Irish Premier League

Linfield 1 Glentoran 2

Today the Champions played the Champions to be as the Glens took on their bitter rivals in another pulsating derby match watched by a bumper crowd at Windsor Park.  Picture the scene the Blues unbeaten at the International venue for 40 games and the lads from the East come and spoil the party.  The glens were without Scott Young suspension, Leeman, McBride and Walker through injury and the Blues had the strongest team out they could field.  It was a perfect afternoon for football, and the good thing was that there wasn't one bit of crowd trouble, apart from 2 disgusting so called Linfield supporters in the Kop stand which the game had obviously become too much for them they decided to expose themselves towards the North Stand, it wasn't pleasent and the Linfield Stewarts seemed to just to look on, as if they were enjoying the moment.

To the game and the Blues started the brighter when they forced a few corners at the Railway end the Glens didn't settle until the 10th minute when they eventually went on the attack a 50/50 ball from Rainey was clipped over Bailie's head for big Russell to run onto he challenged the goalkeeper un fairly and was clearly a free kick but Referee Barr took it further than he had to and stupidly booked Brian Russell, he to watch himself for the rest of the game, but Barr gave him the benefit of the doubt ten minutes later when he clattered into Beatty with studs showing, Barr played on, Russell very fortunate.

Michael Ferguson was deputising in the centre half role with Paul Leeman injured, a position which Ferguson is not used to, he hasn't even played a first team match hardly this century, playing in the reserves in previous weeks and out through injury.  Larmour seemed to beat Fergie for pace each and every time, but hesitated when he did go past him allowing Ferguson the opportunity to either tackle easily or clear the ball which was quite effective.  Stuart Elliott never seems to get the better of Linfield's right backs in previous season's and it was the same story today with Tommy McDonald, McDonald played him so well he even won a free kick every time Elliott lost the ball to him.  Elliott wasted 2 great chances preferring to shoot from distance rather than taking the easy option of looking up and passing it, these two efforts where both along the ground and were well stopped by Mathers who was really under no pressure from them.  The Blues seemed to miss a hat-ful of simple chances either blasting the ball embarrassingly over the bar or well wide.  On 24 minutes later the best move of the game when Stuart Elliott and John Kennedy who played well combine down the left for Elliott to feed the ball into Rainey at the back post but he slid in too early and dragged his shot into the side netting.  On 42 minutes later the Blues had the easiest chance of the game when Marks crossed to Gorman and the Glens defence hesitated and left Gorman clear through on Gough but the wee Keeper won the battle saving well with his feet and from the rebound Larmour wasted by shooting over and into row D in the Railway stand.

Half Time Linfield 0 Glentoran 0

The game heated up immediately in the second period and the Glens got the break through Russell did well to get a shot in which was well stopped by Mathers and from the rebound Hamill bolted his shot into the far corner past Mathers which sent the massive Glentoran support into raptures, however our Joy was short lived and from the next Linfield attack they scored, a corner in by Gorman and Ferguson with a glancing header past Gough made it 1-1 and it was the Kop stand's turn to go mad!  Moments after the goal it was nearly a second for the Blues another Gorman corner which was low and driven in hard was rebounded off the post by Glentoran's Michael Ferguson who was very fortunate to not score in the wrong net.

It was now like a typical derby game, fast furious, tough an up for grabs, and the Glens grabbed their second when subs Armstrong and McCann combined down the right McCann's low cross across the box was picked up by Rainey who shot first time off the post and the ball rebounded to roll along the line before he stabbed into the net 1-2!!!!!!!!

Linfield surged forward for the remaining 10 minutes and nearly replied immediately again when sub McCoosh's shot rebounded off Hamill and the back pedaling Gough made a wonderful save to tip wide of the post, seconds later Larmour clean through drove his shot inches wide of the far post. The final whistle went and was met with a huge roar of delight from the traveling fans who have now beaten Linfield for the second time in the league and for the 4th time this season.