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Glentoran 3 Linfield 1: Proud Scotsman Scott Young last night danced a St Andrew's Day Highland Fling with a beaming smile on his face.
The Glasgow-born Glentoran manager celebrated as his team lifted the Paddy Power County Antrim Shield with a stunning 3-1 victory over Big Two rivals Linfield.
And it was a win the troubled Glens thoroughly deserved.
Yes, Linfield had their chances, but the Glens were clinical in the execution of the opportunities they created.
Andy Waterworth dispatched an eighth minute penalty with aplomb, Matty Burrows punished a terrible defensive error to double the advantage and after BJ Burns had given Linfield hope in the closing minutes, Grant Gardiner popped up with the goal of the night in injury time.
Nobody in east Belfast will say that it's ‘only the County Antrim Shield', with the competition regularly knocked.
Any win over the Blues is celebrated with great fervour and after ending November with a triumph over Linfield — the first time Young has beaten David Jeffrey in his managerial career — they'll now want to do the same at the end of December when the teams meet again at Windsor Park in the Carling Premiership.
Just a few years ago the Shield was close to becoming Linfield property when they won it three years in a row, but there is something of a jinx over them in the competition now after losing three successive finals.
The Shield success will also serve as a great way to lift some of the gloom that surrounds the financially strained Glens, who face a High Court date to fight a winding up order lodged by the Inland Revenue.
If, however, the Glens are in crisis someone forgot to tell the 11 players who took to the field in green, red and black last night.
Depleted as they were — the starting line-up contained the last remaining 11 senior players available to Young — there was clearly a cleverly thought out game plan put into operation by the Glens and it was one that proved hugely effective.
Still five points behind Linfield in the league table — the Blues were further behind than that last December before going on to win the title — the injection of confidence that the Glens will get from winning silverware could tell a tale.
Glentoran were positive in driving forward from the off. Waterworth was employed in a wide role and it was his pace that led to the opening goal.
He broke into the box only for his progress to be halted by the outstretched leg of David Armstrong.
Waterworth grabbed the ball and duly dispatched it into the bottom right hand corner of Alan Blayney's goal — despite the Linfield goalkeeper diving the right way — to give the Glens the lead with just eight minutes gone.
The Blues thought they had levelled 10 minutes later only for Armstrong's header to be ruled out for offside.
In the past it's been men from the east who bear gifts. This time, however, it was Glentoran who were the beneficiaries of an early Christmas present as they doubled their lead on 23 minutes.
Chris Casement will, on reflection, be only too aware that the back row of the South Stand would have been a much better place to put the ball.
Instead he made a hash of an attempted back pass to Blayney and in nipped Burrows who made a better angle for himself before firing his shot into the net.
Linfield had pressure in the closing stages of the first-half, showed urgency in the second and did get on top for a spell, but there was a lack of quality on the final ball.
There was also a succession of corners, one of which Armstrong headed against the underside of the bar.
Linfield claimed the ball had crossed the line when it came down, but referee Brian Turkington said no.
Throwing everything at the Glens in the closing stages, the Blues finally made a breakthrough.
The three men that Jeffrey had thrown into the fray in an attempt to rescue the game were all involved in the goal that gave them hope six minutes from the end.
Marcus Kane sent a dangerous cross into the box, Paul Munster forced a fine save from James Taylor and BJ Burns showed great alertness to react quickest and head the ball into the net to make it 2-1.
But in injury time Gardiner's powerful strike from the corner of the box arrowed past the outstretched hand of Blayney and that confirmed that there would be no comeback from the Blues — and sparked wild Glentoran celebrations.
