Two of the last three league meetings between last years champions Linfield and Rodney McAree’s Glentoran have ended in 3-0 wins for the Glens. A brace of goals from Bobby Burns and one from Aidan Wilson saw Glentoran overcome tonight’s opponents with relative ease when the sides last clashed back in mid-February.
Burns was again on target when Glentoran achieved the same result back in 2022, while this time it was Daniel Purkis who rattled the net twice. At the end of last season, Eetu Vertainen, Linfield’s main scoring threat, claimed a late goal as David Healy’s side gabbed a 2-1 win.
Linfield head into tonight’s game following their 0-0 draw with Crusaders last Friday evening, but it’s safe to say they’ve been in fantastic goalscoring form of late.
They shot five past Dungannon Swifts at the end of March, while they also took Newry City for seven, including a Joel Cooper hattrick, one week earlier.
Glentoran have their own record of high scoring wins this season, with their double victory over Carrick Rangers in March amounting nine goals across two games, a 5-1 victory followed by a 4-0 win. So, both sides have form in front of the posts.
Glentoran sit at fourth place in the table, too far off the top to challenge for the title, but with just a few games remaining, they’ll be confident they can still catch second place Linfield, who they trail by five points.
A win at Windsor Park tonight would close that gap significantly and they’re looking to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat to league leaders Larne last Friday evening.
The game was more or less over at the halfway stage, as Michael Glynn and Lee Bonis netted within the first twenty minutes. Tonight’s fixture gives McAree’s side the perfect opportunity to get back on track, but Linfield’s form has been superb of late.
Following their 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Glentoran back in February, The Blues have embarked on an unbeaten run of six in a row, and they’ll be in no mood to alter that form as they chase down the title.
