Saturday 3rd December
3.00pm Kick Off
On Saturday we head across town to Seaview to face Crusaders.
Since the sides met at the Oval in August in the second game of the season - a 3-1 home win with our goals coming from Rory Donnelly, Conor McMenamin and Aidan Wilson - Crusaders have enjoyed a solid run of form - losing only three and winning nine of their fifteen games played since that 3-1 defeat - to take them to fourth place in the table. They sit two points behind us but have played two games more.
Traditionally strong on their own patch, Stephen Baxter’s side have won seven of their nine league games at Seaview, with Ballymena United the first visiting team to pick up all three points in mid-November thanks to a late winning goal from ex-Glentoran midfielder Kym Nelson.
Scoring goals certainly has not been an issue - the Crues are currently joint top goal scorers along with leaders Larne - but they have also conceded more than any other side currently in the top six.
Baxter has had to contend with several injury issues this term: midfield talisman Ben Kennedy and defender Josh Robinson recuperating from long term absences, ex Linfield man Chris Hegarty, full back Rory McKeown, midfielder Jordan Forsythe and striker Brandon Doyle missing out recently, and midfielder Robbie Weir and ex-Glenavon defender Daniel Larmour having to be withdrawn early during last Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Linfield. Such has been the extent of the issue that veteran midfielder Declan Caddell has come out of retirement to boost the squad numbers and even made a 60-minute cameo appearance against the Blues in place of the injured Weir.
Baxter will however have in form midfielder Philip Lowry (scorer of 12 goals from 17 league games) at his disposal and veterans Paul Heatley and Jordan Owens remain important members of the squad who can offer an attacking threat, along with on loan Hull City winger McCauley Snelgrove.
Having struggled to achieve a win at Seaview for over a decade, Glentoran managed to banish that record by winning both league fixtures on the Shore Road last season: a Hrvoje Plum free kick sealing a 1-0 win in November 21, before a Conor McMenamin inspired 2-1 comeback win in January of this year.
Another six pointer ahead.
