A fine brace of goals from Paul McAreavey helped Linfield to a 3-1 Setanta Sports Cup victory over a Glentoran side missing many of their first choice 11.
Glens, fielding a weakened side ahead of Saturday's crunch Carnegie League clash with Linfield, took a surprise lead after just eight minutes.
Darren Boyce claimed just his second goal of the season when he side-footed the ball home from close range after a sweeping passing Glentoran move.
The visitors should have drawn level on 29 minutes when Thomas Stewart found himself unmarked in the area but scuff his shot, the broke clear to McAreavey but he hooked his shot over.
McAreavey made no such mistake three minutes later when Glentoran goalkeeper Michael Dougherty dropped a straight-forward cross and allowed the Linfield striker to level.
That goal spurred Linfield into life and they should have gone into the break in front but Kris Lindsay conspired to head over the bar after charging into the area to get on the end of an in-swinging corner.
The Blues started the second-half the same way they ended the first and it was no surprise when they took the lead on 49 minutes courtesy of McAreavey.
Thomas Stewart's shot was charged down and the ball broke to McAreavy, just outside the box, and he coolly stroked it home to put his side in front.
BJ McMenamin had a golden chance to level for the home side on 67 minutes when he spearheaded a speedy Glentoran breakaway, but he was forced to take his shot from a tight angle and dragged it wide.
The game was over as a contest two minutes later when a fine piece of play from Peter Thompson say him loft the ball over two Linfield players and into the path of Mark Dickson who slotted the ball home.
