Declan Devine devastated after Glentoran commit 'football suicide' in Irish Cup defeat to Linfield

All three of the Blues’ goals came as a result of set-pieces with Joel Cooper’s volley handing the visitors a lead before Kyle McClean’s second-half brace booked the South Belfast outfit’s place in another competition final against Cliftonville on May 4.

Winning the Premiership play-offs is now Glentoran’s final route into the Europa Conference League for next season and interim boss Devine was left devastated at the manner of their defeat.

"It's very frustrating because it's the semi-final of an Irish Cup and you have an opportunity to go to the National Stadium and try to win a trophy,” he said. “That's what big clubs like this demand and expect and to lose a game in three set-pieces is football suicide – it's madness.

"For periods of the game there was very little in it. I wanted more out of us...I felt we started the first 10 minutes well and then went back into our shells and started lumping long balls, which isn't the way I want to play or the way a talented group of players like this should be playing.

"The goals are suicide stuff. The first is exactly the same goal Linfield scored against Newry two weeks ago and we spoke about it all week.

"To do that is madness and to concede the second from a corner...again we've spoken about it all week so it's tough to take.

"When you pull yourself back into the game and get a chance for extra-time to concede another from a set-piece is crazy.”

It marked a fourth defeat in five matches for Glentoran against Linfield this season with David Healy’s men also knocking them out of the BetMcLean Cup on route to lifting the trophy.

Junior pulled a goal back for the hosts after being brought off the bench before McClean netted his second moments later to kill the encounter.

"We've had to work extremely hard to get a goal and the disappointing thing for me is that Linfield haven't,” he added. “They've worked hard for their manager, have top players and fair play to David for coming here and getting his result, but I don't think they really had to work for their goals and that's the disappointing thing for me."