Glenavon FC News

Glenavon’s proposed friendly game against Moyola Park at their £1.8m “3G” playing and training complex in Castledawson scheduled for next Tuesday evening has been cancelled. The Championship club had originally issued an invitation to Glenavon but called off the game on Saturday evening.

Two changes today for Glenavon, Sammy Stewart got his first start since re-signing for the Club and Adrian Harper came in for Ryan Harpur who dropped to the bench.

Marty Quinn’s Post-Match Interview (Audio)

Glenavon's Sammy Stewart and Glentoran's Jimmy Callacher. ©Russell Pritchard / Presseye

There weren’t too many clear cut chances in the first half as both sides matched formations and cancelled each other out for large spells. Daryl Fordyce had the first decent effort in the 8th minute when he picked up a throw in and turned inside to shoot left footed from 25 yards but he failed to hit the target. Johnny Black’s 22nd free kick from just outside the box took a nick off a defender and curled just past the far post.

Adrian Harper and Richard Clarke were never far apart all afternoon. Photo ©Russell Pritchard / Presseye

Kyle Neill’s 24th minute free kick was into a dangerous area but no-one in a Glenavon shirt made a run across the line of the ball and Elliott Morris was able to gather it easily.

On the half hour mark a good ball over the top by Colin Nixon picked out the run of Fordyce but Andrew Plummer came out to the edge of his area to intercept the ball. In the wet conditions he failed to hold the ball and had to react quickly to kick it clear as it rolled out of the box.

On the stroke of half time Jimmy Callacher crossed for Ciaran Martyn but his initial header and the follow up shot were both blocked.

Andy Waterworth replaced Peter Steele for the Glens at half time and he was straight into the action seconds later as he burst into the Glenavon box and Neill put in a vital tackle to dispossess him. Trevor Molloy went close with a left foot shot  in the 53rd minute as he cut in from the right wing and evaded three challenges before letting fly from the edge of the box. Moments later it looked as though Neal Gawley had to score as a great cross to the far post from Jamie McGovern caused total confusion in the Glenavon defence but the former Glenavon player contrived to blast his shot wide when it seemed easier to score.

Glentoran's Ciaran Martyn Scores. Photo ©Russell Pritchard /Presseye

The visitors went ahead 20 minutes into the second half when Ciaran Martyn powered in a header from Johnny Black’s in-swinging corner.

Glenavon almost replied in the 73rd minute when only a brave block by Sean Ward denied Conor Walsh’s shot from 8 yards and Trevor Molloy’s follow up was also blocked. Black then fired a low free kick inches wide with Plummer relieved to watch it fly past his left hand post. As Glenavon piled bodies into the box Morris dropped Neill’s cross in the final minute but he just managed to grab the ball as Miskimmin was winding up a shot.

Teams:

Glenavon: Plummer, Shannon, Neill, Magee, McDonagh, Stewart (Harpur 70), Walsh, Grant (Miskimmin 75), King (Lavery 88), Harper, Molloy. Subs not used: Grieve, Haughey

Glentoran: Morris, Nixon, Black, Clarke, Ward, Martyn, Gawley, Steele (Waterworth 46), Fordyce, Callacher (Gardiner 74), McGovern. Subs not used: Burrows, Taylor, Hill

Referee: Dessie Loughery

Man of the Match Sponsor Jonathan Swift presents Willo McDonagh with his champagne. Photo by the Webmaster.

Glenavon Director George Swift thanks Peter McGeown of National Windscreens for their generous Match Sponsorship. Photo by the Webmaster.

Greetings today to Adam Monkman from Calgary, Alberta, Canada who has started supporting Glenavon since he attended the Coleraine game with Glenavon supporter Billy Fyffe.

If you have a friend who supports Glenavon from afar that you would like us to give a mention to, please email

It’s been some years since the ‘battle of the Glens’ involved a top two clash so tomorrow’s visit of current leaders Glentoran and second-placed Glenavon is eagerly awaited by both sets of fans.

Marty Quinn is aiming for another win. Photo by Presseye.

Marty Quinn and his squad are also looking forward to the game in a very positive frame of mind, “They had a great win on Tuesday against Cliftonville and they’ll be confident but I’ll have our boys confident as well. We’ll be going into this game with the belief that we are capable of beating Glentoran. It’ll be a completely different game (from Tuesday against Dungannon) but I want another three points so bring them on.”

Tony Grant has been looking fresh and fully fit this season and is currently Glenavon’s leading scorer having bagged a brace in two of the last three games.

Sammy Stewart has received his International clearance from the SFA and will come into the squad.

James Costello is a doubt as he is a very close family friend of Stuart Wilson, the young Rathfriland boy who tragically died in hospital following a boating accident at Cranfield this week. James will be attending the funeral on Saturday and understandably may not be in the right frame of mind to play a football match.

“I’m hoping for another big crowd and the fans getting behind us tomorrow. It’s a big, big game but it’s time we beat the Glens and we’ll certainly be giving it a go” was Marty’s view this evening. In fact it’s almost ten years since the Lurgan Blues beat the Belfast Glens in the League: a 3-0 win at Mourneview Park back on 30 September 2000.

Glentoran have been in free-scoring form this season whilst keeping it tight at the back,. In the five League games played so far Scott Young’s side have banged in an impressive 13 goals whilst conceding only one so Quinn knows his whole team will have to perform well if he is to fulfil that aim of six points from this week’s two games.

Daryl Fordyce has found his scoring touch after Young moved him to his preferred role at the head of the Glens attack including a five goal haul in the opening day fixture against a shell-shocked Lisburn Distillery. Club skipper Paul Leeman is fit again after breaking a leg back in March but Scott Young is unlikely to tinker with a defence that has kept four clean sheets in the opening five games so expect to see Oval veteran Colin Nixon at the heart of the Glens defence alongside Sean Ward.

Shane McCabe left The Oval for Shamrock Park this week on deadline day and Gary Hamilton, on loan from Glentoran, would be ineligible to play, even if he was fit.

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Head to Head

Sat	20/02/10	PRE	Glenavon	1 – 3	Glentoran	View events	More info
Sat	28/11/09	PRE	Glentoran	2 – 0	Glenavon	View events	More info
Tue	10/11/09	LEC	Glenavon	2 – 3	Glentoran		More info
Sat	31/10/09	LEC	Glentoran	2 – 2	Glenavon		More info
Tue	15/09/09	PRE	Glenavon	2 – 2	Glentoran	View events	More info
Sat	03/01/09	PRE	Glentoran	2 – 0	Glenavon	View events	More info
Tue	25/11/08	PRE	Glentoran	2 – 1	Glenavon	View events	More info
Sat	25/10/08	PRE	Glenavon	1 – 2	Glentoran	View events	More info
Sat	22/03/08	PRE	Glentoran	3 – 0	Glenavon		More info
Sat	01/12/07	PRE	Glenavon	1 – 2	Glentoran		More info

Match Officials

Referee: D. Loughery, Assistants: P. Munn, N. Murphy, 4th Official: D. Dunlop.

Barry Johnston has completed a late deadline day move back to his former Club Cliftonville after Glenavon agreed a transfer deal with the Solitude outfit. The midfielder completed his brief career at Mourneview Park with a substitute appearance in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Dungannon Swifts.

Glenavon moved up to second place in the Carling Premiership thanks to a hard fought win against Mid-Ulster neighbours Dungannon Swifts.

Marty Quinn made no changes to the Glenavon starting line-up from Friday’s defeat to Ballymena United.

Glenavon manager Marty Quinn, centre, pictured with his two new signings, Sammy Stewart, left, and Gary Hamilton before Tuesday night's match at Mourneview Park. Photo by Presseye

In tonight’s post-match interview Marty Quinn reviews the game, looks ahead to Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash with leaders Glentoran and talks about today’s signing of Gary Hamilton. Click for the Audio.

Glenavon almost paid the penalty for some slack marking in the 6th minute when Swifts right back Fergal McAliskey was left in acres of space on the right wing and slotted the ball into Timmy Adamson. He swivelled at the near post and fired over a low cross-shot that went right across the goal area just a yard or two out with, fortunately for the home side, no-one in a yellow shirt there to get a touch. Moments later Trevor Molloy cut in from the right and hit a left foot shot narrowly wide from just outside the box with Swifts keeper Sean O’Neill diving to his left.

Kyle Neil battles with Dungannon's Jonny Topley. Photo by Presseye.

Ryan McIlmoyle’s 11th minute free kick picked out Ryan McCluskey at the far post but he could only put his header back across goal and out for a goal kick. Five minutes later Tony Grant laid the ball back to Stuart King and he put over a tempting cross that dropped at the feet of Ryan Harpur but his attempted lob from 10 yards flew over the bar. The same player was the recipient of an excellent cross from Kyle Neill in the 19th minute but this time Harpur put a header a yard or two wide of the near post.

In the 38th minute Mark Miskimmin almost broke through with a run but after he was tackled on the edge of the area Swifts broke quickly and McIlmoyle crossed from the left with Michael Ward not far away from making contact with a diving header at the far post.

Four minutes from the break King made it to the bye-line and cut a great ball back to Miskimmin but his mis-hit shot failed to test O’Neill.

Tony Grant celebrates with Mark Miskimmin and Trevor Molloy after scoring to make it 1-0. Photo by Presseye.

Tony Grant gave Glenavon the lead five minutes into the second half with his 3rd goal of the season when he powered home a header from 6 yards from a pinpoint Stuart King driven cross after the ball ended up back with him after he had taken a corner that Willo McDonagh chipped back into the mix.

Dungannon’s main threat had been coming from set pieces so it was no surprise when Adamson equalised with a powerful back post header from Jonny Topley’s deep free kick in the 79th minute.

Glenavon responded positively and Grant restored the lead just two minutes later. Swifts carelessly gave away possession to substitute James Costello and he poked the ball through to Molloy in the box. O’Neill could only push his powerful drive from 12 yards up into the air and Grant simply nodded it over the line from practically under the bar for his fourth goal in five games.

It still took a brilliant save from Andrew Plummer in the 83rd minute to keep out another powerful header by Adamson in what was almost a carbon copy finish from yet another free kick by Topley and Craig McClean’s back post header from a deep cross in the final minute was gratefully gathered by the Glenavon keeper.

Glenavon's Man of the Match Conor Walsh comes away with the ball despite the pressure from Dungannon's Ryan McCluskey. Photo by Presseye.

Teams

Glenavon: Plummer, Shannon, Neill, Magee, McDonagh, Harpur (Johnston 80), Walsh, Grant, King, Miskimmin (Costello 75), Molloy. Subs not used: C. Lavery, Harper, Haughey.

Dungannon Swifts: O’Neill, McAliskey (S. Lavery 46), McMinn, McCaffrey, McClean, Fitzpatrick, McCluskey (Murphy 85), Topley, Ward, McIlmoyle (Coney 67), Adamson. Subs not used: Ferguson, Forker.

David Watterson (L) and Joel Best (R) representing the Man of the Match sponsor Greiner Packaging handed over the champagne to Conor Walsh.

Glenavon Director Trevor Harper thanks Julie Harvey of the Model Newsagent Bessbrook for sponsoring tonight's match.

Best wishes to Lee, Neil and Gaz from Cannock near Birmingham who have adopted Glenavon as their Irish League team thanks to being indoctrinated after they met up with Director George Swift Jnr. whilst on holiday a couple of years ago!