There’s no room for sentiment when a Big Two clash comes, roars Glentoran boss Warren Feeney

Warren Feeney and David Healy will once again be on opposing ends of the dugout for the Boxing Day Big Two clash

Glentoran manager Warren Feeney celebrated an emphatic 4-0 victory over Linfield at The BetMcLean Oval

David Healy will hope to atone for the 4-0 reversal his Linfield side suffered against Glentoran in the Boxing Day Big Two meet-up

Glentoran manager Warren Feeney admits his friendship with David Healy will be put on hold for 90 minutes in Boxing Day’s shoot-out with rivals Linfield at Windsor Park.

They may have been great buddies during their Northern Ireland international days, but Feeney reckons there will be no room for sentiment when both teams emerge from the tunnel in front of a bumper, partisan holiday crowd.

There will be more than just three points up for grabs – pride and bragging rights will very much be a focal point for both sets of supporters.

And, there certainly will be a hint of revenge in the electric atmosphere, as Healy’s men are still haunted by the 4-0 drubbing they consumed across town at the beginning of December.

That victory earned Feeney his first Big Two success. A repeat showing would not only give him a belated Christmas present in the form of three points, but also earn his team a rare Boxing Day win at the international venue.

“David (Healy) is a great person... he’s a good friend of mine and he has a cracking team, but we’ll go about our own business for 90 minutes at least,” said Feeney.

“Someone gave me a stat recently, Glentoran haven’t won in 26 attempts at Windsor Park on Boxing Day... the games used to be held on Christmas Day many years back.

“In fact, the first person to score a goal for the Glens at Windsor Park on Boxing Day was my dad (Warren Snr).

“Look, I’m not