Linfield 7-0 Glenavon

Danske Bank Premiership

Windsor Park, Saturday 28^th September 2019

Match Report by Calum Jones

Glenavon were thrashed 7-0 by Linfield at Windsor Park on Saturday.

The reigning Danske Bank Premiership champions raced into a 3-0 lead inside the opening quarter of an hour thanks to a quick-fire hat-trick by former Glenavon striker Shayne Lavery.

The superb Bastien Hery then added a fourth goal on 25 minutes.

Former Glenavon winger Joel Cooper grabbed the home side’s fifth goal 10 minutes into the second half, before Jimmy Callacher (64’) and substitute Andrew Waterworth (85’) each converted with headers to round off the scoring.

Lavery was just too hot to handle for the Glenavon defence in the first 15 minutes, they simply could not cope with him.

The ex-Everton striker opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Cooper beat Aaron Harmon on the left side of the penalty area before pulling it back for Lavery. He controlled the ball before scooping it into the left-hand top corner.

Lavery’s second goal came on 12 minutes. Hery fed the ball out to Kirk Millar on the right flank and the winger raced into the box before cutting it back for Lavery. The young striker didn’t hit his shot all that well but it was the accuracy that beat Jonny Tuffey, the ball nestling just inside the far post.

Hery was involved again in Lavery’s third goal two minutes later. James Singleton’s header fell for the French midfielder and he beat the Glenavon centre-back with a stepover before having a pop at goal with his left foot. Andrew Doyle managed to block the shot but he couldn’t clear the ball. Instead it fell for Lavery and he cut inside Doyle before sweeping a low left-footed shot beyond Tuffey and into the far corner to complete his hat-trick.

Hery got the goal his performance deserved in the 25^th minute when he finished off a brilliant team move. Mulgrew played the ball infield to Matthew Clarke and he then played a one-two with Cooper on the left. When the ball was returned to Clarke he played a first-time pass inside to Hery on the edge of the penalty area. The midfielder controlled the ball with his left foot, then found the far bottom corner with an exquisite shot with the outside of his right boot to make it 4-0.

Gary Hamilton brought Caolan Marron on in place of Conor McCloskey on 28 minutes and reshuffled his side, reverting to a 4-5-1 shape in an effort to quell the Linfield onslaught. The young defender’s calming influence had the desired effect for the remainder of the first half, but unfortunately for Glenavon the goals began to flow again in the second period.

Stephen Fallon played the ball out to Cooper on the left on 55 minutes. After a couple of stepovers, he jinked his way inside past Marron before drilling a low left-foot shot in at the near post which gave Tuffey no chance and made the score 5-0.

Lavery very nearly scored his fourth goal shortly after the hour mark when he saw a header from a Millar corner cleared off the line by Robert Garrett. It hardly mattered, as Linfield quickly recycled the ball, which led to Callacher adding a sixth goal. Quinn spread the ball out to Cooper on the right and he floated a cross into the box to pick out Callacher. The defender had the simple task of nodding the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.

Fallon came within inches of scoring a screamer when his rasping shot from 25 yards out crashed off the post on 81 minutes.

Substitute Waterworth rounded off the scoring with a seventh goal five minutes from time. Millar dribbled past Paddy Burns on the right before picking Waterworth out with a cross. His glancing point-blank header beat Tuffey and compounded Glenavon’s dismal afternoon.

Referee Shane Andrews mercifully blew the final whistle without playing any added time to put Glenavon out of their misery.

The Lurgan Blues travel to Larne on Friday night (4^th October) for another tough test, and they will be well aware that the level of their performance will have to drastically improve if they are going to have any chance of coming away with anything from Inver Park. The match kicks off at 7.45pm.

Linfield: 1. Rohan Ferguson (GK), 2. Mark Stafford, 6. Jimmy Callacher, 9. Joel Cooper, 12. Kirk Millar, 14. Shayne Lavery, 16. Matthew Clarke, 20. Stephen Fallon, 21. Bastien Hery, 22. Jamie Mulgrew (C), 31. Niall Quinn

Subs: 7. Andrew Waterworth (for 21. Bastien Hery, 65’), 28. Daniel Reynolds (for 14. Shayne Lavery, 69’), 8. Matthew Shevlin (for 9. Joel Cooper, 75’); not used: 3. Ross Larkin, 23. Ryan McGivern, 27. Andrew Mitchell, 35. Gareth Deane (GK)

Goals: 14. Shayne Lavery (4’, 12’, 14’), 21. Bastien Hery (25’), 9. Joel Cooper (55’), 6. Jimmy Callacher (64’), 7. Andrew Waterworth (85’)

Yellow Cards: None

Glenavon: 1. Jonny Tuffey (GK) (C), 3. Paddy Burns, 6. Andrew Doyle, 8. Rhys Marshall, 9. Andrew Mitchell, 11. Andy Hall, 15. Aaron Harmon, 20. Conor McCloskey, 21. Jack O’Mahony, 27. James Singleton, 28. Robert Garrett

Subs: 4. Caolan Marron (for 20. Conor McCloskey, 28’), 24. Stephen Murray (for 9. Andrew Mitchell, 56’), 45. Eoin Wearen (for 6. Andrew Doyle, 69’); not used: 3. Daniel Larmour, 18. James Taylor (GK), 23. Kyle Beggs, 30. Jordan Jenkins

Goals: None

Yellow Cards: None

Referee: Shane Andrews