Larne manager Gary Haveron has claimed a Glentoran player should have been sent off during his team's 2-1 Northern Ireland Premiership victory this week. The Belfast News Letter reported Haveron's strong criticism of a challenge by Jordan Stewart on Larne's Tomas Cosgrove in the match at Inver Park.
Haveron said the linesman had a clear view of the incident but the referee did not, leading to no red card being shown. "Yes, 100% they should have," Haveron stated when asked if Stewart deserved dismissal. The Larne boss described the tackle as 'really, really nasty' and 'so high'. He did, however, add that the official had a good game overall despite missing this key moment. The result marked Glentoran's third league defeat in their opening five fixtures of the campaign.
What happened in the match?
Larne secured a 2-1 home win against Glentoran with goals from Sean Graham and Matty Lusty. Aaron McEneff scored a consolation penalty for the visitors from east Belfast. The defeat leaves Glentoran seventh in the Premiership table with six points from five games. Their record shows two wins and three losses, with a recent form of LLWLW. They have scored seven goals and conceded six so far this season.
You can see how the table is shaping up on our standings page. The gap to the summit is already significant, with Coleraine FC leading the way and Glentoran sitting seven points behind the early pacesetters.
Why was the tackle so controversial?
Gary Haveron's post-match comments focused squarely on the challenge by Glentoran's Jordan Stewart. He explained that the referee's sightline was obstructed, but the assistant referee was positioned directly across from the tackle. Haveron believed this gave the linesman a perfect angle to judge the severity of the challenge, which he deemed worthy of a straight red card. His description of it as a 'really nasty' tackle underlined his frustration that play continued without the offending player being dismissed.
What did Haveron say about Larne's season?
Looking beyond the incident, the Larne manager shifted focus to his team's domestic ambitions. "Yeah, great win," he said, acknowledging the importance of the three points. Haveron stated that European competition is now done for his side and that their full attention is on the Premiership. He admitted they were never going to win the Conference League but stressed they aim to be competitive in every Irish League game this year. This win provides a solid foundation for that push.
What's next for Glentoran?
Glentoran must regroup quickly after this setback. Their next Premiership fixture is an away trip to face Crusaders FC on December 19th. Crusaders currently sit sixth in the table, one place above Glentoran, making it a key match in the early-season battle for position. The team's schedule, including this important derby, can be viewed on our fixtures page. Manager Warren Feeney will also be assessing his squad options as he looks to halt this run of inconsistent form and close the gap to the league leaders.
