'That’s us up and running' - Duncan Ferguson delight at first Glentoran win on home debut but aware more to come
It may not have been pretty at times but Glentoran manager Duncan Ferguson insisted he was happy his boys delivered their first win in three starts since his arrival in east Belfast with Friday’s 2-1 home success over Bangor.
If anything, it was a laboured performance against a gutsy Bangor side who threatened to steal Big Dunc’s thunder on his Oval home debut.
After successive draws – away at Coleraine and Carrick Rangers – the fans turned up filled with optimism, but it wasn’t a performance that will live long in the memory.
Things looked good when little Jordan Stewart shot the Glens into a first-half lead, but Lee Feeney’s Seasiders silenced the home fans with a Ben Cushnie leveller with seven minutes left.
It was left to young substitute Cal Weatherup to plunder a late winner to help put a smile on his manager’s face.
“It was a big three points for us in my first home game,” said Ferguson – the ex-Everton, Newcastle United and Rangers striker. “We were dominant in the first half, we got our noses in front and Bangor never looked like scoring.
“To be fair, they put us under pressure in the second half but the boys defended the box well.
"They’ve had to take on a lot of information over the past few weeks; in terms of the technical stuff I’ve given them.
“I must be careful I don’t load them with too much information.
“Overall, in my three games in charge, we have defended well and teams don’t look like scoring against us.
“The boys are now undefeated in seven or eight games, we must keep that momentum going...especially as we have a tough game away at Cliftonville coming up next week.
“It was nice to get that three points, that’s us up and running.”
Bangor manager Lee Feeney thought his boys deserved at least at point based on their excellent second-half performance.
“We had Glentoran camped in their own half, so it’s disappointing not to come away with something,” he said. “But I’m so proud of their performance...I thought they were immense.
"They (the players) are down as you would expect because we were so good in the second half.
“It’s just a pity we couldn’t have held on.
"The winning goal was tough on us because one of our players slipped, letting in the big lad for the winner.
“There are ways of losing games, we lost with pride and dignity.”
GLENTORAN: Mills, Cooney, Kane (Larmour, 70), Rossi, McEneff, Hoban (Weatherup, 59, Stewart, O’Rourke, McMenamin (Shaw, 32), Singleton, Douglas (Clarke, 70).
Subs (not used): Crellin, Clarke, Larmour, Malone, Jenkins.
BANGOR: Solis Grogan, C.McGuinness, Neale, Francis, Lynch, Harrison (Hassin, 64), Mulvenna (Cushnie, 64), Arthurs (McRoberts, 76), McCullough, Devlin (Strachan, 76), Hughes.
Subs (not used): McMahon, O’Mahony, S.McGuinness.
Referee: Tim Marshall.