31st Jan 05. Glentoran 2 Ards 0 - Talk about leavin it friggin late, heart-attacks all round at the Oval on Saturday until Locky popped up with the opener on 89 minutes! Big changes to the line-up too. Chris Walker back in at centre-half for the injured Colin Nixon, Pat McGibbon alongside him, and Leeper pushed up into midfield for the dropped Shaun Holmes.
You've gotta say though that for a long long time it didn't look like it was gonna pay off. The introduction of long term injury Stephen Parkhouse for Halliday in the second half made little difference either as the Glens struggled to break down a very stubborn Ards defence. Halliday hit a post in the first half and Gavin Melaugh hit another from all of 35 yards in the second, but other than that it was very much all huff and puff with no end product at all. The relief when Locky headed home from Melaugh's corner was unbelievable, and I have to say Ards must have been gutted having battled so well for so long. A Morgan penalty late into added time really did rub salt into the wound because although they didn't create a lot up front I thought the away side were still worthy of a point. But thems the breaks as they say, and 3 massive points for us means it's as you were at the top of the table. But what a scare.
29th Jan 05. Irish Cup Tickets - Tickets go on sale today for the Oval 6th round Irish Cup tie with the scum on February 12th. 10,000 tickets have been made available for the game (5,000 each). Priced £8 & £5 for a stand seat, and £6 terrace, you can purchase them at the Oval Ticket Office beside the players entrance from 1.30pm. Thereafter they can be had any weekday at the Oval between 10.30am and 1.30pm, and at the following outlets daily:
Dawson's Newsagency on the Belmont Road (opposite the Belmont Bethany Chippy)
Maxol Service Station, Francis Street, Newtownards
Westbourne Glentoran Supporters Club
28th Jan 05. Ards game - Well whad'ya say about this one? Probably have to do without Leeper and Nicky too, so I expect Coyler will probably throw Elliott Morris in alongside Andy Kilmartin at centre-half and bring Pat McGibbon into goals ... anything but play Walker! Anyways, could have been worse, this must win tie just happens to be against a side on an awful League run of late, even worse than ours! While we've won only one of the last four, Ards haven't tasted victory in the Premier League since November the friggin 20th, and actually lost their last five! Let's hope to God their bad form continues eh, coz if we play the way we did last friggin weekend ... ? The top two both have tricky aways tomorrow, what better time then to put in a good showing and maybe climb back up that table. It's still all there to play for, the destination of that title is STILL in our hands ... but starting tomorrow we need to turn that corner.
Match Betting: Glentoran 3/10, Ards 8/1, and a draw 7/2. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
27th Jan 05. Setanta Cup Draw -
Group 1
15/03/05 - Glentoran v Longford Town (tournament opening fixture)
04/04/05 - Longford Town v linfield
19/04/05 - linfield v Glentoran
25/04/05 - Longford Town v Glentoran
10/05/05 - linfield v Longford Town
16/05/05 - Glentoran v linfield
Group 2
22/03/05 - Shelbourne v Portadown
29/03/05 - Cork City v Shelbourne
11/04/05 - Portadown v Cork City
25/04/05 - Portadown v Shelbourne
02/05/05 - Shelbourne v Cork City
16/05/05 - Cork City v Portadown
Winners of each group meet in Final on 21st May
26th Jan 05. Glens Seconds ... take on linfield swifts tonight at the Oval in the Reserve League folks, kick-off is 7.45.
Result: Glens II's 0 - 0 linfield swifts
24th Jan 05. Lisburn Distillery 2 Glentoran 1 - Absolutely ordinary all day we were, and another two goals conceded! Time for a change, Chris Walker should be back in the team immediately, a blind man on a galloping horse can see it!
Limavady game - For whatever reason, and I've heard a few, the attempt to re-arrange our postponed game with Limavady for tomorrow night has been scuppered. No date has yet been agreed.
21st Jan 05. Lisburn Distillery game - Last away game this one before 4 home ties on the trot. Already played the Whites twice this season, winning both. A narrow 1-0 win in the League at the Oval back on October 9th, then completely over-ran them at the swamp in the CIS Cup Semi 12 days later, a 2-0 scoreline nothing like the real story ... HERE.
But that's the thing about the Whites this season, you never know which Distillery you're gonna get. They've beaten the likes of Portadown at Ballyskeagh, but also lost there to Ballymena and Newry - although back to back 3-1 wins over Cliftonville and Coleraine would suggest they're probably hitting a wee bit of form. That victory over the Bannsiders midweek moved Distillery up 6 places to 5th spot in the table, still some 16 points adrift of ourselves, but you can bet they'll be keen to close that gap even further. Our old friend Mr Armour might be worth watching tomorrow too, he's banged in 17 for his new/old club this current term, 2 more than his Oval replacement Chris Morgan!
As for us, well we just need to keep chipping away, and a win is a must tomorrow. I don't see Portadown or the scum slipping up at home to Institute or Newry, but after we host Limavady at the Oval next Tuesday, Saturday sees us at home to dodgy Ards, while the others have tricky aways to Cliftonville and Coleraine respectively. I think you'll agree we're gonna have to be tighter than last Tuesday at the back though, on another night Ballymena would have scored a bagfull, after going 11 games and conceding just 5 goals in the League, we've now had 10 conceded in our last 5 ... so what's the friggin problem with Coyler and big Walker? Answers on a postcard please ...
Ballymac's bus leaves Wilgar Street at 1.45pm if you fancy a lift, other clubs at the link above.
Match Betting: Lis Distillery 4/1, Glentoran 8/11, and a draw 21/10. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
20th Jan 05. Griffin for the Glens? Rumours of former Northern Ireland defender/midfielder Danny Griffin coming to the Oval have been doin the rounds for a week or so now, ever since a Stockport County fan posted it on the Ballymac messageboard. Dunno how much credence there is in the story, but I've managed to turn up a pretty good profile of the player at the Hatters Independent Supporters Club online. Have a wee read and judge for yourself ... HERE
19th Jan 05. Scott Young update - Better news for wee Scotty yesterday. X-rays in hospital have confirmed no complications, and the bone breakages have knitted perfectly. Hopefully sooner now rather than later he can resume some sort of training and be raring to go for our Champions League Qualifying games ;-).
18th Jan 05. Glentoran 4 Ballymena Utd 2 - Glens go back to the top of the Premier League ... and hopefully this time there to stay! Match report has now been moved HERE.
Ballymena Utd game - Deja vu ... ? There's been an initial check on the Oval pitch this morning and considering the overnight weather apparently it doesn't look too bad. As there's more sleet and snow on the way later today though, a further inspection has now been arranged for 4.00pm this evening. 4.15pm. GAME ON
BTW - ignore various reports in the press, ko time tonight is definitely 7.45pm, not 8.
17th Jan 05. It never rains ... well not tomorrow apparently, friggin snow blizzards on the way now! Fingers crossed for the Ballymena game.
Lisburn Rangers 0 Glentoran 6 - Ever so slightly late I know folks, but it really was a long weekend ;-)
15th Jan 05. 6th round draw - If the Glens are fortunate enough to be in the hat for the Irish Cup 6th round draw come 5 o'clock tonight, stick your ear to the Glentoran Boardroom door, that's where it's being made ...
Alternatively you can always watch it live on the box next door ;-)
14th Jan 05. Lisburn Rangers game - Two seasons ago at this stage of the Irish Cup we had the visit of Oxford United Stars to the Oval, mis-match of the round they said - the 11-0 scoreline proved them right! Now they're saying it again, as so-called minnows Lisburn Rangers are the latest amateur side to face the holders in the 5th round. Quite a change of opposition for the Northern Amateur League Division 1b side, more used to facing the likes of Donard Hospital, Dromara Village, and Bryansburn Rangers, but having battled through 5 away games just to reach this stage of the competition, who's to say they don't deserve their day in the limelight. Anything other than a defeat of course is out of the question, outside of the fact they're facing the best team in the country, this also happens to be our Cup, and we intend to keep it!
No SAS tomorrow, that one game suspension finally to be used up, but other than that it'll be same again, I imagine everyone should be well and truly rested! So here we go again folks, the road to that annual sunny day out in May begins, let's hope it doesn't rain and the juniors get to enjoy their big day ... not too much though ;-)
Match Betting: Glentoran 1/25, Lisburn Rangers 25/1, and a draw 15/2. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
11th Jan 05, 4.15pm. MATCH OFF - High winds and the prospect of more
Ballymena Utd game ... Weather permitting of course! Right, as I said 10 days ago ...
Glentoran Old Boys more like! A warning though, Darren Fitzgerald should be making his debut for new club Ballymena ... a warning that is, if you usually stand behind one of the goals ;-) The draw specialists this lot. Of the 14 Premier League and 6 League Cup Group games before the New Year the Sky Blues had drawn half of them, their only knockout tie being against ourselves in the League Cup Q/Final when we beat them 1-0 at the Oval. They don't lose very many, only 3 so far, but I'm afraid they're gonna have to lose tonight.
As for the rest - The Glens have lost one game in their last 14 and listening to McFall and Fester you'd think the League was already over! Wonder who they'll be rootin for tonight eh? FFS Portadown have already beaten us twice in this League and if we win our games in hand we'll STILL be 4 clear of them! As for the scum ... that team of 'hoofers' have already had two opportunities, AND ON THEIR OWN PATCH, and they still can't touch us! Gimme a friggin break here!
Like I said the other day, you're still the best and most consistent team in this League lads, do the biz tonight and you're back on top of the pile ... and there to stay! Let's shove it down their throats.
**Update, 1.00pm - There's to be a pitch inspection today at 4.00pm, don't hold your breath though, it's absolutely chuckin it down sideways at the moment! Forecasts of 90mph gusts tonight are I believe also of a major concern, not least for the safety of spectators. Should there be a possibility of the game going ahead at 4, a final decision may be delayed until closer to kick-off, dependent on conditions.
10th Jan 05. What's the chances of us gettin a match on the marra nite - have ya heard the friggin weather forecast!
Assuming Lisburn Rangers don't pull a rabbit out of the hat in the Irish Cup next weekend, I reckon we could be playing a game every nite by the time this Setanta Cup starts!
8th Jan 05 - 12.00 noon. GAME OFF! - Not in the least bit surprising really given the last 24hrs weather.
Other Irish League Results ... Ards 1-3 Cliftonville, Dungannon 0-0 Crusaders, Larne 2-3 Portadown
7th Jan 05. BREAKING NEWS - Ferguson signs for Glens in transfer window ... HERE
Limavady United game ... Only 6 points behind us now Limavady are, 13 goals scored to our 11 in their last 4 games have largely accounted for that, with 6 (7) conceded. Tot all that up, and that's an unbelievable 37 goals served up between both sides last 8 combined fixtures, what's the betting tomorrow on a 0-0 draw! Hard to believe the bookies odds at the end of this write-up, is there something they know that I dont! Having said that, despite the recent form of Limavady, I don't think we're about to lie down for this one. We need to get back on track ASAP, others will be watching events unfurl at the Oval very very closely tomorrow, a convincing win for the Glens would spoil quite a few pints in Mid-Ulster and leafy West Belfast ;-) We have 5 games at home now out of the next 6, and 4 of those are in the League, far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter who they're against, you'd expect us to be well top of the table at the end of all those.
So Glens, let's start again, one swallow doesn't make a summer and all that, and the fans will still be there in force for you tomorrow. Put Portadown behind you, forget it, you're the best team in the League, and I've no doubt come this time next week they'll all looking up our ar$es once again :-) Le jeu avant tout.
Match Betting: Glentoran 4/9, Limavady Utd 13/2, and a draw 13/5. All odds supplied by TOALS bookmakers
6th Jan 05. Mixed fortunes for SAS - Mark Glendinning has just been named NI Football Writers' Player of the Month for December. The Glens left-back has been getting among the goals lately, and is the Glens 5th highest goalscorer with 7 already this season, not bad for a defender who'll be 35 this May! On the down side though, last night he was handed a different kind of award - a one match ban in the latest list of IFA suspensions. That punishment begins on Monday, meaning SAS misses the re-arranged match against Ballymena heh at the Oval on Tuesday night.
Good news? Not a lot! Unfortunately that's now become the norm at a Glens AGM :-( Lost more money, Lost more money, Lost more money ... but on the bright side we get to find out who we'll play in the 'Free State' when the draw's done for the 'Setanta' Cup at the end of this month HERE :-) Oh aye, and the Oval's sold!
5th Jan 05. AGM night ... KO 7.00pm, bring plenty of hankies!
4th Jan 05. Portadown 4 Glentoran 3 - It's taken me till today to calm down after that one, 2-nil up, 3-1 up, and blew it!
I've heard everyone blamed bar the gateman in the last 24 hours, but far as I'm concerned the finger this time should be well and truly pointed in one direction ... at the manager. If the Glens had played any deeper yesterday they'd have needed a friggin shovel to get out of the place! Three shots was all we had in that first half, fortunately they all went in, but how the hell a team are expected to win a game playing across their own 18 yard line is beyond me!
A tactical disaster ... something you'd expect to see at the swamp!
1st Jan 2005! GAME OFF - Today's Ballymena United game has just been called off. A sudden and unexpected outburst of rain, hail, thunder and lightning around noon has left the Oval flooded!
