Hoban scores twice as Glentoran close in on Larne - report & highlights

Irish Premiership Glentoran 3 - 0 Cliftonville FT Glentoran returned to winning ways with a comfortable 3-0 win over Cliftonville at the Oval in the Irish Premiership. Daniel Larmour gave the Glens the lead in the 25th minute as he headed home from close range as the hosts looked to bounce back from Sunday's BetMcLean Cup final defeat by Linfield. A Pat Hoban double after the break sealed the points for the home side in a contest they dominated from start to finish.

The win sees the hosts cut the gap to league leaders Larne to two points while the visitors remain in fifth. In the fourth minute, Glentoran almost edged themselves in front when Jarlath O'Rourke whipped a first-time cross in from the left that PJ Morrison spilt into the path of Ross Clarke, but the ball just evaded the former Crusaders winger. Cliftonville responded in the 13th minute with their best chance of the half when Brian Healy raced in behind and drilled a low effort from a narrow angle, but Andrew Mills stood tall to deny the Reds striker.

The hosts continued to look the more threatening during the opening exchanges and almost profited in fortuitous circumstances when Morrison miscontrolled a backpass and had to scramble back to clear as the ball approached the goal line, before Danny Amos blazed over from a tight angle. Midway through the opening 45 minutes, Morrison was called into action again when O'Rourke exchanged a neat one-two with Amos before picking out Larmour 12 yards from goal, but he headed straight at the Cliftonville goalkeeper. That warning went unheeded as the Glens broke the deadlock with the next attack when Ryan Cooney's long throw was not dealt with at the near post, and Larmour stooped to head in from close range.

Shortly before the interval, Cooney's corner sparked pinball inside the Reds' penalty area, where Jack Malone robbed Sean Robertson before turning and taking aim for the far corner, but the midfielder's effort fell the wrong side of the post. Seven minutes after the restart, the home side doubled their advantage when O'Rourke's free-kick into the area was headed into the path of Hoban by Larmour, and the forward flicked it over the onrushing Morrison to put the Glens in the driving seat. Just after the hour mark, the points were sealed when Cooney's long throw was deflected onto the woodwork by Rory Hale, and Hoban reacted quickest to convert from close range for his second of the game.