For the second week in a row, Glentoran meekly surrendered a half time lead, this time to a Carrick Rangers team that was in eleventh place going into today’s game. In truth the result accurately reflected the game and the difference between the two sides.
The Glens couldn’t have got off to a better start, taking the lead on three minutes. It was skipper Marcus Kane – back in the starting lineup after injury – who hammered home after a pinball game in a packed Carrick box and good work from Junior. A big travelling Glens crowed was buoyed by this after the traumas of the previous two weeks.
The rest of the half was fairly even though the Glens had the better chances with ex-Glentoran keeper Ross Glendinning saving well from Shay McCartan, Bobby Burns and Aidan Wilson. But the second goal didn't come and the Glens were to rue that, as they did last week.
Half Time : Carrick Rangers 0-1 Glentoran
The second half was a very different proposition with Carrick showing their intent from the off. Glens legend Curtis Allen was in the centre of things, forcing Aaron McCarey into very good saves on 52 and 59 minutes as a subdued Glens team struggled to make any impact on the half.
What seemed like the inevitable equaliser came on 69 minutes. After hesitation on our left-hand side, former Glens player Danny Purkis was put away on the right flank. Purkis ran literally half the pitch unchallenged then into the Glens box before hitting a hard, low ball across the goalmouth. McCarey did well to save at the feet of Allen but the ball broke loose to Nedas Macuilaitis who had all the time and space in the world to easily hit home.
Purkis wasn’t finished as two minutes later he put Carrick ahead. This time it was Allen who found himself with lots of freedom on the right-hand side. His long high cross found Purkis at the far post and after his first effort bounced off a couple of Glens defenders he slipped the ball into the net from a rebound.
If that wasn’t bad enough, it was the Glens’ inability to make any sort of impression in the remaining nineteen minutes that most angered the travelling support. Apart from a penalty claim when Bobby Burns looked to have been felled, the team was devoid of ideas and looked beaten from the second Purkis scored. If anything this was a worse performance than the defeat to Coleraine last week.
From being top eight days ago, this defeat now leaves us eight points behind Linfield with a visit to the National Stadium coming up next Friday. The least the supporters are entitled to demand is a very significant improvement in effort and attitude if we are to even think about extending our six-game unbeaten league run in South Belfast.
Final Score : Carrick Rangers 2-1 Glentoran
Photographs by RACHEL SEARSON & PACEMAKER
Glentoran: McCarey, Singleton, Kane (c) (Murray 78), Wilson, McClean, Sule, Burns McCartan, McGinn (O’Connor 67), Junior, J. Donnelly (Fisher 81)
Subs (Not used): Webber, Russell, Kelly, Feeney
