Warren Feeney's Glentoran fury but Loughgall boss Dean Smith happy to highlight 'fantastic' Nathaniel Ferris

The 26-year-old Ferris not only scored twice – the second from the penalty spot -- but turned in a five-star showing against Warren Feeney’s ailing side, who slid down to fifth place in the Sports Direct Premiership table.

Robbie Norton also got on the scoresheet just seconds before Glentoran striker David Fisher was dismissed for a horrible challenge on Pablo Andrade.

“Nathaniel’s all-round performance was outstanding,” said Smith. “He led the line superbly well; he held the ball up and brought people into play.

“His first goal was a fantastic header – Nathaniel gives you all you want from a striker.

"Being critical, he probably should have scored a couple more and should have gone home with the match ball. There was one in the second half he scooped past the post...he probably had too much time to think about it.

“But you can forgive him for things like that because his performance over the 90 minutes was top-drawer. Nathaniel epitomised everything about us as a team and what we are about. He didn’t give the three centre-backs a minute’s peace.”

Glentoran boss Warren Feeney accused his team of lacking fight and desire.

“It was unacceptable, we got what we deserved,” he said. “It wasn’t good enough. I can take defeat, but it was the manner of the defeat...we had no energy, no desire and no fight. At clubs like this you’ve got to be honest and in there (the dressing room) not one of us was honest, including myself.

“There are players out there who shouldn’t be playing, but I don’t have the squad to replace them because I have a lot of injuries. Some of them are in a comfort zone, they know they start every week.

“Even before I joined the club, all the noises suggested we have a great squad. For me, great squads go on and win leagues and cups. You’ve got to keep doing it week in, week out.

“Larne are champions for a reason – they were and still are the most consistent team. When they are struggling, they grind out points. The mentality at this club has to change – that's why it’s been static over the past number of years in terms of trophy success.”

Smith felt his gameplan worked a treat.

“It was a result that was thoroughly deserved,” he said. “We were brilliant even when it was 11 versus 11. When they went down to 10 men we managed the game really well. When you come here, you expect at some stage you’ll be under the cosh...but that wasn’t the case at all.

“I told the boys on Thursday night I believed we could get something from the game. Did I think we would come away as 3-0 winners? Certainly not.

“These are the days you must enjoy, coming to grounds like the Oval. With the history this football club has, being able to come away to say we fully deserved the win, it doesn’t happen too often.”

With a top-six place within his team’s grasp after a summer top-flight promotion, Smith is not becoming carried away.

“It’s really boring, but it’s one game at a time,” he said. “Yes, we may be up to seventh place in the table but we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves.

“We understand there is a long way to go. For us, our first port of call is to ensure we stay in this league. We’ll do nothing until it’s mathematically impossible for us to get relegated.

“Incidentally, I want to dedicate the victory to our groundsman Leslie Willis, whose wife sadly passed away this week...this win was for Leslie.”