Glentoran's Irish Premiership match against Larne ended in a mass brawl, with the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) condemning the incident. The brawl occurred after the match, which ended in a scoreless draw, giving Larne the point they needed to secure European qualification. Glentoran boss Declan Devine said he 'didn't see much' of the melee, but was proud of his players for standing up for each other.

What happened?

The match at Inver Park on Saturday saw players and officials from both clubs involved in unsavoury scenes across the pitch following full-time. Larne's Aaron Donnelly and Conor McKendry, and Fuad Sule and Christie Pattison of Glentoran, were all sent off by referee Jamie Robinson.

Reaction from the managers

Larne manager Gary Haveron described the scenes as 'really unsavoury', saying it was not something you want to see at games. Devine said his players stood up for each other on and off the pitch, and he would be more frustrated if they lay down and took punches.

Current context

As of 27 Jun 2026, Glentoran sits 2nd in the Premiership with 69 points from 33 games, recent form LDWWD. They are 4 points behind leaders Larne, and have scored 63 goals this season, conceding 30. Their last result was a 6-2 loss to Coleraine FC on 2026-04-25. | Category | Value | | --- | --- | | League standing | 2nd | | Goals this season | 63 scored, 30 conceded | | Title race | 4 points behind Larne | | Last result | Coleraine FC 6-2 Glentoran | | Recent form | LDWWD