IRISH LEAGUE: Glentoran manager Haveron has summer plans in mind

“That’s just the makings of this current group and short of what is required for this club,” said Glentoran manager Gary Haveron. “We need to address it in the off-season and work very hard to bring in players who can complement people like Curtis Allen or Elliott Morris.

“I don’t want to be involved in games that don’t matter, so we need to get back to the right end of the table and challenging.

“We had four or five teenagers on the pitch against Portadown and it’s about getting the timing right to give them the opportunities.

“We will look to throw in a few others next weekend as there are some cracking kids at the club, with our Academy a shining light going from strength-to-strength.”

Two goals by Curtis Allen pushed his tally to 18, with Eric Foley’s speculative free-kick delivery drifting beyond the dive of Portadown goalkeeper Jack Duffin.

Allen kicked off the scoring on 18 minutes to cap clever approach play between teenagers Conal Delaney and Salou Jallow.

Delaney’s measured pass found Allen in space in the second half and his clinical strike wrapped up the scoring.

“We moved the ball around well at times but lacked that cutting edge you get with someone like a Curtis Allen,” said Portadown manager Niall Currie. “We also conceded poor goals but came off the pitch not lacking anything in terms of the energy put in by everyone but just that quality in the final third.

“But there were still positives provided by a first senior start for Jackson Holmes and how we gave more teenagers that learning experience.”