Glens 'need to change mentality' after deja vu draw

You could forgive Glentoran fans for having a sense of deja vu.

On Tuesday, Odhran Casey headed home in the 94th minute to snatch a draw for title challengers Cliftonville.

Five days later, two former Glentoran players - Curtis Allen and Danny Gibson - linked up to land a decisive blow with six minutes to play in another 2-2 draw.

"It's disappointing to be honest because we got ourselves in a great position," said Glentoran manager Warren Feeney.

"You can't play football for 45 minutes. We had chances to go three [goals up] right on half time and 2-0 is a horrible scoreline.

"The second half wasn't good enough."

• Linfield held by Glenavon as Cliftonville beat Coleraine

In-form midfielder Bobby Burns and striker David Fisher put Glentoran into a two-goal lead before Andy Mitchell pulled one back with 23 minutes to play and Allen came back to haunt his former side.

The two draws in the space of a week leave the east Belfast outfit, who entered the season with high hopes of a title challenge, languishing in fourth place - some 21 points off pacesetters Larne.

Glentoran's last league title came way back in 2009 and their only trophy in the past five years was the Irish Cup triumph in 2020.

Feeney says his team have to change their mentality if they are to challenge for major honours.

"This football club, you can say what you want, but this is why we haven't done anything in how long," the former Northern Ireland striker added.

"It's all about mentality. You can keep saying it but you have to see it out, you can't throw games like this away.

"It's not going to be easy, but you can't fold. For me, it's been too long.

"We have to be challenging for this but that is why this club hasn't been challenging. We have to change this mentality moving forward."

'They've got it in them'

Curtis Allen netted a late equaliser for Carrick Rangers against his former club

Despite the results, Feeney says his players have the ability to produce results against any team in the league.

"Since I've come in, I've brought two players in. We have to get to the end of the season but there is still good enough players in there, they have proven it and that's the challenge I have laid down to them.

"We are still in the cup and we have to finish as high as we can. There are good players, but it is getting that out of them, not for 45 minutes but for 90 minutes.

"They've got it in them, but we have to sustain it.

"We had a lot of players out injured today, which can show as they are big players for us. Yes, there's disappointment at a draw but that's the expectations at this club. We have got to take it on the chin.

"It's disappointing but I said to the boys, 'I can take Tuesday's draw because it happens in football, but it's only good if we get a win today', but we didn't.

"That's mentality, that has to change."