A Robbie McDaid opener and a brace from Darren Murray gave the Glens a welcome win at the Oval this evening in the Danske Bank Premiership. There were a couple of changes from Saturday's starting XI with Willie Garrett and Darren Murray coming into the starting line up to replace the suspended Chris Gallagher and Calum Birney.
Both sides started brightly and both keepers were in action in the opening spell. With just 3 minutes played Gavin Peers hooked an effort just wide following a corner and then from a poor kick out by the 'Point keeper, the alert Connor Pepper had a 1 v 1 opportunity. Berraat Turker stood up well though and turned Pepper's effort around the post for a corner. At the other end a shot from a tight angle by Lee Duffy forced Dwayne Nelson into a smart save and then on the quarter hour mark a half chance for Mark Griffin was blazed wide.
On 24 minutes the Glens almost made the breakthrough when neat interplay between Kerr and Herron seemed to have put Curtis Allen in but the Glentoran number 9 was marginally offside. 2 minutes later though the breakthrough came. Luckas Gwiadza found Connor Pepper and his excellent pass created a crossing opportunity for skipper, Marcus Kane. Kane's ball was mis-controlled in the first instance by Robbie McDaid but he quickly recovered and drilled a low shot into the far corner of the net.
McDaid then almost went from hero to villan within a couple of minutes, conceding a soft free kick 20 yards from his own goal. Philip Donnelly's free kick took a deflection but Dwayne Nelson produced an excellent save to preserve the Glens' advantage. Warrenpoint Town's Joshua Lynch might have brought the sides level on 33 minutes but he just failed to get on the end of a dangerous cross from the left. Glentoran were awarded a penalty, only their second of the season, when Robbie McDaid was fouled in the area 5 minutes from the break. Darren Murray stepped up and made no mistake from the spot. Curtis Allen's 30 yard free kick on 43 minutes was initially spilled by the Town keeper but he made amends, grabbing the ball to deny the inrushing McDaid. In first half stoppage time Warrenpoint Town did have the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside.
Just 3 minutes after the restart the Glens added a third. Robbie McDaid was again involved, his clipped ball setting Darren Murray clear. From 20 yards, the big striker then calmly lifted the ball over the advancing keeper and into the Sydenham End net. On 50 minutes it should have been 4-nil. Marcus Kane's cross from the left found Curtis Allen in the area but his header went wide of the upright. Just after the hour mark Warrenpoint Town pulled a goal back when a cross from the left was inadvertently turned into his own net by Marcus Kane. Allen the tested Berraat Turker with a stinging effort after being set up by Luckas Gwiadza.
Town's hopes of a comeback received a set back on 66 minutes when they were reduced to 10 men; Lee Duffy picking up a second yellow card. McDaid headed straight at the keeper when he got on the end of John Herron's free kick but the game petered out with a number of players on each side receiving yellow cards, some warranted and some not.
Photographs by PACEMAKER
Glentoran: Nelson, Kerr (Smith 88), Kane (c), Peers, Garrett, Pepper (S. Gallagher 90+2), Herron (Henderson 88), Gwiazda, McDaid, Allen & Murray.
