10-man Warrenpoint rally to draw with Glentoran

Glentoran came into this game in flying form, unbeaten in their last eight games but while they made it nine on Saturday, they had to be content with a share of the spoils at the Q Radio Arena and they were lucky at that.

John Herron scored for Glens on 11 minutes. Curtis Allen was in search of his one hundredth goal, but he’ll have to wait for at least one more game for that to happen as 10-man Warrenpoint equalised through Ciaran O’Connor on 78 and it finished 1-1.

The Point played nice flowing football from the start and they had the first clear-cut chance seven minutes in when Eamon Scannell played a cross come shot from the left wing goalward, but his shot bounced over the top off the crossbar.

Minutes later at the other end a McGuigan cross saw Herron’s header whizz past the far post and as the end-to-end battle continued a brilliant move by Emmet Hughes on 11 minutes saw Francis McCaffrey’s header saved. Both sides continued to search for the opening goal and it arrived on 14 minutes with a Ross Redman corner that saw the unmarked Herron leap highest in the Warrenpoint box and head an unstoppable bullet past McCarey for his first goal of the season.

Warrenpoint continued to play nice football however, while Glentoran looked dangerous up front but poor at the back but still the home side couldn’t find the breakthrough as the first half petered out.

The Point were dealt a blow on 52 minutes when Daniel Wallace who was booked in the first half for a foul on Herron received his marching orders after another foul on the same player. Glentoran were nothing to write home about and Warrenpoint really deserved something from this game on the balance of play even with 10 men and they nabbed the equaliser on 78 minutes when O’Sullivan played the ball into the box and another sub Ciaran O’Connor bundled the ball into the net from close range. A frantic finish saw both sides going for the win that forced saves at both ends during the five minutes injury time from Allen and O’Sullivan but the match remained 1-1 at the finish.

Warrenpoint Town: Aaron McCarey, Emmet Hughes, Stephen Moan, Simon Kelly, Marc Griffin, Francis McCaffrey, Maxim Kouogun (Ciaran O’Connor 63), Eamon Scannell, Robert Norton (Deane Watters 52), Daniel Wallace (Red card 52), Philip Donnelly (Alan O’Sullivan 59)

Subs not used: Conall McGrandles, Joshua Lynch, Matthew Lynch, Beraat Turker

Glentoran: Elliot Morris, William Garrett, Marcus Kane (Christopher Paul Gallagher 75), Calum Birney, Peter McMahon, John Herron, Curtis Allen, John McGuigan (Dylan Davidson 73) , Connor Aindriu Pepper, Steven Gordon, Ross Redman

Subs not used: Nathan Kerr, Dwayne Nelson, James Ferrin, James McCarthy, Paul O’Neill