This disappointing injury time defeat was in many ways a mirror image of last week at Dungannon with profligacy in front of goal ultimately punished by a breakaway winner.
The game started with plenty of end-to-end action with United having an ambitious penalty claim rightly turned down in the 6th minute when Marcus Kane slipped in his own area. Not long after that Frankie Hvid headed just wide from one of Daniel Amos’ many accurate corners then Daniel Gyollai made a great stretching save to deny the in-form Ben Kennedy.
In the rest of the half the Glens won innumerable corners, all of which were well and often dangerously taken by Amos or Dylan Connolly but repeatedly a United defender was first to the ball, much to the frustration of the Glens’ bench and travelling support. The last of these – as the Glens ended the half strongly – was cleared off the line from a Hvid shot, not dissimilar to a first half incident in the recent Shield game v the Welders.
The half ended with a booking for Frankie Hvid to add to one earlier in the half for Marcus Kane. Both of these soft bookings were to have an impact later in the game.
Half Time: Ballymena United 0-0 Glentoran
Jay Donnelly was introduced for Jordan Jenkins for the start of the second half and could have scored after 2 minutes but David Fisher snatched at a cross and headed wide with Donnelly better placed in the centre of the goalmouth.
The Glens were very dominant in the first 15 minutes but couldn’t convert that dominance into goals as the only meaningful effort was a shot from Daniel Amos that went wide of the far post.
United started to come into it more around the hour mark with Glens’ keeper Daniel Gyollai called on to make excellent saves from Kennedy (twice) and Johnny McMurray.
Glentoran players were indignant with 16 minutes to go as skipper Marcus Kane received a second red card for a foul on the Glens’ left flank. Certainly there was a feeling the Ballymena player had won the red card with his theatrics but on the other hand there was always a feeling that a red card was likely at some stage. The indignation was greater just a couple of minutes later when Johnny McMurray – also on a yellow – received much more lenient treatment for a repeat offence.
Gyollai had made 2 more important saves and both Jay Donnelly and his fellow sub Charlie Lindsay had decent efforts at the other end. But the killer came right on the blow as a goal kick from Sean O’Neill beat everybody before being nodded on deep in the Glens half for Kennedy to rush through and finish very cleanly. A match finish all too familiar to Glens supporters over the past few years.
A second consecutive disappointing day. We were strong in midfield and defence and the keeper had an outstanding game, but unless the forwards start creating and taking their chances in front of goal there remains a danger of days like this one being repeated.
Full Time: Ballymena United 1-0 Glentoran
Glentoran: Gyollai, Kane (c), Amos (Lyons-Foster 63), Hvid McClean, Sule Singleton (Wassim 90+2), Douglas (Lindsay 63), Connolly, Fisher and Jenkins (Donnelly 46)
Subs (Not used): Mills, Russell. Thorndike
