Dr Malcolm Brodie MBE made the first draw in this Season's 'Friends of Glenavon Century Club'. Also pictured are Lisa King and Raymond Flannigan.

The August Prize Winners were:

• £1000 – Gordon Irwin
• £300 – Jim Hewitt
• £200 – Trevor Harper Jnr.
• £100 – Mark Gregg

Glenavon Director Eddie Drury presents Willo McDonagh with his Player of the Month award sponsored by Nigel O'Hara Diamond Jewellers. Photo by the Webmaster.

The Glenavon ‘Player of the Month’ award is kindly sponsored by Nigel O’Hara Diamond Jewellers, Portadown.

The under 13′s and under 16′s started their National League campaign’s unfortunately with defeat. The under 13′s put up a spirited display against NIBFA cup holder’s Dungannon going down 3-1 in a close affair. The 16′s meanwhile had the difficult task of taking on Linfield and lost out 3-0.

The under 15′s were unable to follow up their excellent mid-week success and were defeated by Coleraine side Bertie Peacock Youth 3-0. Finally, the under 14′s did manage to add to mid-week victory and romped to a 9-0 success over Ballinamallard. An Andrew Hoey hat-trick inspired the side who now have scored 19 goals in just 2 games and haven’t yet conceded.

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.

It was to be a very successful evening as both teams took maximum points against their Co. Down counterparts. In a tense affair the under 15′s came through 3-2 thanks to a late winner from new signing Stephen Duke. The under 14′s had a more comfortable evening, enjoying a 10-0 rout over their rivals with an Adam Salley hat trick proving to be the highlight.

This weekend the under 13′s and under 16′s start their National League campaigns while the under 10′s play their first competitive fixture in the South Belfast League.

Membership of the Century Club, which as the name suggests is strictly limited to 100 ticketholders, is £20 by direct debit each month (August – April) or £160 by single payment. Prizemoney totals £8,000 over the 9 months with 30 prizes and tickets can be had from any Glenavon director or at the club offices and you can also subscribe to either option securely on-line in the Glenavon shop.

Four prizes will be drawn on Saturday after the big top-of-the-table clash between Glenavon and Glentoran and August is one of the special prize months with a top prize of £1,000 in addition to the normal prizes of £300, £200 and £100.

The draw will be made by Dr Malcolm Brodie MBE at approximately 5.15 pm.

The Ladbrokes.com Championship Two side had raced into an early two goal lead but were pegged back thanks to a second half revival by Glenavon’s second string. Unfortunately for the Blues, that was to make no odds as City went on to wrap up the tie on penalty kicks.

Mark Gracey, who took charge of the team in boss Gerard McMahon’s absence, was disappointed to go out but was even more upset at the poor first half display that ultimately cost them the tie. “They went 2-0 up because we didn’t really get started in the first half,” he said.

Despite the defeat, the former Glenavon defender enjoyed his first taste of managerial duty and Gerard McMahon’s assistant says it is something that he is becoming increasingly interested in. “I enjoyed it to be honest with you. I’d be one of the guys who would go mad on the sideline, a bit like Marty (Quinn). Gerdie’s the quiet one and I do all the mouthing! When Marty asked me to become involved I didn’t think I would but I really have enjoyed it and I probably could see myself getting into it more in the future. It would be good to get my coaching badges done.”

Gareth Hanna