Glentoran striker Pat Hoban has his sights firmly set on adding to his goal tally this weekend as the Glens travel to the Ballymena Showgrounds to face Ballymena United in the Sports Direct Premiership on Saturday (Kick-off: 3.00pm).
The prolific frontman announced himself to the Glentoran faithful in style on his first start for the club on Tuesday night, netting twice in a 3–1 County Antrim Shield win over Ards.
It was the perfect way for the 33-year-old Galway native to open his account and underlined the pedigree that has already delivered more than 200 senior career goals across spells with Mervue United, Dundalk, Oxford United, Mansfield Town and, most recently, Derry City.
That midweek success followed a cameo appearance from the bench in Saturday’s 1–1 Sports Direct Premiership draw with Carrick Rangers, Hoban’s first competitive minutes since recovering from a minor injury that kept him sidelined for the opening weeks of the campaign.
Declan Devine’s side remain unbeaten across all competitions this season, with four wins and a draw from their opening five Premiership fixtures keeping them top of the table in the early weeks of the campaign.
Impressive victories over Portadown, Bangor, Glenavon and Crusaders and a draw against a stubborn Carrick Rangers side have underlined the Glens’ intent, while the return of Hoban’s cutting edge adds further firepower to an already in-form squad.
Pat Hoban said: “At the start of a new season you want to be fit and firing on all cylinders, so picking up an injury just before the first game was really frustrating. As a new signing all you want to do is get out there, play football and show people what you can bring to the team and I hate being injured more than anything.
“It was tough sitting on the sidelines and watching, but at the same time the lads have been outstanding. The way we have started the season, unbeaten and right up at the top of the table, speaks volumes about the quality in this squad.
“To be back involved now feels fantastic. Coming on against Carrick at the weekend gave me a real buzz just to be back on the pitch, but to then make my first start on Tuesday and score twice was exactly what I have been working towards.
“As a striker, goals are your bread and butter, they are what you thrive on and putting the ball in the back of the net is why I have been brought here. To get off the mark so quickly was a brilliant feeling and hopefully it is just the start of a big season for me and for the team.”
Picture by Thomas Sewell
Hoban says the environment he has stepped into at Glentoran has impressed him from day one. He believes the professionalism and standards being set behind the scenes are as good as anything he has experienced in his career and that level of preparation gives the players the best possible platform to succeed.
Hoban said: “One thing that has really struck me since coming here is the professionalism throughout the club. Declan, Paddy and Tim are relentless in their standards. Every training session is detailed, intense and geared towards improvement.
“Off the pitch, everything from the schedules to the recovery work, nutrition and injury prevention is first class. That level of preparation gives us the perfect platform to perform and takes away any excuses.
“As players, we know the hard work is being done around us to make sure we are ready, so when we step onto the pitch it comes down to us delivering results. That kind of environment drives you on every day.”
Hoban, who has lifted multiple League of Ireland titles with Dundalk and stands as the club’s all-time record scorer, says he joined Glentoran with one clear motivation to win trophies.
With more than 200 senior goals to his name and a reputation as one of the most prolific and decorated strikers in League of Ireland history, he knows what it takes to deliver at the highest level.
Now, having made the move to East Belfast, he is determined to channel that experience into helping Glentoran towards success on all fronts.
Pat added: “My focus is very simple. I want to play games, score goals and help this team lift trophies. That is what drives me every day and it is why I came to Glentoran.
“From my very first conversation with Declan and Paddy, they spoke about the ambition of bringing trophies back to this club and rewarding the Glentoran fans. That really struck a chord with me because I am at a stage of my career where winning is all that matters.
What excites me most is that everyone in the dressing room shares that same mentality. From the players to the staff, everyone is pulling in the same direction and that gives me huge confidence about what we can achieve together.”
Saturday’s opponents Ballymena United have also made an eye-catching start to the Sports Direct Premiership, winning three of their opening four fixtures to sit fourth in the table.
Jim Ervin’s side claimed back-to-back away victories over Glenavon and Portadown before producing a commanding 4–0 home win against Bangor, with their only setback coming in a 2–0 defeat at Larne last weekend.
Hoban says he is expecting a tough test at the Showgrounds, noting that the pre-match analysis carried out by Declan Devine and his staff has underlined Ballymena’s defensive strength with three clean sheets and their attacking threat with eight goals already this season.
Hoban concluded: “Ballymena have shown already that they’re a really tough side to break down. Three clean sheets in their first four games tells you how strong they are defensively and at the same time they’ve got players who can hurt you going forward with eight goals scored.
“For us, it’s about going there and imposing our game on them. We need to win our individual battles all across the park, nullify their threats going forward and make sure we take our chances when they come.
“The fans have been superb so far this season, home and away. They’ve turned out in their numbers and really got behind us and as players we want to repay that support with another big performance on Saturday.”
For Glentoran fans planning to attend Saturday’s Sports Direct Premiership fixture against Ballymena United, match tickets are available for purchase at: https://eventlist.store/ballymenaunited/away