Danske Bank Premiership: Glentoran v Ballymena United (tonight, 7.45pm)
GLENTORAN manager Mick McDermott may have been pleased with his side’s performance in last week’s defeat to Cliftonville, but the Glens will have to be more ruthless in front of goal to take three points tonight.
The east Belfast men created some good chances in their 1-0 loss at Solitude last Saturday, but they couldn’t find the finishing touch to enable them to take something from the game.
With the likes of £100,000 man Shay McCartan, former Reds Jay and Ruaidhrí Donnelly and Conor McMenamin in their squad, the Glens have an abundance of riches up front, but McDermott knows the key will be finding the right rhythm in a starting 11 as soon as possible.
McCartan, the two Donnellys and Robbie McDaid all looked sharp against Cliftonville without converting while, the week before, McDaid, Menamin and Rory Donnelly got the goals in a 3-2 opening day win over Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park.
“As a manager, you’ve got an idea of a strongest 11 and the fans have their idea of a strongest 11, but I have an idea of my strongest 11 and the way we want to play,” he said ahead of tonight’s match.
“There are things to work on for Ballymena on Friday night and we’ll prepare like we prepare for every game and, as I told the boys, you have to be prepared for every game being like a cup final. To beat Glentoran is a big thing, more so now.”
Ballymena, who sold McCartan to Glentoran in the summer transfer window, have played just the one game of their Danske Bank Premiership season so far – a 2-1 defeat to Warrenpoint Town at Milltown.
As a result, manager David Jeffrey will be anxious to get at least the one point on the board from tonight’s clash at the Oval. Jeffrey handed debuts to Lee Chapman, Dan Bramall, David Parkhouse and Dougie Wilson in their opening day defeat on the road, with Wilson enduring a nightmare start when he saw red just after half-time.
Wilson aside, who will serve a suspension, the United boss will be hoping the rest of his new recruits will have settled in sufficiently to put on a performance tonight.
