Sunday 20th November
12.30pm Kick Off
On Sunday we have a second v third clash when we face Cliftonville for the first time this season as they visit the Bet McLean Oval for our first home Sunday match for over a decade.
After pushing Linfield all the way to the final game of last season’s title race, Cliftonville have recovered from their opening day 3-1 defeat of this season at Coleraine to lose just once in their last 13 league fixtures (the recent 4-0 defeat to Larne at Inver Park) and bring themselves within 2 points of Glentoran and 5 of current leaders Larne.
Former Derry City goalkeeper Nathan Gartside took over as first choice from Brighton loanee Flynn Talley after that opening loss at Coleraine and the ex-Northern Ireland U21 stopper has managed 6 clean sheets in his last 9 league appearances. In front of Gartside, manager Paddy McLaughlin has blended a classic mixture of youth and experience in his side; with younger pros like defenders Luke Turner and Jamie Robinson and teenage forward Sean Moore complemented by experienced older heads like Jonny Addis, Kris Lowe and effervescent record goalscorer Joe Gormley. He is likely to lead the line alongside current top marksman Ryan Curran - who has 9 in 14 league matches to date - with our former midfielder Chris Gallagher pulling the strings in midfield behind them. The experienced trio of Jamie McDonagh, Chris Curran and Colin Coates all had to settle for places on the substitutes bench for last weekend’s 2-0 victory at Dungannon, with only McDonagh seeing any game time as a 74th minute sub.
The Reds have a strong recent record at the Oval, winning seven of the last nine league meetings there. Glentoran won on the other two occasions, most recently in February 2021 when a sensational last-minute strike by then Glentoran winger Jamie McDonagh flew into the top corner of then Reds number one Aaron McCarey’s net. Our most recent victory over the Reds was at Solitude in in January when a Jay Donnelly double against his old club saw us to a 2-1 win.
Mick McDermott: “On Tuesday night I felt we were the better team but unfortunately the result didn’t go our way.
While we are all disappointed to lose I have to take the positives from the game. Players got important game minutes and experience while we were without Conor and several players recovering from ‘flu.
Looking forward to Sunday, games against Cliftonville are always competitive and entertaining. They are a real footballing team filled with quality – it should make for a great spectacle on Sky TV.
I have always been a proponent of trying new or different things and while Friday nights have proven successful I have no doubt that we will see a great atmosphere at the Bet McLean Oval.”
As always at home matches, we strongly request that supporters respect the rights of the local residents by parking well away from housefronts in the immediate locality. There is plenty of available parking at the Holywood Arches Heath Centre.
Saturday’s match sponsor is the One Stop Mortgage Shop Bangor.
With branches in Bangor and Belfast, the One Stop Mortgage Shop provides mortgage advice ensuring that clients receive the mortgage product best suited to their needs and budget. Also professional advice in Life Assurance and Home Insurance.
One Stop Mortgage Shop can be visited or contacted at:
Bloomfield Shopping Centre
South Circular Rd
Bangor BT19 7HB
Tel: 028 91 46 5265 email: bangor@onestopmortgageshop.co.uk
Also at:
4 Wellington Place
Belfast BT1 6GE
Tel: 028 9031 2222 email: belfast@onestopmortgageshop.co.uk
