Daniel Wright applauds the fans after the match. Pic: Alan Weir
Young goalkeeper Daniel Wright made his final appearance in a Wolves shirt this afternoon, leading his former team out in their 1-0 victory at Mourneview Park.
Wright, who was last year forced to quit full-time football due to a heart condition, then played the final seven minutes for Glenavon but only had to make one routine save from Wolves’ Nathan Rooney.
Routine saves were about all the goalkeepers for either side had to make with some lively attacking moves ending in frustration at both ends. However Wolves did get the victory thanks to a 49th minute penalty kick after Kyle Neill was harshly adjudged to have fouled in the area. The impressive Mama Dembele stepped up to smash the ball low into the left side of the net and that was to be the only goal of the game.
Mark Miskimmin holds off a Wolves defender. Pic: Alan Weir
The home side did start the match quite well and put together several flowing moves in the first half with midfielder Ryan Harpur at the centre of it all. As has been the story too often however the Blues scarcely looked like scoring. Their best chance of the half came after just four minutes when Tony Grant got on the end of Kyle Neill’s ball but headed over and was then clattered by Wolves’ keeper Daniel East. Glenavon’s only other attempt before the break came from Jay Magee but his trademark rifled free-kick flew narrowly wide.
At the other end, Andy Plummer did well to save Nathan Rooney’s powerful low effort before easily claiming a weak rebound. That was the young Wolves team’s only attempt of the half and Glenavon were unquestionably the better of the two sides. However, half-time came, the visitors made a few changes and looked all the better for it.
It took them just four minutes to claim the eventual winner but it could have been more thanks to some flowing football from the Wolves side. Their youth and speed began to show as they attacked the Glenavon defence but Andre Landell could only only head over from James Spray’s cross and David Davis’ powerful 25 yard effort flew wide. The best attack of the half was left to injury time when a great cross-field ball from Scott Malone hit Glenavon on the break and sent Mama Dembele clear of the defence. The striker looked all set to score but couldn’t make his mind up whether to shoot or cross to Nathan Rooney and in the end did neither as he chipped the ball harmlessly wide of goal.
Glenavon did force a few second half chances and Tony Grant was just inches from heading in the typically lively Trevor Molloy’s left wing cross whilst both Brendan Shannon’s deflected effort and Stuart King’s low free-kick were saved with ease.
NI international John Gorman is watched by Brendan Shannon. Pic: Alan Weir
In truth, Wolves deserved the victory after showing their class in the second period with 18 year-old central defender Jamie Reckord and striker Mama Dembele sure to be two names to look out for in the future. Northern Irish international John Gorman however failed to really make an impact on the game and was subbed in the second half. For Glenavon, Ryan Harpur put in a good performance, dominating the midfield whilst 33 year-old Trevor Molloy showed the young Wolves players his class on the left wing.
Glenavon: Plummer (Wright 83), Shannon, McDonagh, Magee (Haughey 61), Neill (Turkington 70), Costello, Harpur (Johnston 61), Harper (Walsh 61), Molloy (King 70), Miskimmin, Grant
Wolves starting XI: Wright, Denleavy, Reckord, Ebanks-Landell, Batth, Harris, Landell, Rooney, Spray, Dembele, Gorman
Daniel Wright in action for Glenavon. Pic: Alan Weir
