Highlights: Cliftonville end Glentoran's 16-game unbeaten run
Ryan Curran and Jack Keany are on target as Cliftonville end Glentoran's 16-game unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory at Solitude in the Irish Premiership.READ MORE: Curran and Keany end Glen's unbeaten run at Solitude
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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Glentoran's time will come with fine tuning
Glentoran owner Ali Pour says the club just needs a bit of "fine tuning" and he will "give it as long as it takes" for the club to achieve took over at the Irish Premiership side six years ago and the club have only won an Irish Cup and County Antrim Shield in that season, Declan Devine guided the club to the County Antrim Shield and a third place finish in the league, when a top-two finish would have secured European they missed out on Europe by losing the play-off semi-final, and were defeated in the BetMcLean Cup final and quarter-finals of the Irish admits it was a "disappointing season" but says the club are "getting there"."We've had a few hiccups along the way, but we are very close. "Had we scored an extra goal and finished second, this would be a very different conversation. Fine margins have resulted in where we are today."The gap isn't huge. I expected better results in the last six years, in terms of silverware. We should have won more trophies, no one can dispute that. "But it's never a huge gap. It's always fine margins. Many of the games we lost or drew last season were so finely poised. We were one goal away from finishing second. "The level is up there, the squad performance, Declan's performance - it's all where it should be. I think we just need a bit of fine tuning."Glentoran haven't won the league since the 2008-09 season, but Pour says he believes the Gibson Cup will return to the Oval sooner rather than later. "Our time will come eventually, whether it's under my control or others. "We are serious contenders. There's no reason why it can't happen - the budget's there, we're still signing top players, Declan is more than qualified and capable of bringing the Gibson Cup here."If I didn't think we were capable, I probably wouldn't invest as much. What would be the point? We are capable of doing it and I'm sure one day we will, Who knows, it could be this season." 'Strong bid' for stadium redevelopment Something that the London-based owner believes could add to Glentoran's all round success and improve things on and off the pitch, is a new League clubs are awaiting news on how much money they will receive from the long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund. In Pour's eyes his club have submitted the best application and have requested a large portion of the available £36 million."When you look at the Oval, the stadium is falling apart here and I've seen other stadiums that need money. We have waited long enough. "The government has made a decision that they are going to put an amount of money into football. £36 million is not enough by any means for the whole league, so hopefully there will be more to come."Pour says the club have "ticked all the boxes" with a strong bid, and says it is a "big chunk" of the fund."We put a very, very strong bid in and I am very proud of what we have done. We have asked for a lot, we've asked for a big chunk. "Look, we can build a stadium for £20 million, we can build one for £100 million. It just depends how advanced you want it to be."Our need is clear, we sell out many big games because there is space available, but it's jut not safe. "In terms of impact, our social partnership has done wonders in this area and we understand the need to be sustainable. So, we're very optimistic." 'We're missing a talisman' After finishing third this season, the east Belfast side lost their European play-off semi-final to Cliftonville, something Pour admitted falls well short of the club's standards."European football is very important financially and from an emotional perspective. I was disappointed at the end of the season as our squad was more than capable of progressing through Europe. "We put a very strong team together, so we could have done really well had we qualified for Europe. It was hard to see us not get in there and obviously we could have made a lot of money in Europe in the next few months.""Emotionally, the fans and myself, we deserve to be in Europe. We're a full time club, we're very well financed, we've spent a lot of money over the past few years. It should be a given. "Even statistically speaking, there are four places available. We're a top two/top three team, we should be in Europe every year. Now this is the second year we haven't qualified, it's disappointing." Looking ahead to next season and summer transfers, Pour said manager Declan Devine has identified the positions they need to have already signed Scottish midfielder Liam Burt from Shamrock Rovers and Pour stressed there would be further additions."We may bring in two or three more players to strengthen our squad for next season. We're missing a talisman, we're still lacking a real goalscorer, someone who pulls it all together. So, I think we need one more upfront and one in a more defensive position."The club's women's team have achieved great success in recent seasons, wining three of the last five NIFL Premiership titles, achieving European football and most recently topping their group in the All-Island Cup to progress to the quarter-finals where they will host Dublin side Bohemians."The women's team are the thing that cheers me up," said Pour. "When the men's team isn't doing to well, they give me energy. The manager, Kim [Turner], is doing a great job."They've had a great start to the season and are doing so well in the All-Island Cup. I will support them all the way."
Belfast Telegraph
14 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland striker's debut delight after switching from Republic: ‘I'm hungry for more now'
Leaving Windsor Park on Tuesday, the sense was that the Ross County striker deserved to stay in the panel for the crunch double header away to Luxembourg and Germany. The 26-year-old was unlucky to hit the woodwork in the first half of the friendly and could have done better in the second period when bearing down on the goalkeeper having been alive to a poor back pass but what should please him and manager Michael O'Neill is that he found himself in those positions. If he continues to do that goals will come. Just ask Cliftonville and County fans. Another positive was in a dire opening to the contest, Hale showed hunger to try and impact the game and it was his shrewd pass to Isaac Price just after the half hour mark that led to Conor Bradley's shot being blocked lifting the home fans and in turn the team. Price would net the only goal of the game five minutes later. Having gone through a protracted process last year to complete a FIFA international transfer from the Republic of Ireland, Hale relished starting at Windsor where in 2024 he won the Irish Cup final for Cliftonville against Linfield with two memorable goals. He would hit 18 for Ross County in the season just finished following last summer's move from Solitude. 'Obviously the transfer was a long process that went on from last summer but I was really happy to finally get it done and then on Tuesday get on the pitch and make my debut,' said Hale. 'Walking out before the game was brilliant. It was quite loud and obviously it was something I'd been looking forward to for quite a long time. 'I'm hungry for more now. It's one that I can build on. I've done what I can and hopefully it's enough to keep me in the squad for the World Cup games though it's down to club form as well. I need to be performing every week because there's a tough pool of strikers that are all competing to be included. 'There's people playing in the League One and the Championship and we're all fighting for that number nine spot. It's healthy competition. All the boys are brilliant with each other. 'They're all driving each other on. It's all about someone grabbing the shirt.' On going close twice to scoring on his first appearance for Northern Ireland, Hale said: 'For the first one, I think I hit it too well. Obviously if you trickle it in it might go under the goalkeeper or whatever. Then the second one, I've just tried to take it around him and the touch isn't there. 'I would be annoyed at myself if I wasn't having those chances.' As for the difference between the club and international football, he added: 'I think it's a lot different at international level. You don't get as many chances as you would at club level. It's all about staying patient. 'I feel it was obviously a higher tempo compared to club level but I thought I did myself justice.' Coming into the squad in March, Hale didn't play against Switzerland or Sweden and missed out again at the weekend in Denmark. 'It's obviously frustrating when you're watching other people play in front of you and you just want to be on that pitch,' admitted the striker. The last 13 months have been quite something for Hale from winning the Irish Cup to being a hit in his first season with Ross County and now becoming a senior international. 'It's mad to think a season ago I was playing for the Reds and had a special day at the Irish Cup final. To go on and make my debut a year later for the international set up is a great feeling,' he said. With County relegated from the Premiership, a number of clubs in Scotland and England are now chasing Hale's signature. 'I'm just going to take it as it comes,' states the Belfast man. 'I'm a Ross County player and I'm contracted to them but things can change. It's just about seeing what the future holds for me and the best decision to keep me playing at the highest level I can.' The manager's verdict? 'I thought the first part of the game was tricky for him, but he grew into the game,' said O'Neill. 'Certainly he had some good passages of link up, he had a nice little chance where he nicked one off the goalkeeper and he was a little bit unlucky. 'I thought he showed up well. It's always difficult for the striker in the early part of the game if the team's not playing particularly well. But I was pleased for him and he obviously has given himself a chance going forward."
BBC News
15 hours ago
- BBC News
Hale 'hungry' for more opportunities with NI
Ross County striker Ronan Hale felt he did himself "justice" when making his international debut in Northern Ireland's 1-0 win over Iceland on Tuesday night. The 26-year-old was the subject of a protracted international transfer having represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level then, after being granted clearance, was an unused substitute for NI's previous three fixtures. The former Cliftonville man started in the friendly win over Iceland and almost marked his international bow with a goal as he struck the bar in added time at the end of the first half."It's obviously a great feeling, a long time coming with the process of the transfer and stuff, so I'm just really happy I finally got it done and got on the pitch, but I'm hungry for more now," he said."I feel that there was obviously a higher tempo compared to club level. The ball is straight in, so it's about finding that extra gear of fitness, but I thought I did myself justice and hopefully I can build on it."It's a great feeling but it's one that I want more of now." Northern Ireland were poor for the opening half hour of the game, while their period in the ascendancy after Isaac Price's first-half goal was cut short by Brodie Spencer's red card in the 57th was replaced while the 10 men dug in to protect their lead but manager Michael O'Neill felt his latest debutant "grew into the game" while he was on the pitch.O'Neill added: "He had some nice link-up play and he had a chance when he nicked one off the goalkeeper and was a little unlucky."It's always difficult for the striker in the early part of the game if the team isn't playing particularly well. "I was pleased for him, I think he showed up well and he has given himself a chance going forward".After his long wait for a first cap, Hale is now targeting involvement in Northern Ireland's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign that will begin with trips to Luxembourg and Germany in September."It's obviously frustrating when you're watching other people play in front of you and you just want to be on that pitch, he said. "You're going to get your chance and it's about taking it. Hopefully I've done enough to keep myself in and around it." 'Things can change' Before then, however, his club future will be the subject of some interest. In his first season since moving from the Irish Premiership, Hale scored 18 goals in all competitions but his Ross County side were relegated from the Scottish Premiership after losing in the play-off to Livingston. "I'm just going to take it as it comes," he said of transfer speculation. "I'm a Ross County player and I'm contracted to them, but things can change. "It's just about seeing what the future holds for me and the best decision to keep me playing at the highest level I can."
