Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Glentoran fans could bank on it
Glentoran v Ballymena
The Oval, 7.45pm
BALLYMENA United boss David Jeffrey says it’s no surprise Glentoran are making forward strides under Mick Mcdermott in the wake of the club’s £1m takeover in July.
A consortium has invested heavily in the East Belfast outfit and the benefits are being seen in refurbishment work behind the scenes at The Oval.
Mcdermott has also bolstered his squad with the recent captures of Dutch winger Elvio van Overbeek, midfielder Navid Nasseri and Croatian duo Hrvoje Plum and Marijan Antolovic.
Former Derry City defender Paddy Mcclean, who scored a stunning winner in last week’s 3-2 victory at Larne, has also agreed a new contract with the club until 2022.
Asked if the Glens are a ‘different animal’ this season, Jeffrey said: “With respect and without wishing to state the obvious, their recent investment means they are a different animal.
“They were very clear they wanted to invest in the squad. If you have money you can do that and they were impressive in last week’s win at Larne.”
Jeffrey claims this year’s league is one of the most competitive he can recall, dating back to his time as a teak tough defender with Linfield in the 1980s.
Ballymena lie sixth in the table, four points below the Glens in fifth, but with a game in hand.
He said: “I’m 56 now and I’ve been involved in the Irish League since I was 19 years old and I’ve never seen as strong a league in a long, long time.
“And I’m talking right down the line. It’s very tight and competitive.”