Oval win gives United a ‘platform to build’ - Ferguson

“I said to the players ‘it’ll turn if you work hard enough’,” said Ferguson.

“I said that if we matched Glentoran for work-rate, I believe we had the players who could go and match them technically.

“We had them watched, we knew how they play and we tried to nullify that and I thought we did that as well.

“When the chances came, Matthew Shevlin is playing like a centre forward who is 26 or 27. His composure and hold-up play were excellent, his goal rounding the keeper - that lad has a bright future.

“I thought Matthew Tipton was also excellent and worked his socks off and Willie Faulkner did a job for us and then popped up with a goal as well.

“It was maybe unfair of me but I had a go at Dwayne at half-time thinking he could maybe have came for the cross for their goal but he tells me he couldn’t.

“But I told him exactly what I wanted from him in the second half - to be commanding in his box, come and take crosses and he did exactly what I asked which takes the pressure off.

“I thought we marshalled Glentoran very well and limited them to very little. They put balls in the box but there wasn’t a lot of saves to be made by Dwayne.

“W had chances but if you put it into perspective, we’re playing Glentoran away from home and if you create six chances and take three of them, you’ve got to be delighted.

“Football is a confidence game and the atmosphere in the dressing room after Saturday was different to what it has been before but confidence breeds confidence.

“It’s particularly good when you have your strikers scoring goals because strikers thrive on that,” added Ferguson.