Stunning Glentoran comeback keeps Euro hopes alive
LINFIELD: Moore, Crowe, Haughey, Callacher, Clarke (Campion 81), Millar, Lowry (Rooney 89) Fallon, Quinn, Waterworth, Byrne. Unused subs: Casement, Carroll, McGuinness.
GLENTORAN: Morris, Garrett, Birney (Kerr 40), Addis, Redman, Gordon, Kane McGuigan (Ferrin 90), McMahon (Davidson 53), McDaid, Allen. Unused subs: O’Hanlon, Kelly.
Man of the match: John McGuigan Referee: Ian McNabb (Coleraine).
Match rating: 9/10. GLENTORAN still have the chance of ending a horrible season with a pot of gold!
The east Belfast boys booked their place in Saturday’s Europa League play-off by coming back from the dead to defeat Big Two rivals Linfield in a pulsating shoot-out at Windsor Park last night.
Pop idol Ed Sheeran may have been strutting his stuff on the nearby Boucher Road, but it was the jubilant Glentoran fans who were in full voice as their team now go head-to-head with Cliftonville at Solitude with a cool €240,000 up for grabs.
It looked so good for David Healy’s boys as they roared into a two-goal lead, courtesy of goals from Kurtis Byrne and Andy Waterworth.
But a fantastic second half revival earned the Glens a chance of reaching European football for the first time in three years.
Dylan Davidson began the fightback, scoring from the penalty spot, before John McGuigan and Curtis Allen sent the far end of the ground into raptures.
Although Stephen Fallon replied for the Blues in the last minutes, it was too little to late. The defeat brought the curtain down on a season to forget for Healy’s flops.
Ironically, the Glens had Allen in their line up only after the striker was given the all-clear to play just four hours before kickoff by the IFA Appeals Committee, having had a red card rescinded — he was dismissed against Dungannon Swifts last month.
David Healy’s Linfield were grossly under-strength, with Mark Stafford, Robbie Garrett and Andrew Mitchell all suspended while rookie goalkeeper Alex Moore was drafted in to replace the injured Roy Carroll.
With so much at stake, it was hardly surprising both teams displayed a lot of early nerves.
Joe Crowe had his pocket picked by Robbie McDaid after three minutes. He sent McGuigan scampering through the middle, but his shot was brilliantly blocked by Fallon.
Linfield should have been in front on 21 minutes. Stephen Lowry’s piercing pass found Waterworth, who got in between centre-backs Callum Birney and Johnny Addis.
But goalkeeper Elliott Morris got down brilliantly to paw away the striker’s low drive.
If Waterworth was left red faced by that miss, Glens skipper Marcus Kane will have night- mares for fluffing a wonderful chance on 24 minutes.
Addis’ monster long throw fell perfectly for the midfielder just six yards out, but he managed to screw his shot across the face of the goal when it looked easier to score.
The home fans were celebrating two minutes later with the delicious strike from Byrne.
He brilliantly pulled down a cross from Kirk Millar and, after a quick swivel, he shot low and hard into the bottom corner.