Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
KEARNEY VIEW ON GLENTORAN RESERVE PRICE
Glentoran The Showgrounds, 7.45pm
Coleraine v
BY DARREN FULLERTON COLERAINE boss Oran Kearney believes it was inevitable that high-flying Glentoran would be major contenders for the
Gibson Cup this season.
Following Ali Pour’s high-profile investment in 2019, boss Mick Mcdermott and his assistant Paul Millar have built a star-studded side at The Oval.
And Kearney (inset) believes the Big Two giants, who last lifted the title in 2009, could field multiple sides such is the strength in depth available to Mcdermott this season.
“Glentoran’s squad is phenomenal and they could field two teams in the Irish League and they would more than hold their own,” said Kearney.
“They have built up their squad and they have also signed again (former Linfield striker Michael O’connor) for January, so that’s the challenge for us.
“We know what we have to push towards, but we also know what it takes to get a result against the full-time teams and the levels we’ve got to hit.”
Coleraine, who drew 0-0 with league leaders Cliftonville on Saturday, are in the midst of a tough run of games with reigning champions Linfield next up at the Showgrounds this weekend.
“It’s another tough game, but it’s great,” said Kearney. “Ask the boys would they rather train on a Tuesday or play Glentoran under the lights? They’d rather play.
“It’s a night game and that should make it exciting for the supporters. Hopefully we get another big crowd in and we can find another big performance.”
The Glens lie second in the table ahead of tonight’s trip to Coleraine, who slipped to fourth following Saturday’s stalemate with the Reds.
Both sides have unbeaten runs to defend, 15 games in all competitions for the Bannsiders and nine in the league for the Glens who beat Dungannon on Friday night.
Remarkably, Coleraine have kept 12 clean sheets in their last 15 games, six of them coming in seven league games at the Showgrounds.
“It’s great and when you look through them it takes all sorts to keep a clean sheet, including (goalkeeper) Gareth Deane,” said Kearney.
“Gareth has pulled off some cracking saves and really earned some of those clean sheets, while in others he hasn’t had a save to make and it’s about the guys in front of him.”