Declan Devine dedicates Big Two triumph over Linfield to Glentoran supporters and insists 'standard set'

The Glens had entered Friday’s fixture having won just one of their last five league games while only bottom side Carrick Rangers (seven) netted fewer goals than Devine’s men (eight) so far, and when Joel Cooper gave the hosts an eighth minute lead at Windsor Park, it looked like it could be another lacklustre showing.

However, The Oval outfit turned the tide after half-time as Jay Donnelly, Frankie Hvid and Cammy Palmer helped secure an impressive three points in what is the most significant result for Devine since taking over from Warren Feeney in the closing stages of last season.

Glentoran had lost three consecutive away matches against Dungannon Swifts, Ballymena United and Larne, failing to score in each, and picked up one victory in their last six trips to Windsor Park, but Devine says “that's the standard set” now for the rest of this season.

"We showed them too much respect in the first-half," he told BBC Sport NI. "We sat off them too much, invited pressure to come on us.

"We needed our goalkeeper to play well to keep us in the game. We needed a big performance in that second-half and thankfully we were able to get it. It's a really strong performance but we won't get carried away. That's the standard set."

Glens fans have had to be patient yet again in the early stages of this season after Devine “reset” the playing squad, letting an array of experienced stars leave the club this summer while bringing in the likes of Daniel Gyollai, Danny Amos and Dylan Connolly, who have all impressed at the start of their Irish League careers.

They’ve had to sit through some testing times – Glentoran have failed to score in six of 11 league matches this term – as Devine’s team continue to gel and he praised the supporters for staying with them despite Cooper’s early opener.

"I've said it since I came in, we need unity, we need the players and fans to have that togetherness," he added. "The fans stayed with us even when we were a goal down and I think we've rewarded them. They certainly enjoyed that.

"It's about when we're playing well, the fans staying with us, whenever we're playing poorly, the fans staying with us, and they've done that. When everyone is pulling in the one direction, it's an amazing football club."