Weatherup winner earns Ferguson first Glentoran victory

Cal Weatherup scored a late winner as Glentoran beat Bangor 2-1 on Friday, giving Duncan Ferguson his first victory as manager. BBC Sport NI reported that the 18-year-old settled the match at the Oval with three minutes remaining.

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Jordan Stewart opened the scoring before former Glentoran player Ben Cushnie equalised in the 83rd minute. Weatherup, who had replaced Pat Hoban, then reached a long ball and finished between goalkeeper Patrick Solis Grogan's legs for his first goal of the campaign.

The home debut had been delayed by the postponement of a fixture against Ballymena United. In an interview published by Glentoran on Thursday, Ferguson described his disappointment at that cancellation and his eagerness to finally take charge in front of the club's home supporters after joining the previous month.

The former Everton striker had begun with away draws against Coleraine and Carrick Rangers. Speaking to the club before the Bangor match, he praised the travelling fans for both their numbers and their support. He also said his opening weeks had involved assessing the players while introducing his approach to the squad.

Ferguson told Glentoran that the players had responded positively, but stressed the need to collect points consistently. His assessment of the earlier games identified specific areas for improvement: creating more chances against Carrick and using the ball better against Coleraine. He praised the team's penalty-area defending under pressure from Carrick's long throws. He also emphasised that further work remained and that the club could not take success for granted.

After Friday's win, Ferguson praised his players' resilience, according to the BBC. He nevertheless felt Glentoran had dropped too deep before Bangor scored, and said the team still needed to improve its attacking creativity despite looking solid defensively.

The result leaves Ferguson unbeaten in his first three matches, with a win following those two draws. His first appearance in the home dugout ended with three points after Glentoran recovered from conceding an equaliser late in the game.