Saturday 28th August 2021
Kick Off 3pm
On Saturday we belatedly start the season with a visit to Stangmore Park to face Dungannon Swifts in our Danske Bank Premiership opener.
A few changes will be evident in the Glens squad with new signings Shay McCartan (ex-Ballymena), Bobby Burns (ex-Barrow) and Aaron McCarey (ex-Cliftonville) all likely to start and Ross Glendinning (ex-Ballymena) and Jordan Jenkins (ex-Glendenning) likely to be on the bench as backup. Out have gone Jamie McDonagh and Cricky Gallagher (now at Cliftonville), Keith Cowan (likely to start for Dungannon in this match) and Dayle Coleing back to Gibraltar on loanon loan. So its an exciting start to the season for everyone at Glentoran.
After finishing in bottom place in last season's IPL, Dungannon boss Dean Shiels has overhauled his Dungannon squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
No less than 14 members of last season's squad - including the experienced former Linfield trio of Roy Carroll, Michael Carvill and Rory Patterson - have departed to date. In addition, former Captain Dougie Wilson and ex Ards goalkeeper Sam Johnston have joined Ballymena United, Fra Brennan, James Teelan and ex Cliftonville forward Daniel Hughes have moved to Newry City and Loughgall have signed up Nathaniel Ferris, Lorcan Forde, Ally Teggart and former Glenavon winger Mark Patton. Defenders Callum Byers and Dylan O'Kane have also linked up with Championship sides, signing for Harland & Wolff Welders and Ards respectively.
While last season was a struggle on the pitch for Dungannon, the removal of relegation did allow a chance to give several of the club's promising young talents top flight experience, with defender Caolin Coyle, midfielders James Convie and Oisin Smyth and forward Rhyss Campbell all making regular appearances.
To complement this core group of younger players, Shiels has made 4 experienced signings to strengthen the spine of his team. The first of these will need no introduction to Glentoran supporters - our former Centre-Back and Irish Cup winner, Keith Cowan. While the former Finn Harps Captain may only have been with us for 18 months, his leadership qualities and defensive strength were always evident when called upon and Shiels will be hoping he is the man to shore up
a defence that was breached on more than 80 occasions last term. Behind him, goalkeeper Alex Moore, having previously spent the 2018/ 19 season on loan with the Swifts, has returned to Stangmore Park on a similar deal. Midfielder James Knowles, another former Glentoran man, has arrived from Ballymena United and bustling forward Joe McCready has also signed from the Braidmen to offer a stronger presence in the final third for a side who only managed just 22 goals in 38 games last season. Completing Shiels' close season work, defender Darragh McBrien and forward Sean McCarron make the step up from the Championship, having joined from Ballinamallard United and Dergview respectively and promising full back Micheál Glynn has arrived on a season loan from Derry City.
The last 10 fixtures between the sides at Stangmore Park have seen Glentoran have the better of the Swifts on 7 occasions, with Dungannon winning 2 and the other a 0-0 draw. Indeed that draw at the end of 2017 is only the second fixture between the sides at Stangmore Park that has finished without a goal since the Swifts first won promotion to the IPL in 2003. Our last league fixture at Stangmore Park was a 1-0 victory at the end of February - the only goal scored from close range by Rory Donnelly on the stroke of half time. Our other meetings resulted in home wins - 5-1 in November 2021, and 2-0 in April.
Mick McDermott: “It’s great to be moving back into competitive football and we’re all looking forward to it. I know it seems like a long close season but for us last season’s football started in July with the previous season’s cup final and lasted until the end of May. Then we started again in July with Europe, so we definitely needed that longer close season and I think the players have benefitted from it. The players really only had two weeks off, but we’re all glad that we're back to real football matches again with real fans here.
The most exciting part is the fans are going to be there and I'm sure we will bring a great crowd to Dungannon. They are a very well organised and professional team that improved and were quite impressive towards the end of last season. Their manager’s done a really good job and we go there with all respect for Dungannon because we know that in this league if you don't show up to play you don't get the points.
As it stands, we’re going there with a full squad available to us so we’re looking forward to it as much as the supporters.”
Please remember this is an all-ticket game.
