Glenavon FC News

Tomorrow (Tuesday) night sees Glenavon take on Seapatrick FC in the 3rd Round of the Mid-Ulster Cup. The game kicks off at 7:30pm and admission charges are £5 and £3 concession.

Marty’s View (Audio)

Jay Magee and Ryan Harpur were both suspended and Gary Liggett dropped to the bench with Stuart King and Shea Campbell recalled to the starting line-up and Adrian Harper earning a rare start.

The opening goal came as Kyle Neill capitalised on sloppy marking to nip in at the near post and glance in Gary Hamilton’s corner to give the home side an 11th minute lead.

Elliot Morris rushed off his line to make a great save to deny Trevor Molloy from 8 yards after he latched onto Harper’s knock down from Carvill’s cross seven minutes later.

Fordyce then fired a shot across Murphy that wasn’t far wide before Hamilton shot just over from 20 yards.

Morris made another good save at the feet of Costello in the 32nd minute when Harper’s run with the ball into the Glens box saw him play the striker in with a neat pass.

Both sides seem to be having problems retaining possession with too many passes going astray.

Marty Quinn made a positive move at half time, bringing on Tony Grant and Eamon Murray for King and Harper and Grant’s 53rd minute cross caused confusion in the Glens defence with Morris and Nixon each leaving it for the other and the ball going out for a corner off a sliced clearance at the back post with McDonagh also taken by surprise that the ball got that far. The Glens keeper just held Murray’s 57th minute free kick from the ‘D’ as he curled it around the wall.

Tuda Murphy made an excellent save to push Hamilton’s low drive around the post after Fordyce caught Walsh in possession and threaded the ball into his strike partner’s run. From the resulting corner Nixon headed Hamilton’s deep cross back into the middle and only Carvill’s goal-line clearance denied Dean Fitzgerald a goal from a side-footed effort. The Glenavon keeper made another good save minutes later when he got down to turn Fitzgerald’s low 18 yard shot around the post.

Neill grabbed his second goal of the game when he slammed the ball into the roof of the net from a couple of yards out after Murphy saved Fordyce’s downward header but could do nothing about Neill’s follow up.

Morris did very well to tip Grant’s 12 yard turn and shot over the bar in the 84th minute.

Teams:

Glentoran: Morris, Nixon, Neill, Clarke, Leeman (c), Fordyce (Halliday 88), Hamilton, Fitzgerald, Johnny Taylor, Black, Gillespie. Subs not used: James Taylor (GK), McCabe, Ward, Waterworth.

Glenavon: Murphy, Campbell, Harper (Murray 46), Walsh (c), Molloy (Liggett 71), King (Grant 46), McDonagh, Carvill, Gracey, Haughey, Costello. Subs not used: Turkington, McAnallen

Referee: Adrian McCourt

Glenavon defender Jay Magee and midfielder Ryan Harpur both miss tomorrow’s visit to The Oval as they serve a one game ban, having accumulated 5 cautions but striker Tony Grant will be available after completing his two game ban and Conor McAnallen will be called into the squad.

Marty Quinn and physio Gary Hazley are a little concerned with Mark Gracey who has a ‘niggly’ knee problem that has been causing him some pain with the big defender having to play through the pain barrier but they are hopeful he will be fit to face the Champions.

“We need to pick up points on the road as teams are closing in on our position”, Marty told the website on Friday.”There hasn’t been much between the sides in the three meetings so far this season but we’ll need to have a better first 45 than last Saturday.

“James Costello was outstanding in the second 45 last week and he feels that his wee spell in the Reserves has restored his confidence so I’m looking for him to carry on improving.”

James Costello battles with Crusaders Jonathon Magee in last week's Carling Premiership game. Photo Gareth Irvine / Presseye.com

The Official Glenavon FC tracksuit, a top quality product by Nike emblazoned with the Glenavon badge, is now available in both Adult and Child sizes in the Club Shop at Mourneview Park and also in our on-line shop.

Price for the Adult’s tracksuit is £57 and for the Child’s size it is £52.

Glenavon, without a game on Saturday 5th December (the next round of the Co-Operative Insurance Cup), have arranged a friendly against Championship 1 side Coagh United at Mourneview Park on that date, kick-off 2.30 pm.

Further details will be announced in due course.