Glentoran missed the opportunity to consolidate their lead in the Danske Bank Premiership this evening as a late Lee Lynch winner led to another defeat to Larne at Inver Park.
The Glens’ starting line-up was the one that defeated Linfield at the Bet McLean Oval last week as Patrick McClean’s appeal against his recent red card at Shamrock Park had still not been heard by the IFA.
The Glens had two decent efforts in the first fifteen minutes, the most promising an excellent move started by a pinpoint Sean Murray pass to Marcus Kane on the left flank. The skipper played an excellent, teasing ball across the Larne goalmouth but Robbie McDaid was unable to contact. Larne’s best chance was a penetrating through ball from Davy McDaid, cleared by the outstretched leg of Paddy McClean.
Plum and Kane linked up well on the half hour, but the ref blew for a Larne free kick when Robbie McDaid and Larne keeper Conor Devlin jumped together, even though McDaid clearly came out of it worse.
The recently returned Marcus Kane was involved in a lot of the Glens’ play as he had decent right foot effort saved by Devlin after clever work from Conor McMenamin on 35 minutes. Though probably the saddest sight of the evening was that of the captain limping off two minutes later with a suspected groin strain. He was replaced at left back by Bobby Burns with McClean again taking the armband. Moko’s second injury sustained at this venue in recent months.
Larne’s – and the game’s - best chance of the half came a minute before the break when Lee Bonis headed against the crossbar from a Randall cross. An even half then ended scoreless
Half Time: Larne 0-0 Glentoran
The Glens started the second half in a disastrous manner as we conceded immediately after the restart. What a shambolic goal it was. Ben Doherty played a deep, penetrating goal into a nearly empty Glens box. Paddy McLean, under pressure from Bonis, stretched out a leg, beat Bonis to the ball but in doing so put the ball past Aaron McCarey into his own net. This was closely followed by a great effort from Mark Randall just over the bar.
On 52 minutes Mick McDermott made a radical triple substitution with Rory Donnelly, Shay McCartan and Michael O’Connor replacing Jay Donnelly, Robbie McDaid and Jay Donnelly. Most of the Glens best play to date had involved the work and guile of Conor McMenamin who in turn had received a lot of robust attention from Larne defenders. Eventually Cian Bolger was booked for a terrible foul in the 54th minute.
Both teams had chances over the following period with Jeff Hughes for Larne and Donnelly and McMenamin for the Glens. But the visitors’ night took another turn for the worst on 67 minutes with the sight of Rhys Marshall limping off with a dead leg, to be replaced by Willie Garrett following an unnecessarily aggressive challenge from Bonis.
However five minutes later, things felt a lot better for the Glens. A typically unplayable run from McMenamin on the left ended with a pinpoint cross and an expertly directed header from birthday boy Rory Donnelly past Devlin for the equaliser
The Glens didn’t kick on as expected from this goal and indeed Larne hit the bar twice, the second touched onto the crossbar by an acrobatic McCarey. This foretold what was to come and with three minutes to go, Larne scored the winner. The two substitutes, Andrew Scott and Lee Lynch, linked up well with Lynch firing an unstoppable effort past McCarey into the top left-hand corner. If anything it was Larne who looked more likely to add to the score at this late stage as Aaron McCarey was called on to make no fewer than four great saves in injury time.
In truth Glentoran can have few complaints about tonight’s result, as we have now taken just one of nine possible points against Larne in the Danske Bank Premiership so far this season, the only team we have not beaten this season. Add to this our defeat in the County Antrim Shield and its clear we will need to be on the very top of our game when they visit the Bet McLean Oval after the split.
Half Time: Larne 2-1 Glentoran
Photographs by PACEMAKER
Glentoran: McCarey, Marshall (Garrett 68), Kane (c) (Burns 38), Marron, McClean, Clucas, Murray (O'Connor 53), Plum, J. Donnelly (R. Donnelly 53), McDaid (McCartan 53) & McMenamin
