Match Report

The team had just one change from the team that defeated Larne last week, with Paul Leeman moving in to midfield to replace the injured Philip Carson, leaving Sean Ward to partner Philip Simpson at the heart of the home defence.

And the Glens started brightly, with Gary Hamilton threatening the visitors goal in just the second minute, but his effort was turned behind for a corner by a defender.

Hamilton delivered the cross from that resulting corner, but when the ball came to David Scullion, he was unable to beat Matthews with a headed effort.

Scullion and Hamilton would be involved in the Glens next real opportunity, when Scullion and Daryl Fordyce carved an opening for Hamilton to race through the visiting defence. The striker's effort beat the goalkeeper, but came back out off the inside of the post.

And just seconds later, Hamilton brought a good save out of Matthews after a headed effort from Michael Ward's right wing delivery.

Most of the game was now being contested in midfield, but the pace of the Glentoran forwards was evident again when Distillery were caught on the break just before the half-hour mark. 

Hamilton played Scullion into a good position, but his effort was well blocked by Steward Thompson in Whites defence, and Matthews managed to claw the rebound away for a corner.

Scullion was again torturing the defence before the half-time break, when he unleashed a dipping left foot volley, that Matthews had to react acrobatically to in order to tip it for another Glentoran corner.

The second half started with no changes to the line up, and within 5 minutes of the restart, Nixon did excellently on the right wing, and his cross made it to the feet of the ever-dangerous Scullion. But his right footed chip was easily collected by the goalkeeper.

Having switched back to the left wing, Scullion collected the ball and made a darting run to the by-line on 54 minutes. As Michael Halliday made an intelligent run to the near post, he took the visiting defenders with him. This created space for Kyle Neill, and when Scullion picked him out, Neill looked certain to find the net for the second time this season, but his effort failed to hit the target.

Glentoran pressure was building, and it looked like just a matter of time before a goal would come. It almost did when Leeman collected the ball from a poor Distillery clearance, and fed Fordyce. Fordyce evaded one challenge, and drilled a 20 yard effort inches past the post.

Lisburn Distillery then shocked The Oval and took the lead, against the run of play on 70 minutes. A corner kick was only half cleared, and when the ball came back into the home defence, a half-hit effort by Waterworth somehow found the back of the net to open the scoring.

Glens captain, Paul Leeman, was determined to make sure that his team's hard work up to this point would not go to waste, and pushed forward in search of an equalizer himself. 

Leeman set his sights for goal with a shot from the edge of the penalty box that went just past the post.

As the pressure was increasing on the visitors, they were trying to catch the Glens on the break, but smart play and good positioning from Simpson and Ward at the back, meant that any quick counter-attacks were effectively kept in control.

Two substitutions within a few minutes signaled Alan McDonald's intent to really chase the game. Strikers Rory Hamill and Jason Hill replaced Michael Halliday and Michael Ward to give fresh energy and pace to the front line, and within a couple of minutes, the Glens were back on even terms.

Scullion was again causing problems for the visitors, and after dancing around a couple of challenges, he was crudely halted and won a free-kick. Fordyce delivered a dangerous cross, and Paul Leeman rose highest in the box to head home.

A rare goal from the captain, but one he clearly enjoyed.

And just 2 minutes later, Glentoran were ahead. As Distillery tried again to counter-attack, Dougherty lashed a through ball almost the full length of the field. Jason Hill stormed through the defence and took his chance early, releasing a sweetly struck left foot volley, which found the net after a slight deflection off a defender.

Distillery looked forlorn, as McDonald sent Dean Fitzgerald on in place of the impressive Daryl Fordyce, to tighten the midfield and ensure the 3 points.

And ensure the 3 points is something that Fitzgerald did, with just about his first touch of the match.

Hamilton and Neill worked well down the left wing to create an opportunity to cross. Neill eventually did, and after Scullion missed the ball, Fitzgerald coolly stroked the ball into the net for his third goal in 5 days.

Courtesy of
Russell Pritchard/
PRESSEYE