Danske Bank Premiership

Mourneview Park, Saturday 17^th August 2019

Match Report by Calum Jones

Glenavon picked up their first win of the season with a comfortable 2-0 victory at home to Warrenpoint Town on Saturday.

Sammy Clingan opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 11^th minute after James Singleton had been fouled by Gavin Smith.

Andrew Mitchell, making his first start of the season, then doubled the Lurgan Blues’ lead on 27 minutes after he’d been played through by strike partner Jordan Jenkins.

Manager Gary Hamilton admitted to NIFL after the game that Glenavon ‘took [their] foot off the gas in the second half’ but Warrenpoint never looked like getting back into the match, and the home side held on for a comfortable victory.

Glenavon settled the quicker of the two sides but struggled to create any goalscoring opportunities in the opening minutes. That all changed, however, 11 minutes in when James Singleton won the hosts a penalty.

Singleton took a throw-in and picked out Jenkins, who then immediately returned the ball to the left-back. He set off on a jinking run, first beating Jake O’Connor and then side-stepping Smith, who clumsily left his leg trailing and tripped the Glenavon man.

Who else but Clingan stepped up to take the penalty, and he dispatched it in typical fashion, sending Berraat Turker the wrong way as he slotted the ball inside the left-hand upright to make it 1-0.

Clingan came close to grabbing a second goal just two minutes later when he took a free-kick close to the by-line on the left which brushed the top of the crossbar.

In the 25^th minute Singleton played a long ball over the top of the Warrenpoint defence which fell kindly for Jenkins. Point captain Daniel Wallace did really well to deny the young striker as he got across to block Jenkins’ well-struck half-volley.

Jenkins was involved again a couple of minutes later when Glenavon did find their second goal. He pounced on a poor defensive header from Smith before sliding a pass through for Mitchell. The striker made no mistake, sending a low left-foot shot across Turker and into the far corner to grab his second goal in as many games.

Glenavon pressed for a third as the first half wore on. The impressive Singleton played a one-two with Josh Daniels on 37 minutes before unleashing a shot from the edge of the area which was destined for the far bottom corner until Turker dived down to his left to make a smart save.

Jack O’Mahony had a good game on the right wing for the Lurgan Blues, causing the Warrenpoint defence problems all afternoon with his pace and trickery, and it was no surprise when he was named Glenavon Man of the Match. In the 40^th minute the young winger picked Mitchell out with a cross from the right flank, but the striker couldn’t generate enough power with his header to trouble Turker.

The visitors’ first serious attempt at goal came in first-half injury time when substitute Deane Watters was given too much time and space on the edge of the Glenavon penalty area, but he could only shoot straight at Jonny Tuffey.

Four minutes into the second period former Glenavon striker Marc Griffin showed some neat control to fashion a shooting opportunity for himself, but in the end he could only drag his shot wide of Tuffey’s left-hand post.

Although Glenavon lacked the same intensity in their play in the second half, O’Mahony continued to impress. In the 55^th minute he burst past Point full-back Emmet Bennett as if he wasn’t there and sent in a low cross close to the by-line. Turker had to be alert to cut it out.

The home side had a let-off on 64 minutes when Griffin charged down an attempted clearance by Tuffey and the ball squirmed free, but Caolan Marron was on hand to tidy things up and snuff out the danger.

Warrenpoint’s best chance of the game fell to Alan O’Sullivan 10 minutes from time. The ball broke for the striker in the Glenavon penalty area, but Tuffey was alert and raced off his line to meet the shot and make an excellent save to preserve Glenavon’s clean sheet and ensure the game finished 2-0.

Next Saturday (24^th August) sees the Lurgan Blues travel to Stangmore Park to take on Dungannon Swifts. Gary Hamilton’s men will know a stern test awaits them, with the Swifts coming off the back of a very impressive 3-1 home win over Glentoran.

Glenavon: 1. Jonny Tuffey (GK) (C), 4. Caolan Marron, 6. Andrew Doyle, 7. Josh Daniels, 8. Rhys Marshall, 9. Andrew Mitchell, 16. Sammy Clingan, 21. Jack O’Mahony, 27. James Singleton, 28. Robert Garrett, 30. Jordan Jenkins

Subs: 14. Matthew Ferguson (for 9. Andrew Mitchell, 66’), 24. Stephen Murray (for 30. Jordan Jenkins, 71’), 3. Paddy Burns (for 4. Caolan Marron, 85’); not used: 11. Andrew Hall, 15. Aaron Harmon, 18. James Taylor (GK), 20. Conor McCloskey

Goals: 16. Sammy Clingan (penalty, 11’), 9. Andrew Mitchell (27’)

Yellow Cards: None

Warrenpoint Town: 1. Berraat Turker (GK), 2. Evan White, 3. Emmet Bennett, 4. Gavin Smith, 5. Anton Reilly, 6. Dermot McVeigh, 7. Marc Griffin, 8. Jake O’Connor, 9. Alan O’Sullivan, 20. Ciaran O’Connor, 23. Daniel Wallace (C)

Subs: 17. Deane Watters (for 20. Ciaran O’Connor, 32’), 22. Matthew Taylor (for 2. Evan White, 59’), 11. Brandon Doyle (for 8. Jake O’Connor, 71’); not used: 14. James Prendergast, 21. Ethan Copes, 27. Mark Byrne (GK), 28. Ryan O’Kane

Goals: None

Yellow Cards: 4. Gavin Smith (42’)

Referee: Tony Clarke