Glentoran Seconds reinforced their position at the top of the NIFL Premiership Development League with a commanding 7–1 victory over Crusaders Reserves at Ashfield Boys’ High School on Monday evening.

The Glens went into the fixture sitting six points clear of Linfield Swifts on 70 points, and delivered a ruthless attacking display to underline their title credentials.

With first team squad members James Douglas, Ben Gallagher and Jordan Jenkins all featuring, and captain Ciaran Rogers-Duffy returning to lead the side, Glentoran named a strong and dynamic starting XI packed with attacking intent.

The hosts made their dominance count early. Gallagher was at the heart of the opener, threading a clever pass into Jenkins, who showed composure to control and calmly slot beyond the goalkeeper for 1–0.

Glentoran doubled their advantage from the penalty spot after a frantic passage of play. Cal Weatherup struck the crossbar before Gallagher’s follow-up was handled on the line by an outfield Crusaders player, resulting in a red card. James McClure stepped up and made no mistake from twelve yards.

The Glens continued to carve through the visitors with ease, and Gallagher was again the architect for the third, splitting the defence to release Weatherup, who fired home emphatically from the edge of the area.

Crusaders pulled one back with a superb strike into the top corner, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished. Weatherup restored the three-goal cushion in spectacular fashion, weaving past defenders before unleashing a stunning 30-yard effort into the top corner.

Gallagher capped an outstanding first-half performance by adding a fifth, showing excellent footwork before side-footing into the bottom corner to send the Glens into the break with a commanding 5–1 lead.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with Glentoran continuing to dominate possession and territory. Douglas added his name to the scoresheet with a brilliant long-range effort, rifling into the top corner from distance.

Moments later, Douglas turned provider, delivering a defence-splitting pass to McClure, who finished clinically to complete the scoring at 7–1.

Despite the scoreline, Crusaders goalkeeper Matthew Boyle produced a series of impressive saves to prevent the margin from becoming even more emphatic.

The result sees Glentoran Seconds remain top of the table as the league campaign approaches its decisive stages

Full-Time: Glentoran Seconds 7–1 Crusaders Reserves

Starting XI: Beimers (GK), Bell, Rogers-Duffy (C), O’Neill, McCann, Faloona, Douglas, Gallagher, McClure, Weatherup, Jenkins.

Substitutes: Watt (GK), Drennan, Beatty, Magowan, Dolan, Magee, Hardy.