Glentoran supervisor Mick McDermott: We deserved to lose in opposition to Ballymena United final day trip, we have to put that proper

New boy Niall McGinn will make his debut for Glentoran in tonight’s Danske Financial institution Premiership showdown with Ballymena United on the BetMcLean Oval.

he 35-year-old Northern Eire worldwide yesterday made the transfer from Dundee and returns to the Irish League 15 years after leaving Dungannon Swifts.

It is a should win state of affairs for Mick McDermott’s boys, who’ve alarmingly fallen 10 factors off the tempo on the high of the desk.

Though the Glens defeated Moyola Park within the Irish Cup on the weekend, their final League win was in opposition to lowly Portadown again in November 26.

In equity, the east Belfast staff have been crippled by harm issues, together with Northern Eire worldwide Conor McMenamin.

On the plus facet, the influential Shay McCartan is now free from suspension – he needed to sit out the final seven video games – and will additionally play some half in opposition to David Jeffrey’s erratic Sky Blues, who misplaced defender Conor Keeley to Drogheda United after the penalty shootout Cup win at Carrick Rangers on the weekend.

“We have to construct a little bit of momentum after a poor run of outcomes,” stated Glentoran boss Mick McDermott. “We bought the win on the weekend, we should now use that as a platform.

“While you analyse sure video games, there have been fairly a couple of we didn’t should lose. We have been definitely the higher staff in opposition to Cliftonville, just for them to attain late on. In opposition to Linfield we had a great second half, however misplaced the sport within the ninetieth minute.

“In saying that, we had a very poor efficiency in opposition to Ballymena United in our final League sport – that is one I can’t deny.

“It wasn’t as if they nicked the sport, they deserved to win that specific day. However we now have an opportunity to place proper among the issues we did fallacious.

“We’ve Shay (McCartan) again within the squad after a protracted lay-off. We’ve recalled Ciaran O’Connor from Newry Metropolis and we’ve got recalled JJ – Jordan Jenkins – from Portadown.

“Then add in our new signing Niall McGinn, so the squad out of the blue seems to be much more more healthy.”

Though the Cup win in opposition to Premier Intermediate League facet Moyola wasn’t fairly at instances, McDermott insists the purpose was to be within the draw for the subsequent spherical – they’re now as a result of journey to Portadown on February 4.

It was targets from midfielder Terry Devlin and striker Danny Purkis helped get the Glens again on a successful pattern.

“The 2 early targets helped settle us,” added McDermott. “We may have scored extra, there isn’t any query about that. The way in which outcomes have been going of late, it was essential to not concede.

“I’d put it down as knowledgeable efficiency, we managed the sport nicely and did sufficient to recover from the road. I suppose everybody anticipated us to hit 4 or 5 targets, however generally Cup soccer doesn’t work like that.

“There have been a couple of boys I simply couldn’t threat on the artificial floor at Moyola. I merely couldn’t use Luke McCullough, who has had three cruciate ligament operations, so he wasn’t even within the squad.

“It was the identical for Hrvjoe Plum, whereas Seanan Clucas was solely on the bench as a result of he’s had groin points. Joe Crowe stepped in at centre-back and didn’t put a foot fallacious.

“The large check is now in opposition to Ballymena United. That they had half-hour of extra-time on the weekend after which a penalty shootout.

“They’ve had some nice outcomes this season however their very own excessive requirements they’ve additionally had some disappointing defeats as nicely. So, we simply don’t know what Ballymena United staff will flip up.”