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Alan McDonald's
efficient Glentoran team moved to within 4 points
of league leaders Linfield, following a
comfortable victory at Inver Park today.
A hat-trick from Gary Hamilton was enough to seal
the points, but if not for the heroics of home
'keeper Chris Keenan, it could have been double
the score.
The game started slowly, with neither team
creating any clear chances, until the 13th minute.
Kyle Neill delivered a perfectly weighted pass
over the top of the defence, and Hamilton timed
his run to perfection to latch onto the ball.
After allowing it to bounce once, Hamilton snapped
at the ball with his left foot, shooting past the
keeper into the corner of the net to open the
scoring.
Those in attendance would need to wait a further
20 minutes before the next real opportunity would
come. This time, David Scullion collected the ball
on the half way line, and after a darting run he
found Daryl Fordyce on the right wing. Fordyce centered
the ball for the on-rushing Halliday, who
connected well with his effort but it was taken
well by Keenan in goal.
Scullion was creating opportunities again just 2
minutes later, with an excellent pass creating an opening
for Halliday. This time the striker's contact was
not so clean, and his shot skewed wide.
The home team were now coming under mounting
pressure, and on 38 minutes Hamilton doubled the
lead. Jason Hill rose highest to win a header in
the box, and as Hamilton looked second favourite
to win the ball, as Keenan came rushing off his
goal-line, the keeper spilled the ball right into
Hamilton's path, and the hitman finished calmly to
give the Glens a 2 goal cushion at the break.
Elliott Morris would be called into action for the
first time just before the break, being forced
into a good save as Hand went close while well
placed.
And the last action of the half would see Neill
blaze a left footed shot over the cross bar from
20 yards.
The second half started with Glentoran pressure,
and the home goalkeeper was forced to race off his
line to challenge Hamilton outside the box. After
making a good tackle, the ball came to Fordyce who
tried to lob the 'keeper from 40 yards, but the
home defence were there to clear the effort.
But on 55 minutes the third goal would arrive, courtesy
of a Gary Hamilton header from a Kyle Neill
corner. Hamilton found himself completely
unmarked, and had a simple task of heading into an
empty net at the back post.
His confidence high, Hamilton attempted an
audacious volley on the turn from 35 yards just
minutes later. It seemed to be dipping just over
the goalkeeper, but to Hamilton's dismay, the
keeper managed to turn the effort over with his
finger tips.
Kyle Neill tried a very similar effort on 65
minutes, but again, the keeper was equal to the
effort, pulling off a spectacular save.
And just a minute later, Hamilton saw a curling
left wing free-kick strike the post, as he came
very close to his 4th goal of the afternoon.
Hamilton and Fordyce both had efforts that were
narrowly off target before the Glens would have
one final opportunity in the last minute. The
impressive Shane McCabe broke from midfield and
found himself one on one with the goalkeeper. But
he seemed to have too much time to think about the
effort, and eventually shot well off target.
All in all, this was a comfortable win against a
Larne side who have been rejuvenated as of late,
and McDonald should be very happy with the teams
effort today.
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Courtesy of
Russell Pritchard/
PRESSEYE
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