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Match Report

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Glentoran and Lisburn Distillery faced off at The Oval today for the seventh and final time this season, and played out a 2-2 draw that gave neither team the result they needed.

The Glens needed three points to keep in touch with the league leaders, while Distillery's pursuit of forth place took a slight knock, but they are still strongly placed behind Ballymena United.

The first half was a dull affair, with few chances and little flowing football from either team. And it took over 25 minutes before the Glens would threaten the visiting goal. When it came, the chance fell to David Scullion. Scullion latched onto the ball after Daryl Fordyce's shot was blocked, but the winger's left footed effort flew well over.

As the game crept slowly towards half time, Distillery were to capitalise on indecision between Colin Nixon and Michael Dougherty, deputising for the injured Elliott Morris. Failure to clear the ball allowed Whites forward Andrew Waterworth to roll the ball home for a simple opener.

Alan McDonald hauled his team in at half time, and his words must have been still ringing in their ears when the scores were leveled, courtesy of a Kyle Neill header. Scullion and Nixon combined to tee the ball up for Leeman, who delivered the cross to the back post, which was met by the waiting Neill who made no mistake.

The Glens were playing with more purpose, and Scullion was leading the charge. Just moments after the equaliser, Scullion would pick the ball up just outside his own half, and race the full length of the pitch, before shooting from the edge of the Distillery penalty box, and making Philip Matthews produce his first quality save of the afternoon.

As the pressure began to mount, the Glens suddenly found themselves trailing again. It was a classic counterattack, and as Colin Nixon got drawn out of position to attempt to challenge Peter McCann, the ex-Glenman found ex-Linfield winger Chris Kingsberry in space on the left wing. Kinsgberry took a touch and curled the ball around the advancing Dougherty.

Again the home team responded immediately, as Scullion continued to look dangerous. He went past Stewart Thompson on the right wing and delivered a perfect cross, which was met by Gary Hamilton at the near post. Hamilton's header went across goal, and somehow crept wide of goal.

Pressure was again building, and Matthews would again deny the Glens when he excellently tipped a Hamilton free-kick over the bar, before making a good save as Hamilton went one-on-one.

Jason Hill and Scullion, again, would go close as the game worked towards a finale, and in the 90th minute the break through would finally arrive.

Hamilton lined up a free-kick, and as the defence were busy marking the Glens players in the box, Hamilton intelligently fed the ball to Neill on the edge of the box, and he riffled a bullet like shot into the net to level the scores.

Glentoran suddenly sensed that a nervous Distillery team were there for the taking, as there were now 4 minutes of injury time to be played. And the Glens were to create 4 chances to steal an unlikely 3 points.

Jason Hill would shoot just wide, Leeman just over, and Neill would head over, but the best chance came as the ball dropped to Scullion, 8 yards from goal and unmarked. In his hurry to get his shot in, Scullion was unable to control the effort, and shot well over.

The final tussle of the season between the teams would draw to a close and see the sides share the spoils.

Courtesy of
Russell Pritchard/
PRESSEYE