Glentoran 1-0 Linfield (Result)
Marcus Kane with game's only goal just before half-time
James Douglas sent off for Glentoran in second half.
Blues stay eight points clear; Glens draw level on points with Cliftonville and Ballymena
Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
Glentoran go down to 10 men!
James Douglas is shown a second yellow card by referee Tim Marshall for a high foot which clashes with the head of Jamie Mulgrew.
Douglas is sent for an early shower and the Glens will have to play to remaining 32 minutes a man down.
Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
Matthew Fitzpatrick is brought to ground just outside the area, but the Linfield striker feels he was brought down inside the area and should have been awarded a penalty.
The resulting free-kick comes to nothing.
Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
Andrew Waterworth
BBC Sport NI co-commentator
The game has been played in the right spirit. It's been tough, there's been good tackles but there's been nothing untoward.
Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
Dylan Connolly and Dane McCullough clash off the ball, before Chris Shields and Jay Donnelly do the same.
Referee Tim Marshall politely tells both sets of players to get on with the game.
Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
Marcus Kane is down receiving treatment momentarily but is back to his feet.
The Glentoran skipper has had an outstanding game at the back tonight, not to mention his goal just before half-time too.
Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
We're back underway at the Oval.
Which way will this one go in the second half?
HT: Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
Glentoran hadn't created too many chances in what was a good first-half showing but Marcus Kane was on hand to smash in an opener just before the break.
Here's how the Glens' skipper gave the east Belfast side the lead.
Watch: Marcus Kane scores for Glentoran to make it 1-0
HT: Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
Andrew Waterworth
BBC Sport NI co-commentator
I think Declan Devine is going to be even more elated. He'll have been really happy with Glentoran's performance.
I think they've been on the front-foot, they've been organised, they've been hungry, the body language has been good. All the fundamentals you want as a coach. The goal is the icing on the cake for the first half.
Until that goal, David Healy will have been not 100% about the performance but he probably would have been thinking we're still in the game.
Glentoran 0-0 Linfield
In a game of few chances, Glentoran take a 1-0 lead into the break but they had their in-form keeper to thank for preserving the clean sheet at the other end.
Here's how Dan Gyollai denied Joel Cooper in the first half.
Watch: Linfield's Joel Cooper is denied by Glentoran keeper Daniel Gyollai
Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
Andrew Waterworth
BBC Sport NI co-commentator
Good time to score, bad time to condede. It was a great delivery again.
You have to give a lot of credit to Marcus Kane.
You mightn't get the first break, but Marcus Kane was on his toes and he got his reward.
Glentoran 1-0 Linfield
Marcus Kane's strike just before the break is the difference, as the Glens go in at half-time a goal to the good.
Apart from that, it's been far from a 'Big Two' classic so far.
Work to do for David Healy and Linfield in the second half.
Marcus Kane - 45+1 mins
Marcus Kane gives Glentoran the lead just before half-time with almost the last kick of the half!
Linfield didn't deal with Daniel Amos' corner after David Walsh had punched clear, with the ball falling into the path of Kane who simply can't miss from there, blasting past Walsh and into the back of the net!
First blood to the Glens in the 'Big Two' derby!
Glentoran 0-0 Linfield
James Douglas is the second player cautioned for his late challenge on Chris Shields.
Five minutes left of the first half.
Glentoran 0-0 Linfield
Joel Cooper is the first player in Tim Marshall's book for a late challenge on Fuad Sule.
Glentoran 0-0 Linfield
James Douglas finds James Singleton in space outside the area, who lets fly with his left foot but sees his effort blocked by Scot Whiteside.
Whiteside's block almost finds it's way into his own goal, but goes just wide of the left upright and behind for a Glentoran corner.
The resulting corner sees plenty of pushing and shoving in the area from both sides, but referee Tim Marshall is having none of it.
Glentoran 0-0 Linfield
Andrew Waterworth
BBC Sport NI co-commentator
What a save!
I don't think [Gyollai] saw that until late, he'd been blocked.
Glentoran 0-0 Linfield
Linfield's first shot on goal almost results in a goal!
Cameron Ballantyne does well to find Joel Cooper on the edge of the box, who shoots low to the near post but is denied by the outstretched arm of Daniel Gyollai.
That was almost a carbon copy of Cooper's goal at Larne last weekend, but this time he is denied by Gyollai and the upright.
Glentoran 0-0 Linfield
Dylan Connolly does well to create a yard of space for a shot on his right foot from outside the box, but his effort is blocked by Chris Shields and then gathered by David Walsh.
The Glentoran number seven has looked the most lively player on the pitch so far this evening.
Glentoran 0-0 Linfield
Andrew Waterworth
BBC Sport NI co-commentator
What Glentoran have done really well is get their first pass off early.
They're keeping it simple, nobody is really taking too much out of it, and it's working for them.
Glentoran 0-0 Linfield
No further chances at either end, but Glentoran continue to dominate possession and look the more threatening of the two sides.
That being said, Declan Devine's side haven't created anything clear cut as of yet.
Glentoran celebrate Marcus Kane's goal against Linfield in Friday night's game
Glentoran bravely held on for a 1-0 victory over Irish Premiership pacesetters Linfield despite playing for over 30 minutes with 10 men.
It's a win which moves the Glens up to third place and came after a resilient display at the Oval.
The hosts bossed the first half, although the Blues went close to an opener when Joel Cooper's low shot was tipped onto the post by Daniel Gyollai
Glentoran were rewarded for their dominance on the stroke of half-time as captain Marcus Kane hammered home from close range.
Linfield seized control after James Douglas was dismissed for two yellow cards on 58 minutes.
They created a series of chances but Glentoran stood firm to secure a double over their Big Two rivals after last month's 3-1 victory at Windsor Park.
The Glens jump four places into the top three while Linfield remain eight points clear at the top.
Watch: Glentoran v Linfield
Glentoran came out of the traps the shaper and more hungry side, although they had to wait until the final seconds of the first half to make their dominance count.
The hosts were first to threaten on four minutes as Dylan Connolly squared to Jay Donnelly and his strike was kept out by David Walsh.
Linfield's only meaningful attack of the half almost resulted in the opener with Cooper's low shot palmed on the post by an outstretched Gyollai.
Glentoran pushed for the breakthrough but the Blues defence held firm and restricted them to half-chances.
James Singleton went close when his 25-yard effort took a deflection and flew inches wide of the Linfield woodwork.
Persistence paid off for Declan Devine's men as they finally broke the deadlock seconds into added time.
Linfield failed to deal with Daniel Amos' inswinging corner and the ball fell for an unmarked Kane to blast into the net from three yards out.
Tim Marshall shows James Douglas a red card as Jamie Mulgrew lies injured
Linfield upped the tempo on the restart but Glentoran remained relatively comfortable until the dismissal of Douglas.
Tim Marshall showed the teenager a second yellow for a high foot on Jamie Mulgrew, with Devine making his anger at the decision clear on the sideline.
The momentum switched and the Blues began to pile on the pressure with Gyollai coming to his side's rescue again by denying Dane McCullough.
Kirk Millar swung his free-kick just wide before Josh Archer rifled a half-volley over from 12 yards after Gyollai punched out from a corner.
Gyollia was again called in action to tip Scot Whiteside's header over while Kane marshalled a brave Glens rearguard.
Glentoran had to see out six minutes of added time and the visitors threatened a last-gasp leveller as Ethan McGee's backpost shot was diverted over the bar.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linfield | 17 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 33 | 15 | 18 | 35 |
|
| 2 | Cliftonville | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 16 | 6 | 27 |
|
| 3 | Glentoran | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 16 | 3 | 27 |
|
| 4 | Ballymena United | 17 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 27 |
|
| 5 | Dungannon Swifts | 17 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 26 |
|
| 6 | Coleraine | 17 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 28 | 22 | 6 | 25 |
|
| 7 | Portadown | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 23 | 17 | 6 | 25 |
|
| 8 | Crusaders | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 23 |
|
| 9 | Larne | 13 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 21 |
|
| 10 | Carrick Rangers | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 28 | -10 | 15 |
|
| 11 | Glenavon | 17 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 24 | -13 | 15 |
|
| 12 | Loughgall | 17 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 18 | 42 | -24 | 11 |
|
Manager: Declan Devine
Manager: David Healy
Manager: Declan Devine
Manager: David Healy
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