Ron’s back in the game with Glens

Mcfall to lead Glens out of darkness

FORMER title winning Glentoran striker Chris Morgan has backed a “refreshed” Ronnie Mcfall to steady the Oval ship.

The veteran coach has been appointed until the end of the season following Gary Haveron’s departure earlier this week.

Mcfall has been out of work since March 2016 when he ended a remarkable 29-year tenure as Portadown boss where he won four league titles and an array of other trophies.

Morgan, below, whose goals helped fire the Ovalmen to the Gibson Cup in 2005, believes the Glentoran board will view the 72-year-old as a “safe pair of hands”.

He said: “The one thing Ronnie brings is experience. The last two managers (Haveron and Alan Kernaghan) have been young with new ideas, so this is a different approach.

“Ronnie will bring a different feel to the changing room and a new manager always lifts the bar. He’ll be looking for early impetus, but the challenge will be sustaining that.”

Morgan believes

Mcfall will be out to make a point after his tenure at Portadown ended in fans unrest and a hasty exit after a shock Irish Cup defeat to Lurgan Celtic.

He said: “Things ended on a bad note at Portadown, so it’s a chance to put that right. He probably didn’t expect to get another chance in football, so he’ll be highly motivated to do well.

“Glentoran are still chasing Europe through the playoffs and have an Irish Cup quarter-final with Coleraine on the horizon, so he still has a lot to target in the last few months of the season.

“He has also attended quite a few Glentoran games this season because his nephew Ross (Redman) is there, so he has the added benefit of knowing some of the strengths and weaknesses of the squad.”

Morgan believes there was a sense of inevitability on Haveron’s sacking after fans staged a protest following Friday’s 2-1 defeat to Ards, a result that leaves them struggling for top-six. He said: “When the fans have turned to that extent, it leaves the board in a really difficult situation. When it reaches that point, there isn’t a lot of room for manoeuvre.

“It’s unfortunate for Gary because while it’s a desirable job, it’s also a very difficult job. The fact they made a good start to the season probably worked against him because expectation levels rose.”