Glentoran begin their road towards European play-off glory with a trip to the Coleraine Showgrounds tonight.
After a disappointing season for the Glens which saw them fail to retain their Irish Cup and finish sixth in the Danske Bank Premiership, tonight’s semi-final (rescheduled kick-off at 8pm) could give the East Belfast side a lifeline.
A lucrative 200,000 euros is at stake for the play-off winners, but the Glens must first overcome Coleraine before meeting Cliftonville in the final at Solitude on Tuesday (9th May).
The Bannsiders guaranteed home advantage for the tie after finishing above Glentoran in the league, and warmed up for the clash by comfortably beating Cliftonville 3-0 at home last Saturday as the domestic campaign drew to a close.
The Glens would have favoured a similar run-in ahead of the crunch fixture, but ended the season with three defeats. Worryingly, Kernaghan’s side failed to find the net in any of these games, and will be looking towards the club’s 'Player of the Year', Curtis Allen to get them firing again.
Looking at their recent history, tonight’s game is set to be a tight and cagey affair. Little splits the teams as they have beaten each other once and drew in two other occasions this campaign. The latest encounter was a 1-1 stalemate at the Showgrounds last month.
James McLaughlin’s third minute effort gave the hosts an early lead. The Glens levelled through a Jonathan Smith penalty with 15 minutes left on the clock, after Steven Douglas was adjudged to have handled in the area. The defender was given his marching orders after receiving a second yellow card, but despite being a man down, the Bannsiders was able to hold out for a point.
However, something will have to give in tonight’s showdown with a European place and a cash windfall up for grabs.
Nathan Webb