Glentoran 0-1 Linfield: Michael O'Connor hands visitors bragging rights in Belfast derby
Tuesday 9 October 2018 15:48, UK
Michael O'Connor scored the only goal of the game as Linfield beat Glentoran 1-0 in the Northern Ireland Premiership.
Linfield striker O'Connor made the breakthrough with a well-taken goal on the quarter-hour mark at the Oval, and that strike proved to be the difference between the two sides.
As a result, David Healy's team move to within a point of Glenavon at the top of the standings, while Glentoran remain fourth, 10 points off the leaders, but with a game in hand.
In wind-swept conditions, it was the visitors who struck first after Joel Cooper was allowed to travel unhindered through midfield, before finding O'Connor in space on the edge of the area.
And with no Glentoran defender in sight, the young striker found the bottom left-hand corner of the net with a low drive.
The home team were fortunate to end the half with a full quota of players, though, after firstly Calum Birney kicked out at Josh Robinson, before Joe Crowe launched a dangerous two-footed tackle on Cooper.
It could have been even worse for Ronnie McFall's men, but Kirk Millar's curling corner from the left beat Elliot Morris, only to strike the inside of the post and rebound to safety.
Glentoran responded after the break and Curtis Allen should have levelled matters, only to head a right-wing corner wide of the gaping goal, before Linfield nearly doubled their lead after a fine run from Robert Garrett.
Having done all the hard work, though, the midfielder scuffed his shot wide of the far post and the visitors were almost made to pay for that miss with 11 minutes to go.
However, from Ross Redman's inviting right-wing corner, Marcus Kane's close-range header was palmed away by veteran goalkeeper Roy Carroll as Linfield claimed the spoils in the Belfast derby.
