Rodney McAree looking Glentoran to put on Sky Sports spectacle against Crusaders

The Glens won their first meeting of the season in August but lost out at Seaview last month after a Chris Hegarty brace secured three points for the hosts.

That started a run of five consecutive Danske Bank Premiership losses – a spell of torrid form that forced the Glentoran board to act and replace former manager Mick McDermott with McAree.

Good times have started to roll again at The Oval with two wins in a week and nine goals scored in the process - including six against Dungannon Swifts - and they’ll be looking to keep it going when the Crues visit on Monday evening.

The match will be shown live on Sky Sports and McAree hopes his side can put on a performance to remember for those watching.

"I'm sure it's a case from a players’ point-of-view that it's an opportunity to go out and express themselves,” he told Glens TV. "Players will talk about the chance of playing on Sky Sports and everybody is going to be able to tune in and watch.

"It's an opportunity for players to showcase their ability, their talent and, hopefully, we can do it to the best of our ability.

"I know if we do that then we can put on a spectacle and be a good team to watch.

"Hopefully on Monday evening we are that team everybody wants to tune in and watch."

Things have also improved in defence during the early stages of McAree’s reign, with their clean sheet on Tuesday marking the first time they’ve kept a team out in the league since late November.

McAree will be looking for a similar showing as they try to make amends for the defeat they were handed last time out by Crusaders.

"It's going to be an extremely difficult match,” he added. “I know when we went to Seaview last time it finished 3-2 to Crusaders and it was a game that, when we got it back to 2-2, that we might be the team that went on to win it.

"We conceded poor enough goals that day so we need to make sure we aren't conceding poor goals against top sides.

"Because in the big games it becomes more difficult to score ourselves.

"We need to make sure we're compact, hard to score against and give ourselves that opportunity where we can go and hurt them."

Niall McGinn will also be aiming to extend his scoring streak after following up a debut strike against Newry City by putting three past the Swifts, a former club.

The Northern Ireland international has fit seamlessly into the Glentoran dressing room and McAree believes team spirit has been a big factor behind their changing fortunes.

"I've known Niall for a lifetime so I knew what sort of character was coming to Glentoran and I knew he would settle in very quickly,” he said. "There has never been a problem here with any of the players and never been any fallouts.

"So it's a case of trying to build team morale, build team spirit with what we have.”