Glentoran were stunned this evening as they were beaten 3-1 by NIFL Championship leaders Bangor in an enthralling Clearer Water Irish Cup Quarter-Final at Clandeboye Park.
Ben Arthurs, Ben Cushnie and Lewis Harrison put the hosts into an unassailable 3-0 half-time lead.
Glentoran grabbed one back in the second-half thanks to Charlie Lindsay, but it was too little, too late for Declan Devine’s men, who will be hugely disappointed to see his side exit the Irish Cup
With more than 2500 in attendance, there was an expectation of a spectacle in this opening game of the weekend’s Irish Cup fixtures, and it was to be the home side that started the brighter.
With just eight minutes on the clock Ben Cushnie and Ben Arthurs combined before the former offloaded an effort that Glens’ keeper Daniel Gyollai’s managed to block with his foot onto the left-hand post.
The visitors then lost captain Marcus Kane to injury soon after and their night would get no better, when on 14 minutes they went behind.
Arthurs had his effort blocked by Kodi Lyons-Foster in defence, but the striker was able to sweep home the rebound to break the deadlock.
Just nine minutes later the Seasiders added a second to leave the large travelling support speechless.
Reece Neale sent a long ball forward with Tiarnan Mulvenna laying it off to Cushnie who struck from 25-yards Gyollai’s bottom right-hand corner.
As Glentoran looked to be getting a foothold in the game with some good attacking down the right by Christie Pattisson, they were hit on the break on the stroke of half-time.
Neale’s throw-in is headed down by Arthurs for Harrison, who turned away from Cameron Palmer before he fired into the bottom left-hand corner to make it a scarcely believable 3-0 at the break.
Half-Time: Bangor 3 – 0 Glentoran

Glentoran started the second period brightly and went close on 53 minutes. Patrick Solis Grogan in the Bangor goal produced a fine save to deny David Fisher’s powerful effort from range. Jordan Jenkins gets to the rebound, but heads just over the crossbar.
However, Glentoran were rewarded for their efforts 17 minutes later. Aaron Wightman evaded a number of Bangor players before he found substitute Lindsay, and his strike deflected off Caomhan McGuinness before looping into the net over Solis Grogan to give Glens’ fans a glimmer of hope.
Despite dominating the final 20 minutes of the tie, a Frankie Hvid header in the final minute of time which was superbly saved by Solis Grogan, was all they had to show as they exit the cup at the last-eight stage.
Full-Time: Bangor 3 – 1 Glentoran