Friday 16th December
Kick Off 7.45pm
Tomorrow evening we are off to the Loughview Leisure Arena to face eighth placed Carrick Rangers
Glentoran have not lost an away game against Carrick since December 1993.. In the 12 games played since Rangers first return to the IPL in 2011, Glentoran have won 8 and there have been 4 draws. In last season’s games at Taylor’s Avenue, Glentoran emerged victorious on both occasions; in October 21, goals from Jay Donnelly and a spectacular Conor McMenamin strike from distance secured a 2-0 win, before a Donnelly double and a Shay McCartan goal saw us go one better and record a 3-0 scoreline 2 months later.
While Carrick Rangers find themselves comfortably in mid table safety as we approach the midway stage of the League campaign, manager Stuart King will be concerned that they have lost 7 of their last 9 league games, with only a brace of 2-0 home victories over basement side Portadown brightening the gloom that has set in since they defeated struggling Dungannon Swifts 3-0 at Taylors Avenue in mid-October. During that run, Rangers have conceded 19 goals and scored just 9 (with 4 of those coming in the 2 games against Portadown). Outr own home game against Rangers in October saw us gain a 5-0 home win with 5 different Glens players on the scoresheet,
Saturday’s 4-1 defeat against Dungannon at Stangmore Park came with th. dded pain for King that top scorer Curtis Allen was forced off with a first half injury and his strike partner Emmett McGuckin later saw red for a kick out at a Swifts player, meaning that (unless Carrick choose to appeal) the big forward will miss their next 3 games. His defensive options are also diminished with experienced former Linfield and Ballymena United man Jim Ervin having picked up 10 yellow cards and now required to serve a 2-game ban. If Allen does prove to be unavailable; King will have several former Glentoran players in contention for a place; Ross Glendinning, Aaron Hogg, Steven Gordon, Kyle Cherry and Cameron Stewart all having featured in the match day squad who lost at Dungannon.
