Glentoran marched into the County Antrim Shield quarter-finals with a convincing 3–1 victory over Linfield at The BetMcLean Oval.

A lightning start from the hosts did most of the damage, with Jordan Jenkins striking twice inside the opening four minutes to put the Glens firmly in control.

Linfield rallied after the interval and Charlie Chapman reduced the deficit in the 56th minute, but Cal Weatherup struck with 14 minutes remaining to secure Glentoran’s place in the last eight.

With manager Declan Devine absent through illness, assistant manager Paddy McCourt and first-team coach Tim McCann took charge of the Glens.

They made three changes to the side beaten 2–1 by Crusaders at the weekend, with Daniel Larmour, Ciaran Rogers-Duffy and Jordan Jenkins replacing Marcus Kane, Ross Clarke and Aaron McEneff.

Jenkins took less than two minutes to make his mark, firing the hosts ahead after James Douglas laid the ball into his path.

The forward doubled his tally just two minutes later, converting from close range after Larmour nodded Ryan Cooney’s free-kick back across the face of goal.

It was one-way traffic during a breathless opening, with Jenkins denied a quickfire hat-trick when Aidan Glavin kept out his point-blank header before Josh Daniels was unable to convert the rebound.

Glentoran suffered a setback before the half-hour mark when James Singleton was forced off, but the hosts continued to carry the greater threat.

Josh Kelly was denied by Glavin before Douglas dragged an effort wide as the Glens searched for a third.

Linfield came within inches of reducing the deficit shortly after the restart when Dylan Wells crashed a 25-yard free-kick against the post.

Wells threatened again moments later, finding Donatas Jermakovas at the back post, but the defender was unable to direct his header on target.

The visitors did pull one back in the 56th minute when Chapman found space inside the penalty area and fired past Bailey Crellin at the near post.

Linfield pushed for an equaliser, with Sean Brown sending an effort narrowly over from outside the penalty area, before Glavin was forced to tip Cooney’s deep cross over at the other end.

Glentoran restored their two-goal advantage with 14 minutes remaining. Cooney’s long throw caused confusion inside the Linfield penalty area and Weatherup reacted quickest, poking the loose ball home to seal an impressive Big Two victory.

Glentoran 3–1 Linfield

Starting XI: Crellin, Cooney, Larmour, Brown, Rogers-Duffy, Kelly, Singleton, Douglas, Daniels, Gallagher, Jenkins.

Substitutes: Mills, McEneff, Faloona, Sule, Lindsay, Weatherup, Bell.