Glentoran face reigning champions Crusaders at the Oval on Saturday (3pm) - matchday 8 of this year’s Danske Bank Premiership.
Since Alan Kernaghan’s resignation the Glens have played two games under the stewardship of Director of Football, Roy Coyle. Last weekend we witnessed a poor performance, going down 2-nil to Ards at Clandeboye Road but things improved somewhat on Tuesday night when Glenavon visited the Oval. Jonathan Smith opened the scoring for the East Belfast Glens but goals either side of the interval from Eoin Bradley and Joel Cooper gave the Lurgan side the advantage. Steven Gordon came off the bench to replace Ciaran Caldwell and his late goal brought the sides level. Glentoran players and supporters thought that Eric Foley’s late header had actually won the game only to see a raised linesman’s flag see the ‘goal’ ruled out for apparent offside!
Crusaders, having secured back to back league titles, currently top the Danske Bank Premiership with 17 points from their opening 7 games. They’ve won 5 and drawn 2, scoring 17 goals and conceding just 4. It’s a big ask for the Glens but as we showed at the end of the 2014-15 season in the Irish Cup semi-final, if everyone in the green shirt plays to the levels they are capable of, anything is possible.
In the past 3 seasons the teams have met 14 times in all competitions with Glentoran winning 3, Crusaders winning 9 and 2 games being drawn. Last term we started the season with a 1-nil victory over the Crues in the Charity Shield game at Solitude with Jordan Stewart scoring the decisive goal (highlights from that game on Glens TV HERE). Stewart netted twice at the Oval 10 days later as 10-man Glentoran held the champions to a 2-2 draw (watch Jordan's wonder strike again HERE on Glens TV). We then lost the other 3 Danske Bank Premiership meetings, 3-0 at Seaview in November, 4-2 at Seaview in January (despite leading 2-0 after 35 minutes) and 0-1 at the Oval at the end of April.
In the 2014-15 season we lost all four Danske Bank Premiership games to Crusaders; 1-0, 1-3, 1-2 and 2-0 but Curtis Allen’s goal at Mourneview Park in the Irish Cup semi-final meant it was the Glens who progressed to the final where we eventually won the Irish Cup. The 2013-14 season was slightly better; Crusaders winning 2 of the first 3 league meetings (0-3 and 2-1), one game being drawn (0-0) and Glentoran securing an emphatic 3-0 victory at the Oval late in the season courtesy of goals from Curtis Allen, John McGuigan and Danny McKee (see the goals HERE).
For Saturday’s game, Nacho Novo is out after picking up a groin injury early in Tuesday night’s game. Marcus Kane and Stephen O’Flynn remain unavailable due to injury whilst Elliott Morris is doubtful with bruised ribs. Stephen McAlorum, on the bench for Glenavon game, is making good progress but at this point in time is not ready to start. Jonny Addis will be available and included in the squad whilst Curtis Allen has just returned to training after problems with a mouth abscess. Aaron Smyth has left the club. His contract has been cancelled by mutual consent.
We would like to remind supporters that tickets for the Linfield game, to be played at the Oval on Saturday 1st October 2016, will be available to season ticket holders (on production of their season ticket) free of charge from 2pm.
Tickets for this game will also be on general sale to all Glentoran fans.