County Antrim Shield Final: Glentoran 1 Larne 1 (Glentoran won 5-4 on penalties)
Glentoran keeper Andrew Mills was the hero of the hour at Seaview last night as his penalty shootout save clinched the Co Antrim Shield.
Charlie Lindsay opened in fine style for the Glens on 80 minutes but Andy Ryan scored from the penalty spot six minutes later to send the final to penalties.
Mills, selected ahead of Daniel Gyollai, pulled off the only save of the shootout when he stretched to tip a Levi Ives penalty onto the post and away to safety.
It was the first trophy success for Glentoran since the Irish Cup win in 2020, while defeat brought Larne’s four-year grip on the Shield to an end.
Declan Devine started keeper Mills and Jordan Jenkins ahead of Gyollai and Jay Donnelly for the Glens while Gary Haveron started Chris Gallagher and Andy Ryan in place of Joe Thomson and Benji Magee.
Glentoran announced their intention to carry the fight to the holders early on as David Fisher advanced purposefully with the ball to thunder at goal from long range in the third minute.
James Singleton pounced on a miscued header from Larne skipper Cian Bolger to flash at goal first time but wide of the mark.
Then came the first of three flashpoint challenges in the first half that could easily have resulted in red cards as Chris Gallagher went in rashly on Christie Pattison on eleven minutes, but referee Steven Gregg opted to caution the midfielder.
On 34 minutes, Mark Randall chopped Cammy Palmer down with a crude challenge and on the stroke of half time Palmer needed medical attention after Levi Ives followed through, resulting in more yellow cards.
Back at the game and Glentoran continued to press the Invermen and Jenkins came close to scoring when he beat Bolger to the ball in to poke at goal, but Ferguson did well to deny.
Larne showed quality in patches but often looked bereft of ideas and there were no clear-cut chances for either side in the first period.
When the ball broke kindly for Fisher on 29 minutes the Glentoran striker had time and space to open his body to shoot from the left channel but his effort was saved by Ferguson.
Danny Amos stooped to nod past the goal from a Jonny Russell cross before Larne had the best opportunity to break the deadlock on 41 minutes.
Colin McKendry made the run forward and when he was closed down the ball came off Amos to Ryan, who turned inside and out to create space in the box, but when he pulled the trigger Mills was well-positioned to smother the shot.
The second half offered a similar showing for the most part; Glentoran on top, not allowing Larne to play and knocking on the door.
Kodi Lyons-Foster saw a glancing header cleared off the line by Sean Graham from an Amos free kick, then Amos sent a 25-yard exocet whistling past the post before the Glens had a golden opportunity to score on 72 minutes.
Pattisson centred from the right for Fisher to nod back across goal to Jenkins six yards out, but the 24-year-old nodded straight at Ferguson with the goals yawning.
The final came to life in the last ten minutes as the Glens took the lead on 80 minutes in magnificent fashion.
Substitute Wass carried along the 18-yard line and when Gallagher got a toe to the ball Lindsay ran on to thunder low past Ferguson from 30 yards.
However, the 20-year-old made a hash of a defensive clearance on 86 minutes, Ryan pounced just inside the box but was barged through the Scottish striker, who dusted himself down to send Mills the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Glentoran; Mills, Lyons-Foster, Hvid, Sule (c), Palmer, Fisher (Aouachria 79), Amos, Pattisson, Singleton (Lindsay 56), Russell, Jenkins. Subs not used; Gyollai, Connolly, Murphy, Douglas, Thorndike.
Larne; Ferguson, Ives, McKendry (Bayode 56), Randall (Thomson 56), Graham, Bolger (c), Nolan, Cosgrove, Sloan, Gallagher, Ryan. Subs not used; Besant, Magee, McEneff, Panayiotou, Wallace.
Referee; Steven Gregg (Ballyclare)
