Mick McDermott highlights Jay Donnelly composure in Glentoran last-gasp win

The East Belfast side tasted a league win over Crusaders for the first time since April 2014 courtesy of Jay Donnelly’s 92nd-minute goal.

It wasn’t pretty at times, but McDermott’s boys dug in against a side that was attempting to end a run of results in which they had lost their previous four games.

In fact, that dreadful run of form has resulted in Stephen Baxter’s team dropping out of the top six in the Danske Bank Premiership table for the first time this season.

But they appeared to have done enough to stem the tide, until Donnelly conjured up a brilliant winner deep in injury-time.

He picked up a pass form substitute Andrew Mitchell and, having spotted goalkeeper Sean O’Neill rush off his line, produced the most delightful of lobs.

The Crues still had time to carve out their best opening of the match.

Philip Lowry would certainly have converted Ross Clarke’s right-wing cross if Glens defender Luke McCullough hadn’t managed to get a flick on the ball with his head.

“It was a big three points, especially with results elsewhere,” said McDermott. “It was a good day at the office, but there are lot of hard days to come.

“It’s good not to concede again.

“After our recent home defeat (to Ballymena United), we want to make the Oval a hard place to come again.

“I thought we were the dominant team in the first half.

“The second half turned into a scrappy affair, it wasn’t pretty from either side.

“There were a lot of long balls and battling for second balls.

“I don’t think they caused us any problems, our backline was comfortable even though they had to deal with a bit of pressure.

“Crusaders are a good side, they’ve had a decade of success, they kept going right to the end.

“They had one opportunity right at the end and, if Luke McCullough doesn’t get a wee flick to it, Lowry would have scored.

“It was a vital touch because it changed the direction of the ball.”

McDermott also saluted the composure Donnelly displayed for his goal.

“It was a great finish,” said McDermott. “Jay produced something similar against Glenavon last week.

“If the chance had to fall to someone, I’m glad it was Jay because he has the knack of producing that type of finish.

“At that moment of the game, a bouncing ball, for him to keep his composure and lift it over the goalkeeper, it wasn’t an easy finish, so credit to him.”

For Crusaders boss Stephen Baxter, the agony of losing continues.

“We are in a little run after losing three or four games on the bounce and you start to question where is the next goal coming from, or where is the next win is coming from,” he said. “We’ve had a fabulous successful run for such a long period of time, and this is the first time in 10 or 12 years that we’ve lost four on the trot.

“In times like this, you have to dig deep and ask your big players to stand up – and I think they did that.

“I’ve no complaints about the character in the team, but at the end of the day you have to try and win football matches and, at this moment in time, it’s not coming as easy as it used to.

“We haven’t been playing as well as we’d like over the past three or four weeks, but I thought we were excellent out there.

“To a man, the team were outstanding.

“Not to come away with all three points was disappointing, but not even getting one is even more frustrating.”

GLENTORAN: Brown, Kane, McCullough, Bigirimana, McDonagh (Gorman, 65; Clucas, 68), R.Donnelly, McClean, Marron, Plum (Mitchell, 85), Marshall, J.Donnelly.

Subs (not used): Morris, Gallagher, Stewart, Crowe.

CRUSADERS: O’Neill, Burns, Wilson, Lowry, McGonigle (Owens, 86), Caddell (Lecky, 92), Forsythe, O’Rourke, Brown, Heatley, Clarke.

Subs (not used): Tuffey, Hegarty, Weir, Kennedy, Ruddy.

REFEREE: Evan Boyce.