A pulsating contest at the Bet McLean Oval finished all square despite the home side dominating the majority of proceedings. Many may relish an opportunity to replay their chances, perhaps most tellingly a last minute penalty miss as the full time whistle loomed. A
resilient Carrick Rangers side deserve credit in battling for a point, but the Glens will feel this represents two dropped points.
We reckon when Danny Amos signed for the Glens he didn’t think he would star in a poster for The Exorcist. However, he didn’t count on the vision of graphic artist Beth Stafford whose latest fabulous work, which features the former Northern Ireland u21 international, fronts Saturday’s Glentoran Gazette. It’s an edition which acknowledges a new era for Carrick Rangers while Glens manager Declan Devine warns that Stephen Baxter’s side has overcome poor early season form.
Saturday 19 October
Kick Off 3.00pm
On Saturday we look to continue our current run of good performances when we play Carrick Rangers for the third time so far this season and their second visit to the Bet McLean Oval in twelve days.
We have been informed that our Bet McLean League Cup 2nd round tie away to Linfield will now be rescheduled to Tuesday 3rd December.
NIFL have explained that this is due to a UEFA Competitions Regulation that states a venue cannot be used 48 hours before a European or International game. Larne have a European tie at Windsor Park on the Thursday. Therefore, it has been necessary to postpone and reschedule our match v Linfield. Ticket news to follow.
It was a one man show on Saturday evening when the Castlereagh Glentoran Supporters' Club welcomed its officers, members, Glentoran players and officials to the club’s annual Player of the Year Awards Night for the 2023/24 season.
Another game of two halves at the Bet McLean Oval today as a pretty nondescript and largely incident free first 45 minutes was followed by a performance of outstanding confidence and control by the home side.
Declan Devine continued with the team from last week’s Big Two win at the National Stadium, restoring Cameron Palmer to central midfield and Daniel Gyollai to goal with Tuesday’s County Antrim Shield man of the match Finlay Thorndike to the bench. However Thorndike was to play and contribute for over an hour.
Glentoran ended the 2024 season with the points shared at Ashfield tonight in what was effectively a dead rubber last game.
Both goals came in a 6-minute spell at the end of the first half. First the Blues took the lead on 39 minutes when a left-wing break put Rhyleigh Marks in the position to strike home.
However the Glens struck back quickly just inside first half injury time. Emily Wilson broke through the middle and lobbed the keeper from just outside the box, It was Wilson’s 15th goal of the season and one of her best.
Saturday’s Glentoran Gazette, the match programme that crams more into its 40 pages than many of its counterparts in England and Scotland achieve in issues twice the size, is worth collecting alone for Beth Stafford’s latest quirky cover of Paddy McClean on the iron throne from Game of Thrones.
Saturday 12 October
Kick Off 3.00pm
On Saturday we enter the second round of Sports Direct Premiership games when Dungannon Swifts visit the Bet McLean Oval.
Glentoran successfully built momentum from last Friday’s success at Windsor by securing a semi-final place in the Toal’s County Antrim Shield. A dominant performance providing more encouraging signs that this Glentoran side is beginning to gel at a vital time.
Declan Devine mostly opted for continuity in a strong starting line-up. The only changes from Friday were Mills in for Gyollai in goal, and Finlay Thorndike starting ahead of Palmer in the midfield.
