Tomorrow evening we complete the first round of Sports Direct Premiership matches by travelling across the city to meet our old rivals Linfield at Windsor Park in the first Big Two match of the season.
Linfield have started the league campaign strongly, leading the early season table after notching up 8 wins and scoring 26 goals in the opening 10 games. So far only the sides from East Antrim have been able to take points away from David Healy’s side; Champions Larne inflicting their only defeat to date at Inver Park last month and Carrick twice coming back, thanks to a brace from Danny Purkis, to secure a 3-3 draw at The National Stadium.
In last season’s games in South Belfast, Glentoran came away with a stunning 3-0 win last October before a 1-1 draw in the post-split fixture back in April. Midfielder Bobby Burns was a key figure in both; opening the scoring just after half time in the first game and bagging an injury time equaliser in the second, adding to the 2 goals he scored in another 3-0 win at the Bet McLean Oval in February.
Midfielder Stephen Fallon is likely to miss out again after sustaining an injury in the recent home win over Crusaders and young defender Ryan McKay limped off in the first half of the midweek League Cup win over Queens University. Striker Matthew Fitzpatrick and defender Daniel Finlayson have recently returned from respective injury and suspension, while former Dungannon winger Darragh McBrien will hope to earn a start after scoring late on as a substitute against Newry.
Warren Feeney: “Needless to say tomorrow, like any Big Two match, is a big one and it’s a good opportunity for us to find form and reverse the mood after the last three poor performances and results in league games.
"Last week at Carrick at half time I told the players we should have gone in with a better lead and left ourselves badly exposed by not taking the chances we had in the first half. We didn’t battle or do enough in the second half or do the ugly stuff so the players weren’t able to lift themselves when Carrick equalised then went in front. The two goals we conceded were down to mentality and bad decision making, just as they were against Coleraine. I’ve emphasised to the players that being full time demands a full-time professional mentality and that anyone who thinks they just need to turn up against part time teams will continue to be shown up as teams like Carrick have good, experienced players and managers.
"The younger players put in a decent performance to get the win against Dollingstown but there’s no hiding place in matches against Linfield and the players know that. They’ve had a good recent run of performances and results at Windsor so they know how to go there and win against strong Linfield teams. I’d like to be going there with a more settled side but the lads we have fit have been working hard so I’m optimistic we’ll come away with a good result.”
Remaining tickets for this game can be purchased HERE from the Linfield FC website,
Please read HERE for a police notice for Glentoran supporters attending the game.
Artwork by BETH STAFFORD
