Fitness first as Warren Feeney lays down Glentoran foundations for progress

​Saturday’s opening 1-0 success secured at Glenavon in the ninth minute of added time provided a thrilling finish to his first Irish League game as Glens boss.

Feeney’s focus is now on tonight’s Oval visit by defending champions Larne for an early-season clash between two pre-season title favourites.

"I’m not going to wave a magic wand coming in here, we’ve haven’t won the league in a long while but we’ve got to be competitive,” said Feeney, a former Northern Ireland international. “You look at me...I was an honest player, a runner and big into fitness.

"I’ve said to the boys, coming into the winter pre-season will be massive.

"It’s concentration levels and if you’re fit you can have bad games but you’re mentally fit.

"You look at our fitness levels (against Glenavon), there was a spell 10 or 15 minutes after half-time where we really put them to the sword.

"You've got to stay on top of teams and fitness is massive...it’s not just fitness, it’s specific fitness for positions.

"I’m a big believer that if you’re fit then you’re mentally fit, the concentration levels are better.

"I thought we showed that in abundance...people think football is just 90 minutes but it's not, it's 90-plus and our fitness levels looked great.”

Feeney is relishing the high-profile meeting with Larne on home soil.

"I’m sure the fans will be out in their numbers and it’s great to see them backing the boys,” said Feeney. “Larne’s the champions so everyone’s chasing them...it will be a good game.

"The effort (last weekend) was fantastic...the great old Arsenal teams and the Italians, they loved 1-0 wins.”

Feeney continued: “It's a tough, tough place to go (Glenavon)...Gary Hamilton has good players and they're very direct.

"We prepared ourselves all week for it and we knew what we had to do.”

IRISH LEAGUE: SEE PAGE 39