Glentoran 2–0 Limavady United: Stewart and Hoban Secure Win

Glentoran had to dig far deeper than the scoreline suggests, but second-half headers from Jordan Stewart and Pat Hoban ensured Declan Devine’s side opened the new Irish Premiership season with a controlled, if hard-earned, win over Limavady United.

For Limavady, back in the top flight for the first time since 2008, this was a night to measure themselves. They left with no points, but plenty of respect.

Glens start fast, Limavady refuse to buckle

The tone was set inside two minutes. New signing Zeno Rossi strode onto a loose ball outside the box and let fly, forcing Marty Gallagher into an early save after Aaron McEneff’s cross had only been half-cleared. It felt like an ominous sign for the visitors.

Glentoran kept coming.

Joe Thomson should have underlined the early dominance, driving just past the post after sharp approach play from Ross Clarke. The winger was a constant outlet, repeatedly stretching Limavady’s back line and asking questions of their positioning.

Limavady, though, found resistance where it mattered most. On 16 minutes, with Gallagher beaten and the ball trickling towards goal from a scrambled Pat Hoban effort, Tiarnan Boorman raced back to hook it off the line. It was desperate, committed defending, and it kept the underdogs alive.

The Glens pressed around the half-hour mark. Jack Malone whipped one from distance just over, then James Singleton drilled a ball across the six-yard box that only needed the slightest touch. Nobody arrived. Limavady survived again.

As the interval approached, Thomson tried to take matters into his own hands, unleashing a long-range strike that Gallagher acrobatically tipped over. Glentoran had controlled the half, but the scoreboard stubbornly read 0–0. Limavady had earned their half-time applause.

Limavady’s moment… then the sucker punch

If anyone thought Limavady would simply cling on, they were quickly corrected. Within 20 seconds of the restart, Oisin Duffy found space in the Glentoran box and drove in from an angle, forcing Billy Crellin into his first serious stop of the night. It was a warning: the newcomers were no longer just defending.

The game opened up.

Glentoran appealed loudly for a penalty when Clarke went down under pressure from Boorman and Rodney Brown, but referee Michael McKenna saw it the other way and penalised the winger. That decision seemed to embolden Limavady rather than rattle them.

Their belief grew. On 53 minutes, Philip Lowry almost did what Philip Lowry so often does, sneaking in behind to lift a clever effort over Crellin, only to see it land on the roof of the net. Three minutes later he had an even clearer sight of goal, picked out by Leon Boyd in front of the posts. From 10 yards, the finish usually feels inevitable. This time, he lashed over.

Those misses would haunt Limavady within minutes.

Devine turns to the bench, Stewart delivers

Sensing the shift in momentum, Devine moved. Jordan Jenkins made way for Jordan Stewart, and the substitute needed barely a heartbeat to justify the call.

On 61 minutes, Ryan Cooney swung in a corner and Stewart, only just on the pitch, glanced a deft header beyond Gallagher. After all the toil, the breakthrough came from the bench and from a set piece. The relief around the home support was obvious.

The goal changed everything.

Limavady, who had been growing into the contest, suddenly found themselves chasing. Glentoran, finally ahead, played with a touch more freedom and conviction. Two minutes after Stewart’s opener, they struck again.

Malone, who had threatened from range earlier, this time delivered from wide. His cross was measured, and Hoban, last season’s top scorer, attacked it with authority to nod in the second. One chance, one ruthless finish. The contest, effectively, was done.

Managers’ verdicts and an early-season marker

Devine was quick to acknowledge the effort of the visitors, praising Limavady’s resilience and underlining the value of a clean sheet on opening day. For Glentoran, this was about getting the job done, banking three points and moving on with minimal fuss, even if the path there was far from straightforward.

Paul Owens, on the other hand, knew exactly where the game slipped away. He pointed to that spell from 45 to 59 minutes, when his side stitched passes together, carved out big chances and had Lowry in positions he has punished from for years. Fail to take those, concede from a set piece, then ship another shortly after – it’s a brutal lesson in Premiership football.

Glentoran walk away with the win and the platform they wanted. Limavady walk away with a reminder: at this level, you don’t get many moments. When they come, you simply have to take them.