European hopes, clinical finishing and Linfield guard of honour situation - Tim McCann reaction after Glentoran's win over Crusaders

Christie Pattison, David Fisher, Jordan Jenkins and Kodi Lyons-Foster all struck at Seaview as Declan Devine’s men remained one point ahead of Larne in the race to finish second.

Here’s what McCann had to say after the match:

WHAT’S MOST PLEASING ABOUT THAT WIN? STILL ONE POINT AHEAD OF LARNE

"It was important we tried to keep our focus on this game – whatever Larne do they’ll do, we just have to keep winning and that was our focus, trying to bounce back after a difficult result last week.

"To come here, a really tough place, and to score four goals, I thought some of our forward play was excellent.

"You have to get through the first 15 or 20 minutes because Crusaders come flying out of the traps, throw everything at you and it’s difficult to deal with.

"Big Dan (Gyollai) pulls off a good save at 0-0 and that’s why he is there. I thought we were outstanding, even the subs that came on.

"Paddy McClean hasn’t kicked a ball in six months and I thought he was immense, Johnny Russell slotted into right-back and he hasn’t played in about six weeks either. It was an outstanding performance.”

CLINICAL FINISHING?

"We’ve been lacking that cutting edge in certain periods of this season.

"The boys have been practicing and working all week in getting in behind teams and working on their finishing – today it paid off.

"I was delighted for David Fisher, who works his socks off every week and I was over the moon he got his goal today and also for Christie Pattison.”

GREAT TO SEE THE WIDE PLAYERS SCORING?

"We all know the talent Christie has, we see it every day in training, but to come here and do it at a difficult venue and tight pitch, he was strong and did the right things when he had the ball.

"It was an outstanding finish which he took really well and I think scoring that goal gave him confidence.”

JORDAN JENKINS CONTINUES HIS GREAT SEASON

"JJ does what he does best – he’s always willing to get in behind and his work rate is tireless.

"I was delighted for him to get a goal today.”

HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER LAST WEEKEND?

“It was a disappointing result.

"I didn’t think the performance was overly bad, we had chances to equalise in the second half and we went for it late on in the game and Linfield hit us on a couple of counter attacks.

"We were probably disappointed not to get a draw out of the game, but fair play they beat us 2-1 and it’s the first time they’ve beaten us this season.

"We weren’t dwelling on it – we knew we had to come here and get three points and now we will focus on the next game.”

AUTOMATIC EUROPEAN FOOTBALL A BIG INCENTIVE?

"That was the goal at the start of the season.

"European football for a club like Glentoran is important and we’re still in the mix and it’s still in our hands.

"We have to go to Dungannon next weekend and try and put in the same performance and try to get the three points.

"If somebody told you with two games to go that you have a chance of automatic promotion and it’s going to be in your own hands you’d have bitten their arm off.

"We’re not over the line, we’re not celebrating and there’s nobody jumping around the changing room – we’re focused on the next game.”

WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE GUARD OF HONOUR LAST WEEKEND?

"There’s no comment from the club.”

NO MEDIA AND LEFT GROUND STRAIGHT AFTER THE MATCH?

"It was always going to be that way.

"We were going back to the club to get showered and changed...we just wanted to get on the bus and get away.

"The players had all their stuff back at The Oval – regardless of what happened that was always the plan.”