Under 15
The Glenavon Under 15 Team plays in the National League.
Manager: Barrie Cochrane
Coach: Brian King
League Table
Leading Scorers 2009/10
Conor Callaghan 6, Corry Wells 3, Decky Heaney 3, Dale Smeeton 2, Drew Mc Kenna 1, Taylor Scott 1, Jack McNally 1, Johnny Drury 1, James Hutchinson 1
Results 2009/10
21st November St. Oliver Plunkett FC 0-1 Glenavon (Glenavon awarded 1-0 win as the opposition team has withdrawn from the League)
7th November Bertie Peacock Youth 2-1 Glenavon
31st Oct Carrick 1-3 Glenavon
24th Oct Tristar 3-4 Glenavon
17th Oct Sion Swifts 8-0 Glenavon
10th Oct Ballymoney 0-3 Glenavon
3rd Oct Dungoyne 1-0 Glenavon
26th Sept Ballinamallard 1-2 Glenavon
19th Sept Cliftonville 0-0 Glenavon
12th Sept Limavady 1-1 Glenavon
9th Sept Linfield 4-1 Glenavon
5th Sept Larne 0-3 Glenavon
2nd Sept Dungannon 5-1 Glenavon
Match Reports 2009/10
Saturday 7th November Bertie Peacock Youth 2-1 Glenavon
Glenavon under 15s travelled to Coleraine on Saturday and were unlucky to come away with no points in what was really a game of two halves.
In the first half Glenavon just didnt compete and found themselves one down when a corner wasn’t cleared properly and a Bertie Peacock player smashed it into the net. Glenavon went two nil down in almost a carbon copy goal where once again the ball fell to a Bertie Peacock player from a corner and he also scored this time in the opposite corner. Glenavon looked a shadow of the side that won their last two matches and were glad to hear the half time whistle before they conceded again.
Some stern words were said at half time and a couple of changes were made, Robbie Redpath coming on at right back and Taylor Scott replacing Jack McNally at centre back who went into midfield. Right from the off in the second half Glenavon looked a different side and raised their game to what is expected of them. Decky Heaney was causing all sorts of problems out on the left wing and it was he who pulled a goal back cutting inside the right back and unleashing a ferocious shot that flew past the keeper before he could raise his hands to save it.
Johnny Drury, Drew McKenna and Jack McNally were running things in midfield and Robbie Redpath was having a stormer playing some fantastic diaganal balls and his corners were causing all sorts of problems. Decky Heaney had a free kick cleared off the line and one of his free kicks hit the crossbar. Glenavon had half a dozen free kicks awarded to them outside the box as the Peacocks struggled to cope with the pressure but Glenavon couldn’t find the goal which I really think they deserved but that’s football for you sometimes. In this league you can’t give any team a two goal start.
Glenavon travel again next week to Ballymena to play Carninny youth and will hope for a better start. They remain eighth in the league with six games to go before the split in the league and will have to continue to work hard to stay there.
Saturday 31st October: Glenavon 3-1 Carrick
Glenavon hosted Carrick at the Gordon on Saturday and came away with all three points and their first back to back wins in the league.
Glenavon was really up for this match and it showed in their fluent football from the off. They had a couple of chances before James Hutchinson opened the scoring. Taking a pass from Johnny Drury in his stride he shot at goal but the keeper made a good save but fortunately the ball rebounded to him and he made no mistake this time chipping it over the keeper. Carrick struck back shortly after to make it all square before Glenavon was awarded a corner and Conor Callaghan headed it towards goal and in a bit of a scramble the ball was cleared out to the eighteen yard box to Jack McNally who rifled the ball into the corner of the net.
Shortly into the second half Glenavon got another corner which Jack McNally took and this time Conor Callaghan thundered a header into the net. Even at three one the game wasn’t over and Carrick came at Glenavon at every opportunity but the midfield of Johnny Drury, Decky Heany, Taylor Scott and Drew McKenna worked very hard to protect their defence. Any time Carrick did get through the midfield Anton O’Hanlon was there to clear any danger.
This was one of Glenavon’s best games; they played as a team throughout and deservedly won the. Next week we travel to Coleraine to play Bertie Peacock and will have to be at their best if they want anything out of this game.
Saturday 24th October: Tristar Boys FC 3-4 Glenavon
After last weeks humiliating defeat in Strabane by Sion Swifts Glenavon under 15s travelled to Derry to play Tristar and the management had asked the players to put a bit of pride back into their shirts and to prove to themselves they are worthy to wear the Glenavon jersey. They certainly did that coming away with all three points in an entertaining game filled with passion and a lot of hard work.
Glenavon went one nil down after five minutes through a header from a free kick but didn’t let that goal affect them. In fact it seemed to spur them on even more and they took the game to Tristar and played some great football. Ten minutes into the match Glenavon was awarded a free kick and from twenty five yards out Decky Heaney scored in the top corner. Shortly after Jack Mcnally released James Hutchinson down the right wing and he pulled the ball back from the byline to the eighteen yard box to Johnny Drury who smashed the ball into the bottom corner for his first competitive goal for the club.
Glenavon went three one up when Dale Smeetin playing at right back for the day made a surging run into the box to support the forwards and got a bit of luck when the ball fell into his path and he made no mistake rifling the ball under the keeper. With the wind at their backs Glenavon were rampaging through the Tristar defence at every opportunity and scored their fourth goal, Johnny Drury passing a lovely ball out to Decky Heaney on the left who in turn passed to the hard working Corry Wells for a simple tap in.
For the second half Glenavon changed their keeper bringing on Robbie Redpath for Johnny Bergin knowing with playing against the wind Tristar would be putting a lot of high balls into the box and Robbie being taller would help us out a lot and it did. Ten minutes into the second half Tristar got a lucky goal after a shot was deflected into the net. With twenty five minutes left we brought on three substitutes to bolster the team: travelling all that distance takes a lot out of the lads. Tristar scored another goal to make it four three which looked as if it was a foul on the keeper but the goal stood. Glenavon players were annoyed at a lot of decisions that weren’t going their way but kept Tristar at bay with a great resolve and determination and deservedly won the match.
After last weeks result and going down one nil in the first five minutes after travelling all the way to Derry the lads certainly got their pride back. This is the top league in the country and they will have to compete this way in every game if they want to remain in the top half of the table.
Glenavon under 15s hosted Ballymoney at the Gordon on Saturday and came away with all three points. Two goals from Conor Callaghan and one from Corry Wells sealed the win and moved the team to eighth in the table in this their first year in the new National League. So far they have won three lost three and drawn two in a very competitive league.
The league consists of nineteen teams from around the country and they all play each other once then the league splits into two, with the top half playing each other again in a mini league and the bottom half doing the same.
Managers Keith McDonald and Kevin McMahon have set their team a challenge to finish in the top half of the league and firmly believe they have a good enough squad to achieve this. Nine players have remained in the squad from last season’s Mid Ulster team with six new players added to strengthen the team. Also two of Glenavon under 15s, Jack McNally and Caolen McCann, have been chosen to join the Armagh development squad and they will join with recent signings Decky Heaney from Sunnyside and Johnny Bergin from Armagh City into that squad.
