New boy Nathanial Ferris helped get Glentoran back on a winning theme by netting his first goal for the club against Ballymena United at the BetMcLean Oval.
It couldn’t have come at a better time. Following a fantastic 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions, the east Belfast boys were ambushed twice within the space of a week leaving their triple trophy aspirations in tatters.
A defeat at Cliftonville meant Declan Devine’s team missed out on the chance of cutting Linfield’s deficit at the top of the Sports Direct Premiership table, but worse was to follow because the Glens crashed out of the Irish Cup at the Quarter-Final stage, surprisingly beaten by Championship side Bangor.
It has been a sobering experience for a side that has already won the County Antrim Shield, but more importantly had its sights fixed on their first Irish Cup win since 2020.
Glentoran do, however, have the chance of erasing that Bangor loss from the memory bank because they face Cliftonville in the BetMcLean Cup Final at at sell-out Windsor Park on Sunday.
They tuned up for that challenge with a far from convincing display against Jim Ervin’s side, who always looked capable of salvaging something from the fixture.
Glentoran’s frustrated fans had to suffer for 55 minutes before Ferris eased the tension – his maiden strike since joining from Loughgall in January.
He was one of seven changes to the team after that Bangor debacle. Frankie Hvid, Fuad Sule, Dylan Connolly, Shane McEleney, Aaron Wightman and Finley Thorndike were also handed starting shirts.
Ervin’s Ballymena hadn’t tasted action for 10 days as their game against Larne at the weekend was called off because of a waterlogged pitch.
There are two changes to the side that defeated Portadown last time out, with Stephen O’Donnell and Patrick McEleney drafted in.
Both teams has big chances to open the scoring on eight minutes.
O’Donnell climbed highest in a packed penalty box to meet a cross from McEleney, only to see Gyollai catapult across his line to paw the ball to safety.
Glentoran’s response was immediate, they roared to the other end with Cammy Palmer cutting in from the left ore unleashing a thundering drive that inched past the post.
In another lightning raid on 23 minutes, Thorndike’s dancing feet took him past two challenges and, when he found David Fisher, his low shot fizzed wide.
United had a real let-off just before the half hour. Thorndike’s piercing diagonal ball meant for Fisher was met by back-tracking Daithi McCallion, who misdirected header had his own goalkeeper Sean O’Neill at full stretch.
From the resulting corner Daniel Amos picked out Hvid at the back post, only to see his volley ricochet off Calvin McCurry and on to the woodwork before being hoofed clear.
The Sky Blues had a shout for a spot kick five minutes before the break when McCurry buckled under a challenge from Hvid, but referee Evan Boyce deemed is was just outside the box.
Ballymena almost sneaked ahead seconds before the interval. McEleney’s free kick fell for Caolan Loughran on the edge of the box, but the big defender’s shot flashed into the side netting.
Ferris missed a golden chance of shooting the Glens into the lead just after the restart when he capitalised on a poor O’Donnell pass. With only O’Neill to beat, he was about to pull the trigger when the veteran defender somehow got back to nudge the ball off his toe.
But Ferris had better luck on 55 minutes. Connolly’s cross caused mayhem in the Sky Blues’ defence and, when Amos drilled in a low delivery, the former Loughgall man was right on the spot to turn home – much to relief of the home crowd.
Palmer almost made it two just after the hour with a blistering drive from distance that O’Neill did well to beat away.
But United were dangerous on the break and Gyollai had to rush off the line to smother a big chance for Success Edogun.
Incredibly, United almost levelled it on 94 minutes when substitute James Hood crossed for O’Donnell, who header brought a fantastic reaction save from Gyollai.
Glentoran: Gyollai, Hvid, Sule, Connolly (Pattison 75), Palmer, McEleney, Fisher, Amos, Wightman (Lindsay 89), Ferris (Jenkins 75), Thorndike (Russell 89).
Unused subs: Mills, Douglas, Johnston.
Ballymena United: O’Neill, Lafferty, Jarvis (Hood 65), O’Donnell, McCurry (Moore 77), Edogun, Loughran (Hawe 86), McCallion, McEleney, Corbally, Barr.
Unused subs: Johnston, McMullan, Devine, Idehen.
Referee: Evan Boyce.
Man of the Match: Daniel Gyollai.
Match rating 5/10.