Linfield Manager David Healy Dismisses ‘Revenge’ Narrative for Glentoran Cup Clash

Linfield manager David Healy stated that Tuesday’s BetMcLean Cup second round match against their significant Belfast rivals, Glentoran, is “not about revenge or redemption”. Despite Linfield, known as ‘The Blues’, holding an eight-point lead at the summit of the Premiership table, they have been defeated in both league encounters against their ‘Big Two’ derby adversaries this season. Glentoran, referred to as ‘The Glens’, secured a 3-1 victory at Windsor Park in October, followed by a 1-0 win against David Healy’s team at the Oval in November. The two teams will compete at Windsor Park for a spot in the quarter-finals, where the winner will face Ballymena United. Healy commented, “We have an opportunity in a different competition and we look forward to the challenge.” He added, “I don’t think you can go into any game talking about revenge and redemption. All I want to see is a fully fit squad busting a gut for each other, working as hard as we can. That’s what it’s going to take on Tuesday night.” Healy further stated, “It may be little bits of quality that win the game for either side but if we do the hard yards we’ll see what the outcome is.” Meanwhile, Glentoran boss Declan Devine expressed a desire for his team to show improvement following their 2-2 draw against Loughgall in the top division on Saturday. The Glens’ manager remarked, “There are a lot of things we need to improve on before we go to Windsor. We’ve got to be a lot better.” He continued, “It’s probably the hardest draw you could get in the second round of the League Cup, but if you want to win anything and be successful you have to beat the best.” On Monday evening, Glentoran announced that defender Ciaran Coll had committed to joining the club on an 18-month deal, which includes an option for a further 12-month extension. Coll previously played for Derry City for six years and will become eligible for selection starting in January. In a separate BetMcLean Cup quarter-final fixture, Crusaders are set to host Dungannon Swifts on Tuesday evening.