Glentoran F.C. vs Kilmarnock arrives on Wednesday afternoon at the BetMcLean Oval, with kick-off set for 1pm and RFS waiting next week in the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round. Daniel Larmour says the friendly is a real test at the right time, because Glentoran need sharper fitness before Europe starts.
Larmour has already put the schedule in plain terms. “You don’t have a lot of time once you come back in pre-season until the first game in Europe so it’s very important that you not only get your fitness up to speed as much as possible but that you also get some tough games under your belt,” he said. He added: “I think the Kilmarnock one will be a real test for us.”
BetMcLean Oval before RFS
The match gives Glentoran one more high-level run-out before the tie with RFS. They have already played Caernarfon Town, The New Saints and East Belfast in pre-season, and they still have a final warm-up fixture away to Dundela on Saturday before Europe begins.
That leaves the Kilmarnock game as the clearest dress rehearsal in the middle of the build-up. It comes before a competitive fixture that will demand more than fitness alone, so the Wednesday afternoon game is doing double work: it is part of pre-season, and it is a live check on who is ready to carry form into the first qualifying round.
Daniel Larmour on Europe
Larmour also tied the friendly to the wider target. Glentoran want to make the most of their home advantage against RFS, and he said they want to add to their European record by making their own piece of history in Europe. The defender pointed to the level of the opposition as well, saying Kilmarnock play at the highest level in Scotland and have plenty of good players throughout the squad.
That is the complication in Glentoran’s build-up. They want to hit the ground running in Europe, but they have only had a few weeks back in pre-season and have already squeezed three games into that short window. A tough afternoon against Kilmarnock may show more about the squad’s sharpness than an easier friendly would, and that is the point before RFS arrives next week.
Glentoran and Dundela
For the players, the immediate task is simple: get through Wednesday, then turn to Dundela on Saturday, then into RFS in the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round. Glentoran have not competed in European competition for two years, so the next few days are less about spectacle than selecting the right pace, the right shape and the right names for the opening European tie.
