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Match Report

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Glentoran continued their winning ways today with a 2-1 victory at the Riverside Stadium. It was a game that would never look out of reach for the Glens, but one they had to work hard to win.

In difficult conditions, against a team fighting for their Premier Division lives, it was clear that this was going to be no stroll in the park for McDonald's men, and if they were to keep in touch with the league leaders, they would need a committed and dogged performance.

That is what the team managed to put out today, and a touch of quality when it was needed was the difference between the two sides.

Stute defended well for large portions of the game, rarely threatening Elliott Morris' goal, but giving very little away at the other end. And it took 10 minutes for a real goal scoring opportunity to be carved out. When the opportunity did fall to Gary Hamilton and Kyle Neill conspired to get in each other's way, following excellent work by Nixon on the right wing. With the goal gapping, neither could apply the final touch to get the ball over the line.

The Glens had started quite brightly, with good wing work from Kyle Neill concerning the home side, and Hamilton testing the Doherty from 20 yards.

And Michael Halliday will feel he perhaps should have done better, when Jason Hill supplied him with an excellent opportunity to open the scoring on 15 minutes. Hill's ball found Halliday with some space in the penalty box, but his left footed effort was easily taken by Doherty.

Hill himself would shoot wide from the edge of the box a few minutes later, before Hamilton would attempt an audacious volley on the turn, from all of 30 yards at the mid way point of the half. Unfortunately the ball flew well over the crossbar.

The home side finally cracked on 39 minutes, when the busy David Scullion collected the ball and went on a weaving run into the penalty box. Just as he pulled his left foot back to shoot, his right foot was taken from underneath him, and although Halliday tucked the ball into the net, the referee had already pointed to the penalty spot.

That gave Nixon the chance to notch up his second goal of the week, and he did not disappoint with a well placed penalty in what was the final action of the half.

As the second half started, the Glens looked to have a bit more urgency in their play, and Scullion went close within 5 minutes of the restart, but he was denied by a goal line clearance from a well placed defender.

Fordyce was next to threaten, but his 20 yard lob of the goalkeeper was touched behind for a corner by the keepers fingertips.

In the 12th minute of the half, Institute's Divin tested Morris for the first time, but the keeper was alert to put the ball behind for a corner. From the corner, Stute drew level with their second shot on target, as poor marking left Ruairi Boyle free to power home an excellent header.

Glentoran were determined to bounce back, and Darren Boyce was leading the charge. Just moments after the goal, it was Boyce who supplied the cross for Hamilton to try to head goalward. But for his efforts, he clashed heads with a home defender, and had to play out the final 30 minutes with a bloodied nose.

The Glens continued to test the Stute rearguard, but they were well marshaled and were holding firm. But on 70 minutes, a dangerous Hill corner was only half cleared. Boyce was first to react, but his effort was blocked. It came next to Fordyce who riffled a powerful drive through the crowded penalty box, and into the net, despite Doherty getting two hands on the ball.

As the Glens tried to turn the screw, Scullion volleyed over and Boyce had a goal bound shot turned behind by the excellent Boyle, while Hill saw Doherty produce another save to deny him.

The final action of the game saw Hamilton try to lob the 'keeper with a volley with just minutes remaining, but the effort dropped wide.

With just six games remaining in the Carnegie Premier League, this was a vital win for Glentoran, and McDonald's men showed a determination to grind out a result against resolute opposition, a characteristic which may prove invaluable over the coming weeks.

Courtesy of
Russell Pritchard/
PRESSEYE