The first piece of silverware this season is up for grabs, and while the County Antrim Shield has come to be considered the littlest brother of Northern Ireland’s four senior honours, trophies of all kinds count for much – and this is no exception.
In a repeat of the 2020/21 Final, when Larne clinched the first of their active three-peat haul of Shield successes, Glentoran will bid not just for revenge but a first physical prize under Warren Feeney’s tutelage.
The former Northern Ireland frontman took charge in east Belfast to a largely disdaining reaction from Glens supporters, but he could give them a night to remember as this oversized trophy is one the club hasn’t won in over 13 years.
To do so, they must overhaul the side who, under Tiernan Lynch, have made this historic tournament their own in the 2020s, adding to their penalty shoot-out triumph three years ago with back-to-back victories over Linfield in ’22 and ‘23.
The latter was a springboard from which the east Antrim outfit went on to taste Premiership glory for the first time ever and, unsurprisingly, they are desperate to keep the Gibson Cup at Inver Park for a second straight campaign.
Since Kenny Bruce took command by the harbour in 2017, the Larne ship has sailed to golden shores and their senior trophy haul has ballooned.
Victory at Seaview on Tuesday would be their eighth senior-status cup since the Purplebricks co-founder started investing in his home town club – with five of their seven throughout their 135-year history so far coming in the last six and a half years.
After their first honour, a low-key affair that ended goalless before the Inver Reds won on spot-kicks, then-Glentoran boss Mick McDermott didn’t mince his words.
“I’ll tell you where I won’t be next year – in the big circus tent here,” he raged in a no-holds-barred Belfast Telegraph interview afterwards.
“We’re done with the County Antrim Shield.”
Words reminiscent of when Sir Alex Ferguson infamously pulled Manchester United out of the FA Cup in the 1999/2000 season, yet the Glens remained following that 4-3 reversal on penalties – a dust-up which they also made eight changes for – and find themselves in the showpiece in north Belfast again with a trophy on the radar.
A new manager is in charge with McDermott departing a year to the month ago and Feeney having replaced Rodney McAree in the summer. Such rotation is unlikely to be repeated, and the 43-year-old who celebrated his birthday last week knows that the ‘Bin Lid’ will not come gift-wrapped to The BetMcLean Oval; the Glens, who are down in fourth and out of the title reckoning, know they must fight for every ball to upset the odds against a fancied opponent.
With this also being their first outing in 11 days after a Friday night clash with Glenavon fell victim to frost and ice, the men from Mersey Street can’t delay in lighting up the fire in their hearts either.
After all, Larne extended their unbeaten run in the top-flight to 17 matches with a 2-0 win at McAree’s Dungannon Swifts; a defeat to Loughgall at the end of September is the only time they have swallowed that bitter losing pill in league play all season.
A competition considered fourth-rate by some of the big hitters, Glentoran must still be first-rate to record what would be a milestone moment for the archives.
It may not fall into the ‘big one’ category anymore but the Glens most definitely still have something to gain.
Featured image from INPHO/Jonathan Porter.
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