tipped it over the bar. With 20 minutes remaining Coleraine levelled things up. Johnny Black’s 40 yard free kick finding the bottom corner of Morris’s net. 3 minutes later the visitors went in front. Johnny Taylor, on for the injured Hill (victim of a crude challenge), was deceived when the ball bounced awkwardly and conceded a corner. From the set piece David Ogilvy rose to head home from 8 yards. On 77 Glentoran had a great chance to get back into the contest. Sean Ward outpaced the Coleraine defence down the right and found Jim O’Hanlon with a superb pass. As O’Hanlon closed in on goal he was upended and the referee pointed to the spot. David Howland took the penalty but Doherty, diving to his left, saved it. 5 minutes from time a great Glentoran move involving Nixon, Ward and Clarke ended with Clarke finding Murray 10 yards from goal. This time however he fired over. The home side threw everything at Coleraine in the dying minutes looking to take the tie into extra time. They came up short though and it is Coleraine who’ll be in the hat for Thursday’s semi-final draw.

Glentoran: Morris, Ward, Hill, Nixon (capt), Callacher, Howland, Martyn, Waterworth, Carson, Gibson & Murray.
Subs: Clarke for Martyn (46), O’Hanlon for Waterworth (50) and Taylor for Hill (73).

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