Irish Premier League

31st August

Glentoran V Linfield

Final Score Glentoran 1 Linfield 0

Glens Come Out On Top

Striker Stuart Eliott fired the Smirnoff Premiership champions back on course with an amazing goal during the first half of the thrilling battle at the Oval. Close on 10,000 fans watched this gripping game. Linfield supporters were left open-mouthed when their new Scottish goalkeeper Paul Mathers committed the mother of all howlers to present Elliott with a golden goal. However Elliott later blotted his copybook after being cautioned in the opening minutes he later commited a further offence and was dismissed.

But it proved a priceless piece of plundering by the 21 year old. Mathers must shoulder the blame for a moment of madness following a timid back pass by Tommy McDonald in the 31st minute. It wasn't as if LInfield had their sorrows to seek before this gaffe. They lost three players due to injury before Mathers was presurised by the inrushing Elliott. The 29 year old decided to play his way out of danger. It was mind boggling stuff as the Scot attempted to slip the ball around Elliott.

But the fancy footwork completely fouled up. Mathers was left holding his head in embarrassment after Elliott dispossessed him and curled home a beauty from an extremely acute angle.

It was just the tonic the Glens needed following desperate defeats against Glenavon and Distillery. In the first encounter of the season against their arch rivals, the champions were bursting to prove a point. It was tough going in the trenches early on. The tackling was ferocious. Elliott was booked in the third minute for a high challenge on John Easton. Six minutes later left back Easton came in late on Michael Ferguson and received a yellow card from Referee Michael Ross. As the torrid action progressed the man from Carrickfergus seemed to lose the plot booking for indiscretions that appeared not too significant and sometimes overlooking the obvious. It was no place for the faint hearted. The Blues left back John Easton had to withdraw in the 16th minute injured, to be replaced by ex Crusaders man Trevor McMullan.

The catalogue of Linfield injury problems began to take on serious proportions when master craftsman and team skipper Noel Bailie appeared to damage his right ankle and also went off injured in the 22nd minute. Bailie was replaced by Jamie Marks. The agony for Linfield increased in the 27th minute when midfield man Norman Kelly sustained facial injuries during an accidential clash with Paul Leeman. It was becoming a battlefield scene and during all the hectic action referee Ross piled up Yellow Cards which was to have a disastrous effect on two players during the closing seconds. Moments after Gary Chisholm came on from the dugout to replace Kelly, Elliott stole the ball and the show with a goal that should get the Glens back on title track.

Paul Mathers who was pretty impressive before the embarrassing mistake made amends with an incredible reflex save to prevent Paul Leeman's downward header going into the net, it was a world class save and seem to claw the ball out.

Before that Linfield had opportunities. The best opening arrived in the 38th minute Stephen Beatty's chip was latched onto by quick thinking Tony Gorman but his exquisite right foot lob beat Alan Gough but bounced off the Glens crossbar.

On 52 minutes Glentoran should have gone further ahead when the vision of  Scott Young opened the gap for Darren Finlay, but the wee man hooked over. On 59 minutes it was war zone time again when Linfield Substiute Marks crashed into the back of Elliott and suffered a large gash on his forehead. Marks was very fortunate to get away with a Yellow card as he leaned into the challenge with the elbow showing.

With all substitutes in use Marks had his blood spattered face patched and he continued to the end. Overall there were seven bookings. It proved costly for Winky Murphy as he completed a black night for the Blues. For a second bookable offence with a terrible trip on Glentoran substitute Tim McCann., he was sent off six minutes from time.

The incident happened right in front of the Linfield followers. Sadly a few Linfield hooligans fired missiles onto the pitch and Referee Michael Ross was struck on the head by one of the on coming missiles to suffer a head injury. Players from both sided cleared the missiles of the playing surface and thankfully the game continued.

The game ended when goal hero Elliott suffering a similar fate to Murphy in injury time, for clattering into substitute Chisholm.

Referee Mr Michael Ross

My Man of the Match - Scott Young/Alistair McCombe