Glentoran travelled across town to Suffolk Road today, looking for another three points to keep their recent good run of form going. Around two o’clock this afternoon though, the Black Mountain disappeared and the heavens opened. It poured with rain for about twenty minutes and it looked that we might not get a game at all. Thankfully it did go ahead and the Glens, with two goals in each half, ran out winners.

Glentoran almost went in front straight from the kick off. Sean Ward played in Richard Gibson but the big striker, fresh from his three goal performance against Lisburn Distillery, was denied by an excellent stop from Gerard McVeigh. A Liam Bradley free kick caused a bit of panic in the Glentoran defence on seven minutes, the ball eventually reaching Eamon McAllister but he failed to take advantage. The slippery surface was causing problems for most of the players, amongst them Ciaran Martyn who lost his footing at the crucial moment when set up by great play from Ward and Gibson. A minute later Gibson appeared to be pulled down in the area but referee Burns waved play on. Glentoran went in front on fourteen minutes. Gary Hamilton’s superb pass from central midfield put Stephen Carson away on the left. He carried the ball into the area before calmly slotting it past McVeigh. On twenty minutes Darren Murray had a great chance for the home side but Jimmy Callacher, who had another excellent game in the centre of defence, made a great block. Carson fired over (20) whilst at the other end Ryan Henderson’s twenty five yard effort was just too high. Glentoran doubled their lead on the half hour mark. Carson received the ball wide on the left. His first cross was blocked but his second found the head of Ciaran Martyn and the ball flew into the top corner. Ten minutes later it was almost three-nil but Hamilton’s in swinging corner was tipped over the bar by McVeigh. Gibson should have extended the lead in first half stoppage time but he headed the ball straight at the keeper.

DC made a real fight of it in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half. Paul McVeigh went close on forty seven minutes and five minutes later a free kick was deflected towards his own goal by Colin Nixon. Fortunately Elliott Morris was able to react quickly and keep it out. Morris was at his best on fifty seven minutes. The ball reached Henderson in the area and his shot looked goal bound but Elliott, at full stretch, turned the ball away. DC hit Glentoran on the break again on sixty three minutes but this time Henderson’s cross was just too strong for McVeigh. A Glentoran free kick (67) almost led to another goal. The ball into the area was cleared to David Howland and he was unlucky to see his twenty yard effort deflected for a corner. From the resultant set piece (taken by Hamilton) Carson’s flicked header was just too high. On seventy six minutes Glentoran made the points safe when they scored a third. Gary Hamilton broke down the left and delivered a superb ball across the goal line. Substitute Andy Waterworth and Richard Gibson were both running in and it was Waterworth who got there first to force the ball over the line. With three minutes remaining Paul McVeigh was denied a consolation goal by Morris. In the second minute of stoppage time the Glens almost made it four. Stephen Carson made a great interception in midfield and broke away before feeding Hamilton. It would have been a great goal but a DC defender got in an excellent block. Moments later an error by substitute Jody Lynch in the DC defence presented the ball to Darren Boyce and he made them pay, drilling home another goal.

Glentoran: Morris, Ward, Hill, Nixon (capt), Callacher, Howland, Martyn, O’Hanlon, Carson, Gibson & Hamilton.
Subs: Waterworth for O’Hanlon (61), Boyce for Gibson (76) & Clarke for Martyn (82).

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