Kodi Lyons-Foster and Jay Donnelly were the extra-time heroes as Glentoran won out 3-2 against Crusaders in a ding-dong BetMcLean League Cup Semi-Final battle royale at the Oval this evening.
Declan Devine’s side looked to be in cruise control after Jordan Jenkins first-half double. However, Crusaders’ came charging back with second-half goals from Stewart Nixon and Kieran Offord, sending the game to an additional 30 minutes.
Just as the game looked set for spot-kicks, Lyons-Foster and Donnelly both scored in the dying minutes of extra-time to put the Glens into dreamland and a final place against Cliftonville on March 9.
Right from the off, it was pre-match favourites Glentoran who were on top, and the game was only 12 minutes old when they snatched the lead.
Dylan Connolly used his electric pace to slice through the Crues’ defence and looked odds-on to beat Jonny Tuffey in goal, but Jacob Blaney clattered into the winger from behind, leaving referee Ben McMaster with no option but to award the spot-kick. Up stepped the on-form Jenkins to stroke the ball home to make it 1-0.
Crusaders managed to get their first attempt away on the half-hour mark when Jarlath O’Rourke sent in a free-kick from the left, but Ross Clarke’s header went wide of the post.
After Clarke sent another tame effort towards Daniel Gyollai’s goal that was easily saved, Jenkins struck a second on 36 minutes, and there was nothing tame about it.
The striker stepped inside from the right before unleashing a trademark thunderbolt past Tuffey to the delight of home fans.
Jenkins was to limp off just 10 minutes into the second period, but supporters and Declan Devine will hope it was a cautionary move.
Soon after, the Crues’ main threat Offord had a golden chance to pull a goal back, but his volley from close range flies over the Glens’ crossbar, after the home side failed to deal with a cross from the right.
But no sooner had the chance gone than Declan Caddell did have something to smile about. On 58 minutes Nixon pounced on a loose ball before finding the bottom corner of the net.
The goal seemed to spur the Shore Road side on and 18 minutes later they were level.
Offord cut inside before sliding the ball through the legs of Gyollai from close range to leave a grandstand finish.
Jay Donnelly could have won it for the Glens at the death after rising highest to meet Daniel Amos' corner but couldn’t direct his header goalwards as the game went to extra-time.
As the game looked set to peter out towards a penalty-shootout, up popped Lyons-Foster with his first goal for Glentoran at the perfect time, just five minutes from full-time. The defender directing in an Amos free-kick.
Substitute Donnelly then made sure in the final minute when he tapped into an empty Crusaders net after Tuffey was caught up field attending a corner. The goal sending the home fans into raptures and the Glens into the League Cup final in March.
Glentoran: Gyollai, Lyons-Foster, Sule, Connolly, Palmer, McEleney, Amos, Pattison, Singleton, Russell, Jenkins.
Subs: Mills, Hvid, Donnelly, Aouachria, Lindsay, Douglas, Thorndike.
Crusaders: Tuffey, Lowry, Blaney, Forsythe, O’Rourke, Williamson, Offord, Larmour, Smith, Clarke, Nixon.
Subs: Brown, Callacher, Jewitt-White, Owens, O’Connor, Franklin, Barr.