Glentoran’s winning run extended to seven games in the Danske Bank Premiership and eleven in all competitions with this very confident and decisive win over Linfield at the National Stadium.
The Glens started the game in a very attacking manner but it had begun in a controversial manner with Linfield’s Kyle McLean booked for a vicious lunge at Marcus Kane. McClean can consider himself very lucky to have stayed on the pitch. Then six minutes later – after Shay McCartan and Rhys Marshall had each stretched the Blues’ defence from the right – McCartan was controversially booked for simulation when he went down in the Linfield box.
Against the run of play, the first real chance of the night fell to Linfield, but Aaron McCarey – back in the starting line-up this evening – made a brilliant point blank save from McClean. Soon afterwards Paddy McClean – in great goalscoring form so far this season – hit the Linfield crossbar. Joel Cooper did the same before Shay McCartan had a great run (one of many tonight in which he ghosted past a swathe of blue shirts) and shot just wide.
For all the Glens’ dominance all over the pitch, there were relatively few clear-cut chances at either end in the rest of the half and the one big incident came on the half hour when Blues’ defender Michael Newberry received a second yellow card for a blatant body check on Rory Donnelly – very influential all match – so reduced Linfield to ten men. Referee Lee Tavinder booked no fewer than seven players (4 Blues, 3 Glens) in a robust but scoreless first half.
Half Time:Linfield 0-0 Glentoran
The Glens took a deserved lead three minutes after the break through Bobby Burns. Shay McCartan found Bobby a few yards outside the Linfield box and the midfielder’s shot – aided by a slight deflection – gave keeper Chris Johns no chance.
Glentoran continued to pressurise with McCartan and Conor McMenamin enjoying a lot of possession, and on 67 minutes the referee was confronted with a decision right in front of him when Cooper seemed to haul down and hit Jay Donnelly. No action was taken but a minute later Linfield’s Sam Roscoe was booked for hauling down the rampaging McMenamin on the edge of the box. Two minutes later the Glens support was dumfounded to see Chris Shields only booked when he hauled down McMenamin when the Glens number 24 was through as last man.
With fifteen to go, the Glens got their anticipated and deserved second when Substitute Danny Purkis headed home a Conor McMenamin cross in a packed penalty area. Danny’s last Glentoran goal at the National Stadium came as an 18-year-old in a 2-0 win in April 2004. Danny then finished the game with an injury time finish after great work from McMenamin and McCartan. No more than the dominant Glens deserved on the night..
Following tonight’s matches the unbeaten Glens remain one point behind Larne at the top of the table with a game in hand.
Full Time: Linfield 0-3 Glentoran
Photographs by PACEMAKER
Glentoran: McCarey, Marshall, Kane (c) McClean, Wilson, Plum Burns (Devlin 68), McCartan R. Donnelly (Singleton 86), J. Donnelly (Purkis 68) & McMenamin.
