After the first match day of September, and the league is starting to look more like you might it expect it to for the season, we also have our first team of the week for September including a couple of Linfield and Crusaders players from the Scottish Challenge Cup.
Our goalkeeper this time around is Elliott Morris for Glentoran. The experienced shot stopper will have pleased boss, Haveron with a well earned cleaned sheet needing to make a few vital saves with Warrenpoint still in the match, especially when it was still 0-0 in the first half.
Our right back this week is Crusaders’ right back Billy Joe Burns who scored a late brace at Seaview to give Stephen Baxter’s men a 3-2 victory over Motherwell Under 20s and avoid an embarrassing exit to the reserve side managed by ex Northern Ireland international Stephen Craigan.
Our two centre backs are Kyle Owens and Johnny Flynn from Ballymena as they helped their team to a rare clean sheet against Cliftonville with both players having solid performances. Owens picked up an injury and had to be replaced in the 74th minute with Emmet Friars coming on in his place, who then flicked home Tony Kane’s driven effort to give Ballymena their first win of the season.
In the team at left-back is Cliftonville’s, Aaron Donnelly. In what was a poor performance from the Reds, Donnelly was the standout player in the team, although it wasn’t the Donnelly you might have expected with Rory Donnelly quiet on his return. Aaron meanwhile was composed on the ball and worked hard on the left flank for the North Belfast side.
Ryan Mayse is in the team at right midfield this week. The Dungannon wide player scored a sublime goal against former team Ballinamallard United to give Dungannon an unsurpassable 2-0, which they kept to run out victors. The goal showed the fantastic technical ability that Mayse possesses and creates goals from midfield that Dungannon needs after losing Andy Mitchell in the summer to Glenavon.
Our two central midfielders are Stephen Fallon and Ciaron Harkin from Linfield and Coleraine respectively. Fallon ran the midfield against Spartans in Edinburgh, a couple of seasons ago, many supporters were saying Fallon wasn’t strong enough for Irish League football, which is something he seems to have changed, and now is not so easily pushed off the ball. Harkin had another fantastic performance for the Bannsiders against Glenavon, getting up and down the pitch to help both strikers and defenders, as well as scoring a rasping shot from the edge of the box.
Another player from that match is our left midfielder this week in Glenavon’s Adam Foley. Foley was again dangerous down that side for the team from Lurgan, including scoring his fifth goal of the season already with a free header at the back post from an Andy Hall cross from the right.
Our first front man is Curtis Allen, the Glentoran striker worked hard, as ever, against Warrenpoint. He is the club’s main goal threat, and he showed why on Saturday with a curling free kick just after half time to give the East Belfast side a 1-0 lead. Alongside him is Coleraine’s Darren McAuley, who scored two goals in the Bannsider’s 4-2 victory, with a Panenka penalty and a fine effort from the edge of the area.