FOOTBALL: Hamilton late show spoils Blues party
GARY Hamilton pounced with an 88th-minute equaliser to deny Linfield a massive Carling Premiership victory at The Oval.
David Jeffrey's Blues were on their way to three league points in east Belfast when Hamilton struck at the death.
It was a grandstand finish that sees the Glens leapfrog Crusaders at the top of the Premiership standings on goal difference – Linfield remain in fourth.
Last night's result keeps everyone guessing as to the destination of the Gibson Cup this season, but it's Alan McDonald's side who will have emerged with a bigger spring in their step after looking dead and buried so late in the game.
Two goals in four second half minutes had Linfield in the ascendancy.
A Sean Ward own goal and Jamie Tomelty's 55th minute strike cancelled out Daryl Fordyce's first half opener.
But with the game at the Blues' mercy, up stepped Glentoran's talismanic striker Hamilton to dispatch his sixth goal of the season.
It was a fitting end to a tumultuous Big Two derby on Mersey Street.
Glentoran dominated the opening 45 minutes, bombarding the visiting defence with attack after attack.
Blues boss Jeffrey opted for the experienced defensive duo of William Murphy and Noel Bailie for the crunch clash, and it was a selection the Glens appeared keen to exploit.
As early as the sixth minute Hamilton had the ball in the back of the net, but the striker was adjudged to have tripped Murphy when rushing through on goal.
Linfield responded with an opening of their own three minutes later, Peter Thompson flicking the ball onto Paul Munster whose attempted lob sailed safely into the hands of James Taylor.
Hamilton was revelling in the big-match atmosphere, tormenting Murphy with darting runs and precision passing.
The pressure paid off in the 25th minute when Fordyce struck the opener.
Keith Gillespie pounced on an error from Damien Curran on the right, and when the former Northern Ireland international crossed to the back post Burrows was on hand to tee up Fordyce who dispatched a low left foot shot past Stuart Addis and into the far corner of the net.
It was the midfielder's eighth goal of the season, and little more than the Glens deserved following 25 minutes of mounting pressure.
The opening 15 minutes of the second half were worth the entrance fee alone for sheer excitement.
First Munster was denied by an unbelievable save by Taylor in the 49th minute, the Glens keeper clawing away a goal-bound header from under his crossbar.
From the resulting corner Linfield were on level terms.
Curran swung in a vicious left foot cross that wasn't cleared, and when Thompson tried a shot on goal the ball rebounded off Ward and bobbled past the stranded Taylor for a cruel own goal.
The Blues faithful could hardly believe their luck, and four minutes later they were in dreamland when Tomelty sent them in front.
Burns surged down the right before crossing to Thompson at the near post, and when the on-loan striker turned and crossed to the back post Tomelty was on hand to shoot high into Taylor's goal.
The comeback was a bolt out of the blue for McDonald's shell-shocked side, but they almost found themselves on level terms four minutes later.
Hamilton took the ball down the right before delivering a low cross that was deflected onto the underside of the bar by Burns. The Blues were clinging on, but were denied a morale-boosting win with Hamilton's late equaliser.
The visitors failed to clear substitute Andy Waterworth's cross, and when Addis spilled Fordyce's rasping drive to the edge of the six-yard box, Hamilton pounced to lift a shot high into the Blues net.
GLENTORAN: James Taylor, Nixon, Leeman, McCabe, Ward, Fordyce, Hamilton, Burrows Halliday 74), Fitzgerald (Clarke 74), Black (Waterworth 83), Gillespie. Subs not used: Morris, Johnny Taylor.
LINFIELD: Addis, Gault, Murphy, Curran (Douglas 63), Thompson, Bailie, Burns, Tomelty, Ervin (Lowry 45), Mulgrew (Garrett 83), Munster. Subs not used: Miskimmin, Allen.
Referee: David Malcolm (Bangor).
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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