Fresh off a victory in the County Antrim Shield over Ards on Tuesday evening, Glentoran’s imperious start to the season continues as they secured their semi-final spot in the competition. The east Belfast outfit face arch-rivals Linfield for a spot in the final, where they will play either their near-neighbours Dundela or three-peat-chasing Larne if they prevail.
They’ve been in fine form in both league and cup to start the campaign, and a 1-4 win at Clandeboye Park demonstrated their strength in depth as well. While manager Mick McDermott has played strong sides in the cups, ahead of a visit to Windsor Park to play the Blues this Friday he opted to rotate. He was not to be left disappointed.
The Glens’ defensive steeliness is no better emphasised than the fact that Dan Reynolds’ first-half finish for their blue and red-striped opponents was only the second goal they have conceded in all competitions this season.
The last one they let in was two months ago, as Ross Clarke opened the scoring for north Belfast foes Crusaders at The Oval in the second match of the Premiership campaign. Their hosts reacted in turn as goals by Rory Donnelly, Conor McMenamin and ex-Crues defender Aidan Wilson earned them a 3-1 win.
A pear-shaped end to last term has fuelled their intent to atone this time, and they have certainly started on the front foot.
They ended 2021/22 on a sour note. An eligibility issue surrounding player Joe Crowe saw them expelled from the Irish Cup with their attempts to appeal not resulting in reinstatement. McDermott’s expressions of dismay of the Comet registration system on Twitter – albeit not the only one to express annoyance publicly or privately – drew ridicule from some quarters, while on the pitch a poor end to the season culminated in a Ronan Hale-inspired Larne recovering from two goals down at The Oval to beat them 2-4 in the European play-off final, claiming continental football at their hosts’ expense. No trophies to show and questions posed at the boss.
With existing attacking talent like Northern Ireland international McMenamin and the Donnelly brothers Rory and Jay, they bolstered in the off-season with the acquisitions of Scottish striker Ally Roy and local favourite Danny Purkis.
Few players could have entered 2022/23 with a bigger point to prove than big-money arrival Shay McCartan, who had joined for a reported then-Irish League record six-figure sum from Ballymena United in 2021 but had yet to find the consistency to match expectations that come with such a pricetag. With Robbie McDaid’s departure to Linfield, his service to the club was a void the ex-Accrington Stanley, Bradford City and Lincoln City man seemed primed to fill.
In defence, Scotsman Wilson’s arrival came in the same summer the highly-regarded Caolan Marron made a rather surprising move late in the window to Dungannon Swifts, with midfielder Terry Devlin going the other way to even it up. Joining him in this area were ex-Glenavon stalwart James Singleton and teenage prospect Harry Murphy from Portadown.
To start the season, both the new boys and key cogs of last term’s panel have made an imposing impact. They commenced the league campaign with a 0-0 draw at Larne, and have won all six games since.
With a match in hand on the table-topping Invermen, they have scored 16 and conceded only once to sit in 2nd-place on 19 points.
The successful retention of McMenamin – his debut displays for Northern Ireland at the Nations League in June surely must have piqued cross-water transfer interest – always represented a statement of intent. He has begun the season stylishly once more, but just as impressive as the side have looked going forward as they have been in the rearguard.
Wilson has slotted in seamlessly alongside captain Paddy McClean to form a stern pair, and the duo have also chipped in with seven goals between them already. McClean, the younger brother of near-centurion Republic of Ireland international James, is just ahead of his partner on four for the season, including three in the past fortnight.
Singleton has at times joined them to form a back-three or as a conventional left back, in competition with decade-long servant Marcus Kane and Bobby Burns in this area, while Rhys Marshall has been favoured at right back.
There are goals all over Glentoran, in respective attacking and defensive areas as well as from live-ball and set-piece situations where they have tended to thrive. Creative impetus is provided not just from the wings but from the likes of Croatian Hrvoje Plum or the flexible Sean Murray in midfield. There is a complete look to the side.
The early indications are that they can handle the big occasions as well. A 1-0 win over a high-flying Coleraine and the aforementioned 3-1 win over the Crues could be added to if they can stun David Healy’s Blues this Friday night.
It has felt as though they have got the tension from last season’s end out of their system.
Linfield haven’t had much home comfort of late. That is to say, they haven’t been playing much on their own soil – not since their heartbreaking shoot-out loss in the last Europa Conference League qualifier to Latvian team RFS seven weeks ago, with their mid-week win on penalties at Cliftonville in the County Antrim Shield their TENTH away day in a row.
The south Belfast side remain in all cups but have had a rather inconspicuous start to their title defence, seven points off top spot with a game in hand.
Thus it must inspire Glentoran’s motivations to make things more awkward in this clash. It is a big game for both sides, a test of mettle where each team still has to go out and prove a point.
The Glens are 23-time top-flight champions but each of the other three top-tier capital clubs have claimed the Gibson Cup more recently than them. Not since 2009 have they held that trophy aloft, with the 2020 Irish Cup the sole cup the men’s team have won of any description in the past seven years. They know themselves: for a side of their size and stature, that is not good enough.
There is no doubt the squad they have now is good enough to claim silverware and challenge for titles.
Said strength in depth was also highlighted by bright accounts given by young stars like Kirk McLaughlin, Devlin and Aaron Wightman this mid-week. Excuses are wearing ever-thinner, this team has to win something.
The way the season trajectory has hit off rightfully inspires belief and confidence, and for still being the early-season, this Friday seems big.
McDermott – who in the past worked in Iran with Esteghlal and in the United States – has also been able to adjust his system and tactics smoother.
The call to move Jay Donnelly away from the ‘9’ spot in the later-season seemed to take a chunk out of their collective potency up top, and while McMenamin’s form remained sharp despite their late-season slump – they failed to win any of their five post-split matches – overall there was less flow in how the team played.
Now, Donnelly has been restored to leading the line be it as a lone frontman or in a pair, and a defined mix of back-three and back-four systems has not detracted from performances or results. It will be interesting to see which shape they take at Windsor Park.
He has not started the season in the flying form he’d like, only just scoring his first open-play Premiership goal of the season in their last match – a 5-0 win over Carrick Rangers – but perhaps that is also testament to the variety of goal-sources that they don’t have to depend on him to find the net. In league play, McClean and Wilson are level with him on two, while McMenamin tops out on four with his creative craft too.
Nothing should be taken for granted in football but they look well-equipped and capable of running the course.
It will make for keen watching to see if that is the reality that transpires.
Featured image from Glentoran F.C. official website (please contact for photographer credit)
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