John Gregg: Glentoran were the better team in first half against Linfield, but we conceded at the wrong time

John Gregg

Junior

Glentoran boss Warren Feeney will be back in the dugout for Monday’s Sports Direct Premiership showdown with Coleraine at the Ballycastle Road Showgrounds.

The banned former Northern Ireland international striker had to look on from the directors’ box when his boys crashed out of the BetMcLean Cup, beaten by Big Two rivals Linfield at the Oval on Tuesday night.

It was the legacy of Feeney’s dismissal four days earlier against Carrick Rangers after speaking out of turn to referee Lee Tavinder.

He must have been squirming in his seat as the Glens suffered their second successive in front of their frustrated home fans. A double strike from the irrepressible Joel Cooper made it another night of misery in east Belfast.

Even though Jay Donnelly pulled one back with only seven minutes remaining, it failed to paper over the cracks – it was another disjointed, below-par showing.

With their title chances all but over – the Glens trail David Healy’s Blues by a whopping 16 points – their hopes of achieving silverware this season are diminishing fast.

Assistant manager John Gregg was left to pick over the pieces of the team’s latest demise.

“I thought their (Linfield’s) goal in the first half came against the run of play, to be honest,” he said. “These matches are always competitive, but I thought we were getting the better of the game, picking up all the second balls.

“They scored with their first opportunity. I thought we were the better team in the first half, and we mentioned that at half time.

“We went out to try and take the game to them in the second half. But we gave a goal away only a minute into the second half, so the team talk went out of the window very quickly.

“The lad knows (Jonathan Russell) he made