Category Archives: Premiership

Glenavon v Portadown (Tuesday)

Posted on by

Glenavon’s penultimate home game of the season sees the visit of neighbours Portadown for the second time this season in the Danske Bank Premiership. The last time the Ports came to Mourneview, a game featured live on Sky Sports, the game ended 2-2, Ronnie McFall’s side twice coming from behind.

The Ports won the other two games but Gary Hamilton is going into tomorrow night’s game (kick off 7:45pm) in a positive frame of mind. “We’re playing well at the moment and the two lads up front are a real goal threat so, although we know it will be a tough game as it always is with Portadown, we’ll approach the game with confidence,” Gary told us after Saturday’s 7-0 thrashing of Lisburn Distillery. “Barring any injuries I’ll be sticking with my policy of not changing a winning team, so I’ll definitely not be starting!”

Going into the post-split games McFall rested key players for the game with Ballymena United, with a vital Irish Cup semi final against Glentoran in mind. That tactic rather backfired with the Sky Blues winning 6-1 and the Glens going through to the final 1-0. On Satruday a goal by Stefan Lavery cancelled out a Gary Twigg effort to earn a point for Dungannon Swifts.

The special offer for school kids continues for all Glenavon’s remaining home games so primary school children accompanied by an adult will again be admitted for just £1.

We would again ask that anyone who has the best interests of Glenavon at heart, even if they haven’t been to a game for number of years, to make every effort to attend.

Match Officials

Referee: David Malcolm, Assistants: Jarlath McElholm, Andy Stevenson, 4th Official: Keith Kennedy

Match Sponsor Ball Sponsor Man of the Match Sponsor
Gordon Watson Ken Cardwell Gordon Irwin

FT: Glenavon 7-0 Distillery

Posted on by

Gary Hamilton is happy with “a very professional performance” and looks ahead to Tuesday night’s game with Portadown and his plans for next season. (Audio)

Andy Coleman was called into action in the 20th minute as he pushed a rising drive from Owain Beggs over the bar.

Mark Farren’s square pass after he was played in by Mark Turkington set up a shooting chance for Guy Bates and he made no mistake, driving a low shot past Lee Windrum to give Glenavon a 26th minute lead.

Farren was the man on target 8 minutes later after he seized on a loose ball in the Whites box. Ciaran Martyn appeared to have been brought down just inside the area but referee Hugh Carvill played on and Farren struck a low shot into the bottom corner.

On the stroke of half time Johnny Harness fired a low free kick that Coleman spilled but Kris Lindsay reacted quickly to clear the ball out for a corner. A goal for the visitors at that stage could have changed the whole complexion of the game so that was a vital intervention by the Glenavon defender.

Ten minutes into the second half Martyn made it 3-0 at the end of a lovely move which saw Bates back-heel on the edge of the Whites box into the midfielder’s path and he slotted home with aplomb after sidestepping Smyth.

Gary Hamilton replaced Bates in the 76th minute and two minutes later he scored with a dipping shot from 25 yards over a despairing Windrum. Two minutes later Hamilton set up Farren with a square pass and the ex-Derry City forward swivelled before firing in at the near post.

Hamilton made it 6-0 with his second of the match, running on to a great cross field diagonal pass from Andy Kilmartin before firing a left foot shot across Windrum and into the opposite corner.

It was 7th heaven for the Lurgan  Blues in the 87th minute when a very unselfish pass from Martyn left Kyle Neill to walk the ball into the net.

Glenavon: Coleman, Shannon (c) (Hagan 58), McCallion, Haughey, Kilmartin, Bates (Hamilton 76), Farren, Lindsay, Turkington, Martyn, Gardiner (Neill 67). Subs not used: Mitchell, Henderson

Lisburn Distillery: Windrum, Smyth, Harkness, Simpson (Withers 78), McCullough (Gordon 60), Davidson, McCann (c), Halliday, Ferguson, Boyd, Beggs (Forsythe 54). Subs not used: Garrett, Traynor. Cautions: Beggs

Referee: Hugh Carvill

Preview: Glenavon v Lisburn Distillery

Posted on by
Match Sponsor Ball Sponsor Man of the Match Sponsor
The Model Newsagents Bessbrook (Trevor & Julie Harvey) The Model Newsagents Bessbrook (Katie Hillis) Philip Harrison T/A Craigavon Aquatics

Danske Bank Premiership Match 35

Andy Coleman passed fit to start tomorrow.

Glenavon play host to bottom side Lisburn Distillery tomorrow aiming for a win that would ensure there would be no risk of slipping into a play-off spot, barring a huge 36 goal swing in goal difference with Donegal Celtic who currently occupy that place.

Distillery still have a lot to play for as they are 5 points adrift of DC with four games to play going into tomorrow’s Mourneview Park match. Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton has his players well prepared for an ‘all guns blazing’ approach from Tim McCann’s visiting Whites and he is looking to continue the recent good league form in which his side has picked up four points from two tough games against Coleraine and Dungannon Swifts. Any repeat of the last poor showing against the Whites which led to a 2-1 defeat at Ballyskeagh will certainly not be countenanced. “It’s a massive game for us too and it’s been drummed into the players all week that they have to approach it with the right attitude,” Gary explained when we spoke to him on Friday. “At DC and Distillery the last time it was obvious that the attitudes weren’t right and we got turned over. If the players think they’ve already done enough this season they’re mistaken and we’re looking at tomorrow’s game as a must win for us. A win tomorrow would take us above last season’s final points tally and show that we’ve moved on since then on a budget that’s half of last season’s.”

The main selection poser for Gary – who will wear the goalkeeper’s jersey following the sending off of Davy O’Hare in last week’s Mid-Ulster Cup penalty shoot-out loss to Banbridge Town – was solved by the early return of  Andy Coleman from a cruciate injury. “Andy will start tomorrow after successfully coming through training this week,” said a delighted Hamilton. “It’s great to have him back and his application to the recovery programme which he was set was exemplary from day 1. He’s been in the gym every day of the week to get back to full fitness and his attitude typifies the sort of people we need around the club and which we have added to the squad this season.”

The special offer for school kids continues for all Glenavon’s remaining home games so primary school children accompanied by an adult will again be admitted for just £1.

Best wishes to our Chairman Adrian Teer for a speedy recovery after his second hip replacement operation from the Directors, Management, Players and everyone associated with Glenavon FC. Adrian was released from hospital on Thursday and is recovering at home. Hope to see you back in your usual seat at MVP as soon as possible!

Match Officials

Referee: Hugh Carvill, Assistants: James Eakin, Andy Stevenson, 4th Official: Kevin Taggart

FT: Swifts 2-3 Glenavon

Posted on by

Glenavon start with the same 11 as Saturday, Kyle Neill returning from suspension in on the bench.

Glenavon showed great spirit to fight back from 2-0 down to win an enjoyable encounter at Stangmore Park  and the hard-earned three points, with Distillery losing to DC, eased any lingering relegation issues.

Nigel Law “It was a ‘comfortable’ 3-2 in the end” (Audio)

Guy Bates fired wide from 20 yards in the 4th minute after Mark Farren’s header had set up a good chance for him.

Matt Hazley put the hosts in front in the 16th minute from the spot after Eddie McCallion hauled down Stefan Lavery just inside the corner of the box.

James Costello hit the inside of the post two minutes later when he broke down the right. He probably should have squared to an unmarked Hazley who was waiting in the middle.

Costello made up for his earlier miss when he fired into the bottom corner after Glenavon failed to clear from a disputed throw in.

A great 20 yard free kick curled around the wall by Marc Brown in the 26th minute pulled a goal back for Glenavon.

In the 27th minute O’Hare tipped a header from Costello over the bar from Grieve’s cross and Fitzpatrick clipped the top of the bar from the resulting corner.

Mark Haughey was under pressure as he headed Turkington’s cross just over after the hosts struggled to clear the ball from a corner.

There was just two minutes on the clock in the second half when a bullet header by Farren from Brown’s deep corner equalised for Glenavon.

Ciaran Martyn put the visitors in front in the 59th minute when he nodded in from close range after Bates header came back off the underside of the bar from another excellent Brown free kick.

The Swifts ended with three Laverys up front and the best chance fell to former Glenavon winger Chris Lavery in the dying seconds but he headed straight into the arms of a grateful Davy O’Hare.

Dungannon: Curran, McKerr, Montgomery (c), McMinn, Grieve, O’Neill (PJ LAvery 86), Fitzpsatrick, Hutchinson (Harpur 57), Hazley, Costello (C LAvery 75), S Lavery. Subs not used: Glackin, Brennan. Cautions: Montgomery

Glenavon: O’Hare, Shannon (c), Haughey, McCallion, Turkington, Brown, Kilmartin, Gardiner (Neill 88), Martyn, Farren (Hamilton 90), Bates. Subs not used: Doherty, Hagan, McGrory. Cautions: McCallion, Martyn, Shannon

Referee: Tim Marshall

Dungannon Swifts v Glenavon (Tue 2:30pm)

Posted on by

Updated Danske Bank Premiership LogoWith all of the bottom four clubs earning draws on Saturday its ‘as you were’ when they meet each other on Easter Tuesday (NB All games kick off at 2:30pm due to the evening’s Champions League games). While Lisburn Distillery and Donegal Celtic meet in a bottom-two clash at New Grosvenor, its 9th versus 10th as Glenavon travel to Stangmore Park three points behind the Mid-Ulster neighbours Dungannon Swifts. A win for Glenavon would see the Lurgan Blues move above the Swifts on goal difference.

“We enjoy going to Stangmore and we’ve had a few tasty games with Dungannon this season” Glenavon First Team Coach Nigel Law said after Saturday’s draw with Coleraine as he looked ahead to the game on Tuesday. “On that performance (today) we know what we’re capable of and we know how we can win games and what’s effective and works for us. The key now is to take it to Stangmore, look to be a bit more clinical and to maintain that level of possession for 90 minutes that allows us to control the game.”

Kyle Neill and Niall Henderson are back in contention for a place in the squad after sitting out Saturday’s game through suspension but Robbie McDaid completes his two game ban and Kris Lindsay is away with work commitments.

Last 5 Head to Head Matches

Match Officials

Referee: Tim Marshall, Assistants: Andy Stevenson, Jarleth McElholm, 4th Official: Lee Tavinder