It's a weekend of celebration. Today marks Glentoran Football Club's 134th birthday. Tomorrow the players and coaches from the Glentoran Academy will be at the Oval to celebrate the success they have achieved over the past year so please make a point of coming down to the Oval, not only to support the first team in their game against Ballinamallard United, but also to show your appreciation for the Academy staff and the players of our future.
Glentoran’s league record against Ballinamallard United over the past 4 seasons has been quite impressive; played 13, won 8, drew 3 and lost just 2. Those 2 however were both last season! When the teams met in the Danske Bank Premiership in October 2015 it was the Mallards who came out on top with a 2-0 win at the Oval. Glentoran exacted their revenge two months later though, travelling to Ferney Park and coming away with a 4-2 win courtesy of goals from Jonathan Smith, Curtis Allen and Fra McCaffrey (2). The final meeting of last season was a game to forget for the hundreds of Glentoran fans who travelled to Co. Fermanagh. Red cards for Aaron Hogg and Steven Gordon, both in the first half, meant the Glens were up against it and unfortunately ended up with a 1-nil defeat.
The 2014-15 season saw the clubs meet on four occasions. Jay Magee and Curtis Allen netted in the first encounter, a 2-2 draw at Ferney Park. We were back there for a League Cup quarter final tie in mid-November and again the game finished all square. Following the 1-1 draw and there being no goals in extra time it was the Mallards who progressed to the semi final via a penalty shoot-out. Two goals from Steven Gordon and one from Curtis Allen gave the Glens the points at the Oval in early December and just before the league split Glentoran recorded an even more emphatic victory; a 4-0 home win with Allen (2), Gordon and McCaffrey bagging the goals.
Two wins and a draw was the return for the Glens from the 2013-14 season. The draw (0-0) came at the Oval with the Glens winning on both visits to Ferney Park, 4-1 and 3-0. In the second of those games it was again McCaffrey (2) and Allen with the goals however most Glentoran fans will remember the earlier 4-1 victory, mainly because of the wonder strike from young Jordan Stewart. Stewart scored 2 that day with Birney and Callacher getting the other goals. You can watch Jordan’s super strike again HERE. In 2012-13 the sides met four times in the Premiership. The Glens won the first three encounters, 4-1, 2-1 and 3-0 with the final fixture ending scoreless.
For this weekend’s Danske Bank Premiership meeting at the Oval the Glens will be without Calum Birney who is suspended following last week’s red card against the Blues. Willie Garrett will be out indefinitely having suffered further damage to his knee and both Stephen O’Flynn and David Scullion remain unavailable due to injury. Stephen McAlorum continues to make good progress though and is only a matter a weeks away from returning to the match-day squad. Kym Nelson is also back in training but the big midfielder is still a few weeks from being considered for the squad. Jay Magee will be back in the squad tomorrow and Marcus Kane, who had to go off last week against Linfield after picking up a knock, is fit and available.
We would like to advise supporters attending tomorrow's game that due to circumstances beyond our control, there will be no hot food available from the burger van. However supporters can avail of a wide selection of food and snacks from the Glentoran Milk Bar.
The M3 bridge will be closed again tomorrow. Supporters travelling from Co. Antrim or north Belfast should allow additional time to get to the Oval and chose an alternative route.